Rating: 
Summary: A Brigade of Character Actors
Review: A movie noteworthy mostly because of the supporting cast of character actors. Most notable are Richard Jaeckel (THE DIRTY DOZEN), Claude Akins (RIO BRAVO, tv's SHERIFF LOBO), Luke Askew, Andrew Prine (tv's V-THE MINISERIES/THE FINAL BATTLE), and even Richard Dawson (tv's HOGAN'S HEROES, FAMILY FEUD). Otherwise this is a basic WWII action flick with some big name stars (William Holden, Cliff Robertson, Carrol O'Conner, Micheal Rennie, Vince Edwards). An Allied special forces commando unit is hastily created to enter the early days of WWII to keep the Germans occupied until the actual American forces can send troops. This commando unit consists of misfit American GI's and elite Canadian soldiers. Part of the movie is a cliched plot where the ragtag Americans must get along with the posh Canadians. At first the two groups hate each other until fisticuffs at a local bar againts lumberjacks unites the two groups. Then, when this happens they become a fine tuned fighting unit. Pretty predictable stuff, but entertaining nonetheless with some great war action sequences and cliched characters. Standout performances by Richard Jaeckel as Pvt. Omar Greco (supposedly an acrobatic circus performer), and Claude Akins as Rockman.
Rating: 
Summary: The Devil's Brigade
Review: A timeless classic. This flick is one of my all time fav's, right up there with Heartbreak Ridge. Being a Canadian, I rarely see a movie that conveys the history of my countrymen, and it was refreshing to see a film that focus' more on fact than hollywoodism. It's great how the movie shows the bond that forms between the Canadian's and American's picked to form the special forces unit, and follows the creation of the 1st Special Service Force, to its near demise, to its operations in Italy. As a war flick, its powerful. It shows the great pains undertaken by the allies to win the war, and it shows the great respect the Germans held for allied units. Any war buff has GOT to add this to their collection, or miss out on a great movie. The Devil's Brigadah :)
Rating:
Summary: Much Better Than Ever Given Credit For
Review: At the time of the release of the "The Devil's Brigade" it was unfairly compared to the "The Dirty Dozen" as being another copycat in the same genre. That was unfortunate. "The Devil's Brigade" is a great film and an entity unto itself. The only similarity between the two films is the use of Army convicts to develop what would now be called a 'special forces' unit. The similarities end there. Robert Aldrich tries to imitate John Ford's directorial style with only partial success in "The Dirty Dozen." Aldrich tries to go for realism throughout his film and doesn't really seem to know the definition of comic relief. In "The Devil's Brigade" Andrew V. McLaglen certainly knows when to play it straight and when to lay on the heavy-handed comedy a John Ford trademark. John Ford no doubt influenced Andrew V. McLaglen the son of Victor McLaglen. Victor McLaglen was one of John Ford's favorite actors and was one of many influenced by this great director. The bawdy humor in "The Devil's Brigade" prepares us for the emotional charged final confrontation with the Germans and makes the carnage all the more real for the viewer. There is exceptionally great depth to all the characters in "The Devil's Brigade" and McLaglen builds real camaraderie between them. The dialogue is very engaging with its shear magnetism and is never cynical. When these guys fight, kill and die in combat we really feel for them. We cheer them on and we cry when they fall. There is more than just the mission at stake. There are lives on the line. Lives that we grew to like and feel for. The final mission is just not a little sortie to attack a Nazi stronghold on a hillside precipice. It is an assault, which breaks out into a full-scale battle with deadly hand-to-hand combat. William Holden, Cliff Robertson, Claude Akins, Richard Jaeckel, Andrew Prine, Jeremy Slate, Jack Watson, Michael Rennie and Carroll O'Connor are all excellent in their roles. Alex North's fine score and theme have also never been given their due. This is a strong film that examines friendship, camaraderie, and teamwork. Its message is not one of cynicism but the good that can be found in the human spirit. You just have to stand up and cheer for this should-be-classic.
Rating:
Summary: Finally gets Deserved Homage on this Indelible DVD
Review: At the time of the release of THE DEVIL'S BRIGADE it was unfairly compared to THE DIRTY DOZEN as being another copycat in the same genre. That was both inaccurate and unfortunate. THE DEVIL'S BRIGADE is a great film and an entity unto itself. The only similarity between the two films is the use of Army convicts to develop what would now be called a 'special forces' unit. The similarities end there. Robert Aldrich tries to imitate John Ford's directorial style with only partial success in THE DIRTY DOZEN. Aldrich tries to go for a type of realism throughout his film and doesn't really seem to know how to manage the fine balance between comic relief and drama. In THE DEVIL'S BRIGADE Andrew V. McLaglen certainly knows when to play it straight and when to lay on the heavy-handed comedy that was a John Ford trademark. John Ford no doubt influenced Andrew V. McLaglen the son of Victor McLaglen. Victor McLaglen was one of John Ford's favorite actors and was one of many influenced by this great director. The bawdy humor in THE DEVIL'S BRIGADE prepares us for the emotionally charged final confrontation with the Germans and makes the carnage all the more real for the viewer. There is exceptionally great depth to all the characters in THE DEVIL'S BRIGADE and McLaglen builds real camaraderie between them. The dialogue is very engaging with its shear magnetism and is never cynical. When these guys fight, kill and die in combat we really feel for them. We cheer them on and we cry when they fall. There is more than just the mission at stake. There are lives on the line. Lives that we grew to like and feel for. The final mission is just not a little sortie to attack a Nazi stronghold on a hillside precipice. It is an assault, which breaks out into a full-scale battle with deadly hand-to-hand combat and feats of genuine heroism. William Holden, Cliff Robertson, Claude Akins, Richard Jaeckel, Andrew Prine, Jeremy Slate, Jack Watson, Michael Rennie and Carroll O'Connor are all excellent in their roles. Alex North's fine score and theme have also never been given their due. This is a strong film that examines friendship, camaraderie, and teamwork. Its message is not one of cynicism but the good that can be found in the human spirit. You just have to stand up and cheer for this should-be-classic. Seeing this film's images in widescreen after all these years gives it even greater depth and shows how well a craftsman Andrew V. McLaglen really was. There are just so many scenes that have multiple images going on simultaneously that add richness and texture to the legend of these unsung heroes. My heart really goes out to this film and to the human spirit of the men that it eloquently captures so effortlessly but so indelibly. This is one of my favorite films of all time.
