Author(s): Daniel Crooke
Location: Ohio
“The Dirty Dozen”
Produced by: Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood, Robert Lorenz
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Edited by: Joel Cox
Costume Design by: Anna B. Sheppard
Cinematography by: Emmanuel Lubezki
Original Music by: John Williams
Sound Editing by: Steven Rosenblum
Sound Mixing by: Kevin O’Connell and Greg P. Russell
Adapted Screenplay: Paul Haggis and E.M. Nathanson (novel)
Principal Cast:
Harrison Ford as Major John Reisman
Richard Tyson as Joseph T. Wladislaw
Mark Wahlberg as Victor R. Franko
Terrence Howard as Napoleon Jefferson
Philip Seymour Hoffman as Archer J. Maggot
Ben Affleck as Milo Vladek
Daniel Craig as Roscoe Lever
Michael Sheen as Seth K. Sawyer
Michael Pena as Glenn Gilpin
Gael Garcia Bernal as Tassos R. Bravo
Adam Beach as Samson Posey
Steve Zahn as Vernon L. Pinkley
Unax Ugalde as Pedro Jiminez
Greg Kinnear as Major General Worden
Bill Nighy as Colonel Everett Dasher Reed
Leonardo DiCaprio as Sergeant Bowren
Tagline:"“Train them! Excite them! Arm them! …then turn them loose on the Nazis!”
Synopsis: England, 1944. Major John Reisman walked into a room filled with army officers, including Major General Warden. Warden offered Reisman the chance to command a mission that the two had discussed earlier. Reisman accepted the offer.
United States, 1944. Reisman has volunteered to command a suicide mission deep in Nazi Germany. His soldiers? Twelve convicts arrested for various crimes including murder, rape, and robbery. The soldiers are: Joseph T. Wladislaw: the last man you would ever expect to be a hero, Victor R. Frank: a rebel without a cause, Napoleon Jefferson: a man who wants to make something of himself and just might be innocent, Archer J. Maggot: a religious fanatic and murderous maniac, Milo Vladek: a scared young man, Roscoe Lever: a typical jailmate, Seth K. Sawyer: a young man who doesn’t realize what he has done, Glenn Gilpen: a thief, Tassos R. Bravo: a Mexican thief whose actions do not phase him, Samson Posey: an innocent man but with a temper of fire, Vernon L. Pinkley: an introvert with a sense of humor, and Pedro Jiminez: a man who would never be mistaken as a criminal. If the convicts accepted, they would be given their freedom after the mission (assuming they returned alive). The convicts accepted, although they did not have a choice.
United States, 1944. After they volunteered, the convicts, Reisman, and Sergeant Bowren (a sergeant from the convicts’ prison) went to a remote training base. There, Reisman taught them the attack plan. The plan was to helicopter into the heart of Nazi Germany. There, the squadron would make there way to a chateau owned by a dangerous Nazi general. At the chateau, there would be a party where more Nazi generals and majors were. The squadron’s job: kill the Nazi officers and take the chateau. In reality, this was almost a suicide mission. But, in order for this team of criminals to pull off the mission, they had to be trained. Reisman led the team through an intense four month training course. The training was not without its ups and downs. Franko led several riots of sorts. One was to convince all the convicts that what they were doing was so the prison could exterminate them. Franko led another in regards to that the squadron had no warm water to shave with. In return, Reisman gave the squadron cold water for a month. The training also showed some of the convicts’ true colors. Reisman picked a fight with Posey to try and make him angry, it worked. When Jiminez couldn’t make it up the rope ladder, Reisman took a machine gun and shot at the rope. Jiminez made it to the top in several seconds. When Reisman finally thought they were ready, he entered the squadron into a round of war games against his rival, Colonel Everett Dasher Reed. “The Dirty Dozen”, as they had been nicknamed won it in an intense game of cat and mouse, deception, and the ability to gain trust from Reed. When the troops returned to training, they memorized the mission plans and they were all assigned tasks that they had to fulfill. The squadron had become a tight unit and they had all overcome a general disliking for Reisman that had been there at the beginning of the training.
