The Dirty Dozen (1967)

The Dirty Dozen (1967) is a hard‑edged, fast‑moving World War II thriller about Major John Reisman (Lee Marvin), a rebellious, unorthodox officer who’s ordered to train a dozen convicted military prisoners — many facing death sentences — for a near‑suicide commando mission. Their objective: parachute behind enemy lines in March 1944, infiltrate a heavily guarded French chateau used as a Nazi officers’ rest house, sow chaos, knock out communications and assassinate as many high‑ranking German officers as possible on the eve of D‑Day. Watching the film you’ll get a mix of gritty action, dark humor, and tense character drama. Much of the story is about transformation: Reisman forcing a motley crew of killers and misfits to function as a unit under brutal discipline and impossible odds. Expect tight training sequences, sharp interpersonal clashes, a memorable war‑game test, and a suspenseful, violent final raid. The movie balances explosive set pieces with moments of grim camaraderie and moral ambiguity — it isn’t a sanitized war picture but a pulp‑tinged, adrenaline‑driven caper with stakes that feel constant and real. The film features a starry ensemble (Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson, John Cassavetes, Jim Brown, Robert Ryan and others) under Robert Aldrich’s direction, with a strong score and lean pacing that made it one of the era’s most popular war films. Critics and audiences have generally liked it, and you’ll likely come away entertained by the action, engaged by the characters’ rough edges, and struck by the film’s mix of ruthless tactics and uneasy heroism. If you enjoy tense, character‑driven war thrillers with a rebellious lead and a memorable ensemble, The Dirty Dozen delivers.

Actors: Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Charles Bronson

Director: Robert Aldrich

Runtime: 150 min

Genres: Action, Adventure, War

7.7 /10 73 /100 7.7 /10 7.6 /10