Rating:
Summary: it's a bloody good movie
Review: First off folks, this movie is over two hours and ten minutes, so you will get your money's worth... You can't go wrong, ever, with William Holden leading an all-star cast in a Dirty Dozen type movie that is bigger and grander and follows the same format of collecting a group of misfits and molding them into a fine fighting force, to be later known as Army Rangers.I have enjoyed it for years, and so will you!
Rating:
Summary: Filmed in Utah location
Review: Great movie with good cinematography. Much of the Devil's Brigade was filmed in Northern Utah between Provo and Salt Lake City at the GPS coordinates N 40.27.18 W 112.1.99 for the military camp and N 40.31.484 W 111.45.264 for the mountain scene in the final battle. The military camp used was Camp Williams while the mountain was on top of Lone Peak directly across the valley from the camp. Lone Peak was used because it looks so much like the mountains in Italy or rather the Swiss Alps in the summer months. At the beginning of the movie, when the soldiers arrive in the trains, you can see the sun reflecting off the windshields of vehicles traveling North and South on Interstate I-15. While the fighting is going on atop the mountain at the end, you can see Kennecot Copper mine in the upper right of the screen. It's unfortunate that many of the great actors of this 1968 movie have passed away. This movie is a must for viewers who love a good action WWII movie.
Rating:
Summary: "Brigade" is a Good Movie
Review: Here's the thing. This is a MOVIE. It is NOT an actual historical documentary. So consider that when viewing this fine movie. So just try to enjoy it for what it is and don't expect it to be something it is not. William Holden, Cliff Robertson, Claude Akins, and the rest of the cast really give inspired performances. They all come across as tough and proud and determined which is exactly what you expect from Special Forces soldiers. I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes the WW II genre and an action oriented movie. It is not Saving Private Ryan, but it is still good entertainment.
Rating: 
Summary: Devil's Brigade a Waste
Review: I always thought this movie a bit corny. The macho, kid stuff humor and rivalry between the Canadians and mis-fit Americans seems contrieved. This was made when the movies loved to show how a group of reject GIs could somehow beat the Wehrmacht! I question how accurate this movie is, despite all the praise for it from veterans who should know better! The scene where they infiltrate the Germans and capture them is completely foolish. I'd like to see how this bunch would have stood up to a panzergrandier battalion in a fair fight. The finale mountain battle scene is an attempt to make a big play for these guys. Personally I think the battle lacks something, although at least it shows these losers taking some casualties which should have been a lot more than they show in the movie. Also, German equipment is American, always visually distracting. You would think a post war movie like this would have had access to better stuff. William Holden does a gallent job holding this flimsy epic together with his tough commander bit, but personally I think there are better old WW2 battle flicks out there than this. I use to look at this one on TV strictly out of boredum if there was nothing better on. I wouldn't waste my money bothering to own it.
Rating:
Summary: Devil's Brigade a Waste
Review: I always thought this movie a bit corny. The macho, kid stuff humor and rivalry between the Canadians and mis-fit Americans seems contrieved. This was made when the movies loved to show how a group of reject GIs could somehow beat the Wehrmacht! I question how accurate this movie is, despite all the praise for it from veterans who should know better! The scene where they infiltrate the Germans and capture them is completely foolish. I'd like to see how this bunch would have stood up to a panzergrandier battalion in a fair fight. The finale mountain battle scene is an attempt to make a big play for these guys. Personally I think the battle lacks something, although at least it shows these losers taking some casualties which should have been a lot more than they show in the movie. Also, German equipment is American, always visually distracting. You would think a post war movie like this would have had access to better stuff. William Holden does a gallent job holding this flimsy epic together with his tough commander bit, but personally I think there are better old WW2 battle flicks out there than this. I use to look at this one on TV strictly out of boredum if there was nothing better on. I wouldn't waste my money bothering to own it.
Rating:
Summary: What heroes are these brave young commandoes!
Review: I can only imagine the"editorial review" was done by an "elite intellectual", whom feels that unless a movie shows the West as mindless half-wits, cannot understand what our young warriors have sacrificed in the name of freedom. This is an excellent human and emotional movie. It ranks with the likes of "The Longest Day" and "The Sands of Iwo Jima".
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