The Silver Screen Oasis

Just noticed a copy of this Samuel Fuller film at the library. Any thoughts on this one? Fuller is not exactly my cup of tea. I feel as if I'm in group therapy rather than watching a movie. But I like THE BIG RED ONE. I enjoy war drama as long as the focus is on story and not action. Might this be something I'd appreciate?

The description refers to a basic training period. That could give the story a "Dirty Dozen" quality, a feature I enjoy. The preparation is more interesting than the actual task. What do you think?

Typing MERRILL'S MARAUDERS into the search function revealed five posts mentioning it -- this one and four previous posts by me.

1. It's a Samuel Fuller film -- of course it's worth watching (please disregard HELL AND HIGH WATER -- everyone is entitled to a mulligan).

2. It's the first Fuller film I ever saw (at a drive-in...with my parents and baby sister), so I do have a sentimental attachment to it.

3. Jeff Chandler is great.

4. As with Fuller's war movies generally, it is about trying to survive just to survive (John Wayne and any pretense of heroism is not to be found) (and I'll admit that CHINA GATE is arguably an exception to the rule -- Angie Dickinson is a hero).

5. Of Fuller's war films, the only ones I prefer are THE STEEL HELMET, FIXED BAYONETS!, CHINA GATE, VERBOTEN! and THE BIG RED ONE (I'm not counting THE HOUSE OF BAMBOO and THE CRIMSON KIMONO as war movies), which means it's among the finest ever made.

6. "I enjoy war drama as long as the focus is on story and not action. Might this be something I'd appreciate?" -- Yes. But I see that as the focus in all of Fuller's movies.

ChiO wrote:Typing MERRILL'S MARAUDERS into the search function revealed five posts mentioning it -- this one and four previous posts by me.

3. Jeff Chandler is great.

4. As with Fuller's war movies generally, it is about trying to survive just to survive (John Wayne and any pretense of heroism is not to be found) (and I'll admit that CHINA GATE is arguably an exception to the rule -- Angie Dickinson is a hero).

6. "I enjoy war drama as long as the focus is on story and not action. Might this be something I'd appreciate?" -- Yes. But I see that as the focus in all of Fuller's movies.

The Merrill's Marauders film starring Jeff Chandler is an excellent film and I enjoyed it very much; I totally agree w/ChiO regarding that this movie focus on the story and not the action. That's true with Fuller's war movies; that ChiO mentioned that deals with survival and that's true with China Gate another great Fuller film.

I love all Fuller's films and Merrill's Marauders is one of them.

Jeff Chandler as Brigadier General Frank D. Merrill.