The Twelve Convicted Heroes

Rating: 10/10 (20 July 2016)

During the World War II, Major Reisman (Lee Marvin) is a tough and efficient military with problems with his superiors. He is assigned by General Worden (Ernest Borgnine) for an almost impossible top secret suicide mission: to kill as much senior German officers as possible in a retreat on the eve of the D-Day. He must train twelve undisciplined convicted soldiers, most of them sentenced to death, to accomplish the mission. He joins the twelve men under the positive leadership of Joseph Wladislaw (Charles Bronson) and the negative leadership of the insubordinate Victor Franko (John Cassavetes) and tries to form a team. He makes General Worden to promise to release them all if they are well succeeded. Meanwhile his enemy Colonel Everett Dasher Breed (Robert Ryan) tries to make his life more difficult but Reisman and his twelve men prove that they are efficient. Will they succeed in their mission?
"The Dirty Dozen" is one of the best movies about war, with the perfect combination of action and comedy. Despite the 2h 30 min running time, this film is never boring; indeed it is highly entertaining. Director Robert Aldrich makes another masterpiece and the performances of the magnificent cast are top-notch. The conclusion is quite moralist and predictable with most of the soldiers dying but it is part of the American culture in the 60's, since it would be unjustified killers convicted to death by hanging be proclaimed national heroes and stay alive. My vote is ten.
Title (Brazil): "Os Doze Condenados" ("The Twelve Convicted")