The twelve bastards – Wikipedia

The twelve bastards ( The Dirty Dozen ) is an American war film directed by Robert Aldrich and released in 1967. It is an adaptation of the novel The Dirty Dozen d’E. M. Nathanson  (in) , which is inspired by the section Filthy Thirteen  (in) from 101 ^{It is} airborne division.

The film is an important commercial success. He also won the Oscar for the best montage of sound. In 2001, the American Film Institute class 65 ^{It is} of the AFI’s 100 Years ranking … 100 thrills of the best thrillers.

The film will know three television suites as well as a television series.

During the Second World War, some time before the Landing in Normandy, twelve criminals all sentenced to death, forced work or long imprisonment, a suicide mission which will be able to assert an amnesty: attacking a castle in France , near Rennes, where around thirty high Nazi generals settled and kill as much as possible.

Detailed synopsis [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

In England, the superiors of the American commander John Reisman ask him to prepare the ground for the landing. They responsible for carrying out a commando operation during which his unit will infiltrate a castle near Rennes where Nazi officers come to relax. Their goal is to kill the maximum to destabilize the German staff. To avoid losing soldiers of value, Reisman will have to select twelve of them liable to the death penalty or perpetuity imprisonment. Those who survive will be pardoned.

John goes to a military prison and selects Joseph Wladislaw, Robert Jefferson, Victor Franko, Archer Maggot, Vernon Pinkley, Samson Posey, Milo Vladek, Gleen Gilpin, Roscoe get up, Pedro Jiminez, Seth Sawyer and Tassos Bravos. First reluctant, all accept and, with the help of Sergeant Bowren and his men, Reisman begins their training in the countryside. From the first day, Franko tried to escape from the camp but Wladislaw and Jefferson bring him back, because if one of them were to flee, the sentences of the other convicted people would immediately be applied. A few days later, Franko began a mutiny, this time supported by all and their toiletries is confiscated from them, which earned them the nickname “twelve bastards” (allusion to the original title, The Dirty Dozen , The twelve “dirty”). In addition, everyone is subject to psychological tests by Captain Kinder to judge their capacities. According to him, all are irrecoverable and wait for an opportunity to kill Reisman. The most dangerous being Maggot, who was sentenced to murders and rapes of several women. Since then, he sees himself as an envoy of God responsible for chasing them and will not hesitate to kill the other prisoners whom he also sees as such.

On the verge of finishing their training, the bastards must be practiced in parachute jump. For this, they go to an air base by Commander Breed who has a reciprocal hatred in Reisman. To keep the operation secret, Reisman pretends training under the supervision of a general in civilian clothes but when they arrived, a military fanfare awaits them. Pinkley is responsible for playing the role of the general and, before the attitude of the “soldiers”, Breed asks two of his men to discover what Reisman hides. Wladislaw is beaten in the toilet but remains silent. Prisoners first believe that it is an order from Reisman who wishes to take revenge but understand their blunders, seeing Breed and his men land in their camp. Reisman infiltrates, asks his soldiers to disarm their attackers and Breed leaves the camp, furious.

Their training finished, Reisman lets the bastards enjoy a good night by inviting prostitutes (hidden in the eyes of Maggot) but General Worden and the Brigadier Denton discover him. On the point of canceling the operation (and therefore to execute the condemned), Reisman, angry, tells them that the prisoners are worth ten times the men of Breed and Major Armbruster suggests that they participate in military maneuvers for the prove to them. The twelve pretend to be Breed soldiers and capture his headquarters without problem. Impressed, Worden therefore orders the launch of the operation.

Reisman, Bowren and the bastards are parachuted in France but Jiminez breaks the neck during the jump. The Mission continues and Reisman and Wladislaw (who speaks German) disguise themselves as officers to infiltrate the castle thanks to their “driver” Pinkley. The “officers” go to the show while allowing Maggot and Jefferson to enter, but Gilpin blocks his leg in the roof while wanting to destroy the radio antenna. The operation turns to disaster when Maggot surprises a woman (looking for her lover) and forces her to cry before killing her, which triggers the alarm. Gilpin, still blocked, launches his grenades on the antenna, killing himself in the process. Pinkley blocks the exit and kills the officers seeking to flee before moving in turn. Upstairs, Jefferson has no choice but to kill Maggot, which has gone mad. The Germans take refuge in a bunker located under the castle and Reisman and Wladislaw trap them from the inside before throwing grenades via the ventilation ducts which they soak with petrol. Despite a fierce defense, Posey, Vladek, Gilpin, Rais, Sawyer and Bravos are killed by Nazi reinforcements. Jefferson disgusts the grenades to destroy the castle, which explodes a few seconds later, but died under German fire. Reisman, Bowren, Wladislaw and Franko flee thanks to a semi-keen but Franko is killed by rejoicing too quickly their victory.

Back in England, Wladislaw is pardoned and the other bastards thanked for the sense of duty.

