The Big Red One

Having previously fought in World War I, an unnamed sergeant (Lee Marvin) now leads soldiers of the U.S. First Infantry Division, nicknamed "The Big Red One," through World War II. His men include conflicted marksman Pvt. Griff (Mark Hamill), pulp novel writer Pvt. Zab (Robert Carradine), Sicilian Pvt. Vinci (Bobby Di Cicco) and medic Pvt. Johnson (Kelly Ward). The soldiers adapt to the hardships of war as they see conflict in North Africa and Sicily, take part in the D-Day landings, and liberate a Nazi concentration camp. The film was based on the director's own experiences and was produced independently on a low budget. It was heavily cut on its original release, but a restored version, The Big Red One: The Reconstruction, premiered at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.