Great World War II flick about a group of outcasts

Rating: 9/10 (22 May 2014)

Released in 1967, "The Dirty Dozen" stars Lee Marvin as a tough Major who enlists and trains a group of criminal soldiers for a risky mission behind enemy lines on the eve of D-Day. If they survive they might be pardoned. The all-star cast is a highlight and includes Charles Bronson, Ernest Borgnine, Jim Brown, John Cassavetes, Robert Ryan, George Kennedy, Donald Sutherland, Clint Walker and Richard Jaeckel.
The long first act involves the training of the undisciplined soldiers, the shorter second act their first test in war games with another platoon, and the last act their dangerous mission in Brittany, France, which involves an assault on a lavish château that's hosting a meeting of high-ranking German soldiers. Killing as many as possible should hamper the German response to D-Day.
The film's long at two and a half hours, but it masterfully sustains your interest because it focuses on the characters. When the raid on the château finally comes you KNOW these characters and are rooting for them. Unfortunately, most of 'em don't make it.
The château assault presents a controversy: Was it right for them to throw grenades and gasoline down air vents to blow-up German officers AND their women in the bunker underneath the château? A couple of the members of the dozen ask the Major if he was sure he wanted them to do it and he told them to do it. So the soldiers were just following orders, which doesn't make it right. Keep in mind that their original mission was to kill as many high-ranking officers at the château as possible to pave the way for a successful D-Day operation, so that's precisely what they did. The women could be considered collateral damage. I'm not saying this justifies their actions, but we were in a state of war and victory was necessary for the war to end and restore peace.
The film was shot entirely in England.
GRADE: A