Germany, 1944. The squadron flew in an army helicopter into Nazi Germany. On the way over, Reisman had them recite the game plan in the form of a rhyme that he had made up. The squadron, where before they had acted fearless, was showing signs of fear and weakness. Once they were above the forest surrounding the chateau, one by one the squadron parachuted down. Jiminez was caught in a tree and the strings on his parachute strangled him to death. The squadron continued to the chateau. Sawyer and Gilpin killed the Nazi guards at the gates and took their uniforms. Sergeant Bowren stayed at the gates and gained control of the cars going in and out of the chateau. Once they got to the chateau, Reisman and Wladislaw threw a rope to the top of the building and started scaling the chateau. A few guards at the door spotted Bravo and shot him. Bravo shot back at the guards and hit them, but then died. Meanwhile, Pinkley killed the chauffeur of one of the Nazi’s car. Pinkley put on the uniform and posed as the driver. Sawyer and Gilpin took the positions where the guards once stood. Reisman and Wladislaw made it to the top of the building and posed as Nazi generals. Outside the chateau, the squadron laid explosives around the perimeter. Pinkley kept a watch out for any real guards that might come out. Then, the remaining squadron (except for Pinkley) scaled the chateau, as Reisman and Wladislaw had. Reisman let the squadron into the chateau through a window and Maggot and Jefferson started searching the other rooms. Maggot found someone, a young Arian woman who Maggot deemed to be sent from Satan to tempt man. Maggot tried to stab her, and the woman screamed. The scream was heard throughout the chateau. Reisman and Wladislaw, who were fitting in with the other generals, knew this was the correct time to get ready. At this point, one of the explosions went off at the top of the chateau. Inside the chateau, all the Nazi officers fled to the bomb shelters. Outside the chateau, Pinkley was caught and shot down by an officer. Reisman and Wladislaw went with the other officers to the bomb shelters, but kept towards the back of the line. Then, the two shot some of the officers and locked the Nazis in the bomb shelter. The two ran out of the chateau to be with the squadron, along with the other remaining squadron members in the chateau (except Maggot). Jefferson poured lighter fluid into the air vents in the bomb shelters. Some of the Nazi troops who were not in the shelter came out of the chateau and shot down all of the men except Reisman, Wladislaw, Franko, Jefferson, Gilpin, and Bowren. Jefferson threw grenades down the air vents, one by one. However, when he got to the last one, he was shot. Then, Gilpen was shot as well. The last four got into a vehicle and drove away. The chateau went up in an explosion. Franko celebrated by screaming at the Nazis as they drove away. But then Franko was shot by a few Nazis tracking them and he fell out of the vehicle. Sadly but with haste, Reisman, Wladislaw, and Bowren drove away to where the helicopter landed. They flew away. The mission was a success, but they lost 11 of the 12 convicts.
Wladislaw vowed never to fight again. Reisman retired. Bowren went back to work at the prison. Over the months of training, the squadron became a strong unit. They were a team until they died and together they pulled off a very successful mission.
