The Dirty Dozen

film by Aldrich [1967]

Written by Lee Pfeiffer

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Article History

The Dirty Dozen, British-American war film, released in 1967, that caused controversy with its extreme violence but became one of the highest-grossing movies of the decade, noted for its taut action, dark humour, and stellar cast.

During World War II, U.S. Major Reisman (played by Lee Marvin) is asked to oversee a mission to blow up a French château housing top Nazi officials. Tasked with carrying out the suicidal assignment are 12 convicted soldiers, who volunteer in the hopes of having their sentences commuted. The men include Archer Maggott (Telly Savalas), a rapist; Victor Franko (John Cassavetes), a former gangster; and Robert Jefferson (Jim Brown) and Joseph Wladislaw (Charles Bronson), both convicted killers. After undergoing intense training, the unit parachutes into France and manages to enter the château. In the ensuing battle, most of the “Dirty Dozen” are killed, though the château is ultimately destroyed.

Many reviewers criticized the film’s violence, especially the finale, in which the Germans and their wives and girlfriends are burned to death. Defenders of The Dirty Dozen, however, noted that the depiction of atrocities mirrors reality and that the film, unlike other war movies, eschewed a simplistic patriotic portrayal of the military so as to show its darker side. From an artistic standpoint, however, virtually everyone agreed that the cast was outstanding, especially Cassavetes, who earned an Academy Award nomination. The Dirty Dozen was a major box-office success, and it inspired several TV movies in the 1980s.