Genesis and Development [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

A member of the “Fillthy Thirteen”, Clarence Ware, applying war painting to Charles Plaudo during the D-Day, the June 5, 1944 .
The idea came from the sergeant of this unit, Jake McNiece (in) , to honor his Amerindian heritage and energize his men for the danger to come.

The twelve bastards is a fiction taken from a novel; The novelist E. M. Nathanson (in) However, affirms in an introductory word that he heard that such men existed, but that he has never found confirmation in the archives of the American army or government.

In addition, history is largely inspired by the unity of “Filthy Thirteen (in) “(The” 13 disgusting “, in French) ^{[ 2 ]} .

Choice of performers [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

The MGM wanted John Wayne for the main role. Faced with Robert Aldrich’s will to hire Lee Marvin, the “Duke” gave way. Jack Palance refuses the role of Magott ^{[ 3 ]} .

Charles Bronson was very unhappy to shoot this film. He hardly spoke to his colleagues during the shooting. George Kennedy had, during the preparation of the film, to play the role of Arthur Maggott, the memorable psychopath interpreted by Tely Savalas. Ernest Borgnine (Aldrich’s favorite actor) embodies an American cynical general.

Filming [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

During the shooting in England, the French castle (built hard by the film’s decorators and by 250 people in four months ^{[ 4 ]} ) proved to be too dangerous to explode. The facade was therefore destroyed and replaced by a more “usable” construction. Indeed, wise spectators can notice that only the entrance to the manor explodes at the end of the film.

More than a thousand technicians and actors participate in the shooting which takes place, among other things, in the village of Aldery and in a studio in eastern London for two months. A hundred military vehicles of the Second World War from all over Western Europe are gathered for the film.

During shooting, the actor Trini Lopez tried to renegotiate his salary. Director Robert Aldrich then decided to purely and simply remove the scene of the character’s death (which takes place in the screen).

Montage [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

At the end of a first montage, Robert Aldrich was told that he would certainly have the Oscar for the best director if only he withdrew the scene where Jim Brown massacre the German soldiers, prisoners in the cellars. Aldrich, of course, refused. According to him, war should never be watered down. He will say ” War is hell “(” War is hell “).

Themes [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

The film is considered a real monument to the American war film, but is also a remake (new version) of the film Secret invasion (1964) by Roger Corman. It will also give rise to other poor remakes .

The film, although antimilitarist, was then described as a “fascist” film by some. However, we find virulent themes denouncing the American army:

• The character of Wladislaw is very close to that of Jack Palance in Attack (1956) of the same Aldrich;
• We hear the Major Reisman launching order to execute disarmed German prisoners. Then, when escaping, he ordered to burn alive the military and civilian enemies refugees in the cellars: “Do you want petrol … Are you sure?” »» launches one of his teammates. “Think about your dead comrades” , he replied in substance;
• During the commando training, there is an exchange between the psychiatrist and Reisman relating to the growing cohesion of the group of recruits becoming little by little killing machines. “You are united!” »: Reisman makes a body of body according to the old technique of the scapegoat: Franko, the incurable individualist, gives a time the costs of his manipulation; Soon it will be the Germans …;
• Likewise, the selection of criminals was able to shock. From always, the military offenders are paid to the disciplinary battalions promised to the suicidal missions. The path of redemption is undermined. We also notice the same idea – less political, more internalized – in The wild horde (1969) by Sam Peckinpah: In this anthology western, the heroes have no reason to live, it was necessary to give them a reason to die. Thus, precisely, the western a reason to live, a reason to die (1972), of Tonino Valerii, probably inspired a lot of Twelve bastards , takes up the theme of the suicide mission entrusted to outlaws condemned to death. The myth of redemption revisited by the seventh American art very imbued with religiosity.

The attack plan [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

Commander Reisman presents his plan of attack to his recruits and makes them recite in a famous sequence. He holds in 16 points which give (in the French version):

Obviously, nothing goes as planned …

In popular culture [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

• The film will have inspired the developers of the first part of the video game Call of Duty . Indeed, in the solo campaign during the “castle” mission, American soldiers attack a mansion to … release prisoners. In addition, the sets of the mission are very reminiscent of those of the film.
• In the comic strip, he notably inspired an album from the Blue Tunics series: the five bastards, by Raoul Cauvin and Lambil.

The film will know three suites released in the form of TV movies:

As well as a television series which lasted only one season:

Dell Comics also publishes the comic book series The Dirty Dozen in October 1967 ^{[ 5 ] , [ 6 ]} .

Bibliography [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

• Jean-Elie FOVEZ, “Self-criticism or propaganda. Twelve bastards ”, Télciné n ^O 139, Paris, Federation of Leisure and Cinematographic Culture (FLECC), February 1968 , p. 26-27 . (ISSN  0049-3287 )

external links [ modifier | Modifier and code ]

• Audiovisual resources :
• Resource relating to several areas :
• Notice in a generalist dictionary or encyclopedia :