What the press would say:
"“The Dirty Dozen”, a remake of the 1967 film of the same title, is a smash hit! Directed by Clint Eastwood, this is the story of a squadron of 12 convicts led by their general into a suicide mission in Nazi Germany. The film is one part a war story, one part an ensemble piece, and one part drama (not to mention a little bit of comedy). Harrison Ford is General John Reisman, the leader of the squadron. Ford’s work here is superior. He plays Reisman as a tough as nails leader, but also with compassion to his troops. The scene that comes to mind most of Harrison’s performance is between him and Adam Beach, who plays Samson Posey. Posey comes off as a quiet and innocent man. Reisman tests this by shoving Posey around telling him what a weak man he is and how he amounts to nothing. Reisman doesn’t mean it, he is just trying to incite the anger in Posey and it works; Posey pulls out a knife on Reisman. Ford’s performance has received raves at Toronto and Venice. His performance is very strong and should be considered as a serious contender this year. The other standout in the cast is Mark Wahlberg as Victor Franko. Franko is a rebel. He fights the power and thinks everyone is out to get him. Wahlberg plays this perfectly. Wahlberg plays Franko’s transition from rebel to soldier brilliantly. Wahlberg’s performance is also drawing raves, and he has won several Best Supporting Actor precursors from the Boston Society of Film Critics, Los Angeles Film Critics Association, and also the National Board of Review. Wahlberg channels Franko’s anger superbly. There is a specific scene that I am thinking of that best showcases Wahlberg. Franko is trying to sneak out of the training camp and two of his squadron members catch him and throw him some punches. Franko yells at them saying “They're trying to get rid of us by killing us in Germany, that's what they want! That's what they want!” This truly showcases Wahlberg’s performance. A brilliant screenplay adapted by Paul Haggis and the author of the original novel is also sharp. Filled with strong dialogue, excellent mission sequences, and some truly funny dialogue at time, this is a very strong drama. Eastwood has captured the emotions of the convicts, and he is also sure to be rewarded this year. Filled with a great screenplay, superb acting, and fine direction, “The Dirty Dozen” is poised to be one of the best films of the year.
Nominations
Best Picture- Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood, Robert Lorenz
Best Director- Clint Eastwood
Best Actor- Harrison Ford
Best Supporting Actor- Mark Wahlberg
Best Adapted Screenplay- Paul Haggis and E.M. Nathanson
Best Film Editing- Joel Cox
Best Cinematography- Emmanuel Lubezki
Best Original Score- John Williams
Best Sound Editing- Steven Rosenblum
Best Sound Mixing- Kevin O’Connell and Greg P. Russell
Location: Ohio
“The Dirty Dozen”
Produced by: Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood, Robert Lorenz
Directed by: Clint Eastwood
Edited by: Joel Cox
Costume Design by: Anna B. Sheppard
Cinematography by: Emmanuel Lubezki
Original Music by: John Williams
Sound Editing by: Steven Rosenblum
Sound Mixing by: Kevin O’Connell and Greg P. Russell
Adapted Screenplay: Paul Haggis and E.M. Nathanson (novel)
Principal Cast:
Harrison Ford as Major John Reisman
Richard Tyson as Joseph T. Wladislaw
Mark Wahlberg as Victor R. Franko
Terrence Howard as Napoleon Jefferson
Philip Seymour Hoffman as Archer J. Maggot
Ben Affleck as Milo Vladek
Daniel Craig as Roscoe Lever
Michael Sheen as Seth K. Sawyer
Michael Pena as Glenn Gilpin
Gael Garcia Bernal as Tassos R. Bravo
Adam Beach as Samson Posey
Steve Zahn as Vernon L. Pinkley
Unax Ugalde as Pedro Jiminez
Greg Kinnear as Major General Worden
Bill Nighy as Colonel Everett Dasher Reed
Leonardo DiCaprio as Sergeant Bowren
Tagline:"“Train them! Excite them! Arm them! …then turn them loose on the Nazis!”
Synopsis: England, 1944. Major John Reisman walked into a room filled with army officers, including Major General Warden. Warden offered Reisman the chance to command a mission that the two had discussed earlier. Reisman accepted the offer.
