Lee Marvin had his hand on the pulse of the Second World War long after it had ended and for far longer than anyone else. Years before The Big Red One, the legendary actor found himself in the company of allies and axis forces. Both were clear as day in their allegiance. That clarity is scuppered in The Dirty Dozen, an interesting piece that pulls the damned and villainous from their cells and back into a field of suicidal warfare. Brutal an opening as any, the unflinching Marvin is joined by some of the all-time greats under the talented eye of director Robert Aldrich. John Reisman (Marvin) is a fascinating character, driven by discipline even in the face of those embarrassed about it, and above him. That is just one of the many great facets of The Dirty Dozen.
Damned squadrons of vicious men are guided by a Major who, like it or not, is seemingly hated by those around him. Premise alone would present a Catch-22 situation, although it is not described as such. Reisman is a damned soul and his end is in sight from the very moment he appears sullied with what is, without a doubt, a suicide mission. A suicide mission stocked full of familiar faces, mind, so he is at least in good company for his trip behind enemy lines. Ernest Borgnine is always a solid draw, and the stuffy militarism inherent to The Dirty Dozen is guided by his hand. Analysis of prisoner to prisoner is an interesting way to get to grips with these characters but also marks those that will no doubt shine through later on.
Among them are Cassavetes, who is absolutely stunning and far removed from the usual turns he was used to with his directed pieces and Bronson, whose hardman action star mentality is alive and well. Cassavetes and Marvin have some great back and forth, but that is inherent to the rebel-against-authority dynamic between the pair. With a cast this big, it is incredible that Aldrich has time to develop most of the major players. But The Dirty Dozen has the same issue that Full Metal Jacket had two decades later, its build-up and interest in the characters is far stronger than the pay-off. There is brilliance to the psychological hangover found in these moments that just doesn’t feel all that grand when thrown into the battlefield, even if the aims are achieved.
What a year it was for Marvin, with this and Point Blank to throw his weight behind. The Dirty Dozen is a filthy example of camaraderie in the darkest of placements. There is a solid psychological detail to it, which strikes through with surprise and dedication to a story clamouring for those despondent rebels and disgusting criminals hoping to re-enter society with their lives intact. Almost all of The Dirty Dozen is based on and built up from strong performances, and what great performances they are. A truly grand war feature that makes its presence known, its characters surprisingly likeable and its dedication to showing the slow warmth between army and rebel is as intense as it is surprising.
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