United States, 1944. Reisman has volunteered to command a suicide mission deep in Nazi Germany. His soldiers? Twelve convicts arrested for various crimes including murder, rape, and robbery. The soldiers are: Joseph T. Wladislaw: the last man you would ever expect to be a hero, Victor R. Frank: a rebel without a cause, Napoleon Jefferson: a man who wants to make something of himself and just might be innocent, Archer J. Maggot: a religious fanatic and murderous maniac, Milo Vladek: a scared young man, Roscoe Lever: a typical jailmate, Seth K. Sawyer: a young man who doesn’t realize what he has done, Glenn Gilpen: a thief, Tassos R. Bravo: a Mexican thief whose actions do not phase him, Samson Posey: an innocent man but with a temper of fire, Vernon L. Pinkley: an introvert with a sense of humor, and Pedro Jiminez: a man who would never be mistaken as a criminal. If the convicts accepted, they would be given their freedom after the mission (assuming they returned alive). The convicts accepted, although they did not have a choice.
United States, 1944. After they volunteered, the convicts, Reisman, and Sergeant Bowren (a sergeant from the convicts’ prison) went to a remote training base. There, Reisman taught them the attack plan. The plan was to helicopter into the heart of Nazi Germany. There, the squadron would make there way to a chateau owned by a dangerous Nazi general. At the chateau, there would be a party where more Nazi generals and majors were. The squadron’s job: kill the Nazi officers and take the chateau. In reality, this was almost a suicide mission. But, in order for this team of criminals to pull off the mission, they had to be trained. Reisman led the team through an intense four month training course. The training was not without its ups and downs. Franko led several riots of sorts. One was to convince all the convicts that what they were doing was so the prison could exterminate them. Franko led another in regards to that the squadron had no warm water to shave with. In return, Reisman gave the squadron cold water for a month. The training also showed some of the convicts’ true colors. Reisman picked a fight with Posey to try and make him angry, it worked. When Jiminez couldn’t make it up the rope ladder, Reisman took a machine gun and shot at the rope. Jiminez made it to the top in several seconds. When Reisman finally thought they were ready, he entered the squadron into a round of war games against his rival, Colonel Everett Dasher Reed. “The Dirty Dozen”, as they had been nicknamed won it in an intense game of cat and mouse, deception, and the ability to gain trust from Reed. When the troops returned to training, they memorized the mission plans and they were all assigned tasks that they had to fulfill. The squadron had become a tight unit and they had all overcome a general disliking for Reisman that had been there at the beginning of the training.
Germany, 1944. The squadron flew in an army helicopter into Nazi Germany. On the way over, Reisman had them recite the game plan in the form of a rhyme that he had made up. The squadron, where before they had acted fearless, was showing signs of fear and weakness. Once they were above the forest surrounding the chateau, one by one the squadron parachuted down. Jiminez was caught in a tree and the strings on his parachute strangled him to death. The squadron continued to the chateau. Sawyer and Gilpin killed the Nazi guards at the gates and took their uniforms. Sergeant Bowren stayed at the gates and gained control of the cars going in and out of the chateau. Once they got to the chateau, Reisman and Wladislaw threw a rope to the top of the building and started scaling the chateau. A few guards at the door spotted Bravo and shot him. Bravo shot back at the guards and hit them, but then died. Meanwhile, Pinkley killed the chauffeur of one of the Nazi’s car. Pinkley put on the uniform and posed as the driver. Sawyer and Gilpin took the positions where the guards once stood. Reisman and Wladislaw made it to the top of the building and posed as Nazi generals. Outside the chateau, the squadron laid explosives around the perimeter. Pinkley kept a watch out for any real guards that might come out. Then, the remaining squadron (except for Pinkley) scaled the chateau, as Reisman and Wladislaw had. Reisman let the squadron into the chateau through a window and Maggot and Jefferson started searching the other rooms. Maggot found someone, a young Arian woman who Maggot deemed to be sent from Satan to tempt man. Maggot tried to stab her, and the woman screamed. The scream was heard throughout the chateau. Reisman and Wladislaw, who were fitting in with the other generals, knew this was the correct time to get ready. At this point, one of the explosions went off at the top of the chateau. Inside the chateau, all the Nazi officers fled to the bomb shelters. Outside the chateau, Pinkley was caught and shot down by an officer. Reisman and Wladislaw went with the other officers to the bomb shelters, but kept towards the back of the line. Then, the two shot some of the officers and locked the Nazis in the bomb shelter. The two ran out of the chateau to be with the squadron, along with the other remaining squadron members in the chateau (except Maggot). Jefferson poured lighter fluid into the air vents in the bomb shelters. Some of the Nazi troops who were not in the shelter came out of the chateau and shot down all of the men except Reisman, Wladislaw, Franko, Jefferson, Gilpin, and Bowren. Jefferson threw grenades down the air vents, one by one. However, when he got to the last one, he was shot. Then, Gilpen was shot as well. The last four got into a vehicle and drove away. The chateau went up in an explosion. Franko celebrated by screaming at the Nazis as they drove away. But then Franko was shot by a few Nazis tracking them and he fell out of the vehicle. Sadly but with haste, Reisman, Wladislaw, and Bowren drove away to where the helicopter landed. They flew away. The mission was a success, but they lost 11 of the 12 convicts.
Wladislaw vowed never to fight again. Reisman retired. Bowren went back to work at the prison. Over the months of training, the squadron became a strong unit. They were a team until they died and together they pulled off a very successful mission.
What the press would say:
"“The Dirty Dozen”, a remake of the 1967 film of the same title, is a smash hit! Directed by Clint Eastwood, this is the story of a squadron of 12 convicts led by their general into a suicide mission in Nazi Germany. The film is one part a war story, one part an ensemble piece, and one part drama (not to mention a little bit of comedy). Harrison Ford is General John Reisman, the leader of the squadron. Ford’s work here is superior. He plays Reisman as a tough as nails leader, but also with compassion to his troops. The scene that comes to mind most of Harrison’s performance is between him and Adam Beach, who plays Samson Posey. Posey comes off as a quiet and innocent man. Reisman tests this by shoving Posey around telling him what a weak man he is and how he amounts to nothing. Reisman doesn’t mean it, he is just trying to incite the anger in Posey and it works; Posey pulls out a knife on Reisman. Ford’s performance has received raves at Toronto and Venice. His performance is very strong and should be considered as a serious contender this year. The other standout in the cast is Mark Wahlberg as Victor Franko. Franko is a rebel. He fights the power and thinks everyone is out to get him. Wahlberg plays this perfectly. Wahlberg plays Franko’s transition from rebel to soldier brilliantly. Wahlberg’s performance is also drawing raves, and he has won several Best Supporting Actor precursors from the Boston Society of Film Critics, Los Angeles Film Critics Association, and also the National Board of Review. Wahlberg channels Franko’s anger superbly. There is a specific scene that I am thinking of that best showcases Wahlberg. Franko is trying to sneak out of the training camp and two of his squadron members catch him and throw him some punches. Franko yells at them saying “They're trying to get rid of us by killing us in Germany, that's what they want! That's what they want!” This truly showcases Wahlberg’s performance. A brilliant screenplay adapted by Paul Haggis and the author of the original novel is also sharp. Filled with strong dialogue, excellent mission sequences, and some truly funny dialogue at time, this is a very strong drama. Eastwood has captured the emotions of the convicts, and he is also sure to be rewarded this year. Filled with a great screenplay, superb acting, and fine direction, “The Dirty Dozen” is poised to be one of the best films of the year.
Nominations
Best Picture- Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood, Robert Lorenz
Best Director- Clint Eastwood
Best Actor- Harrison Ford
Best Supporting Actor- Mark Wahlberg
Best Adapted Screenplay- Paul Haggis and E.M. Nathanson
Best Film Editing- Joel Cox
Best Cinematography- Emmanuel Lubezki
Best Original Score- John Williams
Best Sound Editing- Steven Rosenblum
Best Sound Mixing- Kevin O’Connell and Greg P. Russell
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