Highly Overrated But Still Good

best movie i've ever seen.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

Capt. Beau Carter (Stephen Boyd) is tasked with leading "B" Brigade to secure a dam. The group is unorthodox and ill equipped as soldiers.Perhaps the sell point of the film is the iconic cast of Pryor, Grier, Moses Gunn, Billy Dee Williams, and Susan Oliver. The film reveals the stereotypes and attitudes of the era. Decent film

The American army desperately needs to take a dam in Nazi Germany during World War II. Because it is the closest military unit the assignment is given to Company B of the 3rd Regiment to secure it long enough for the rest of the army to cross to the other side. This particular company, however, is an undisciplined black unit that is completely ill-prepared for this mission. To make matters even more complicated, the decision is made to place a white, southern officer by the name of "Captain Beau Carter" (Stephen Boyd) in command. Anyway, what follows is a basic made-for-television film which contains some decent action mixed with typical racial overtones seen quite often during this time. Overall the film is okay but only because of the acting of Stephen Boyd and the presence of several notable black actors to include Roosevelt Grier (as "Big Jim"), Billy Dee Williams ("Private Lewis"), Richard Pryor ("Jonathan Crunk"), Robert Hooks ("Lieutenant Edward Wallace") and Moses Gunn ("Private Doc Hayes").

In this made for TV movie we get a mainly black cast with a few token white guys. The guy playing the white Major sent to take the unit to the dam, I've never seen before or heard of before.It's the black cast I knew. Billy Dee Williams (pre-Empire Strikes Back), Moses Gunn and Richard Pryor trying to play a straight version of himself.Basically this is a bigoted officer sent to command a brigade of black soldiers on a dangerous mission. So dangerous in fact 3 of them get killed before they ever get to the dam itself.The deaf guy was always going to die first, the big guy (who, it turns out used to be a pro footballer) is killed by a sniper and Billy Dee Williams gets blown up after stepping on a land mine.The same land mine injures Moses Gunn and Pryor looks like he deserts so only the black officer, 1 of his men and the white officer actually end up trying to attack the dam.Pryor uses a cart full of hay to get onto the dam and leads the attack only to be injured. The other black soldier is shot and killed during the skirmish with the Germans. Pryor throws the detonator for the explosives over the side of the dam.This is a film about 1 man who comes to change his point of view about black people, it's a good exploration of the themes of racism and bigotry.The film itself isn't very long and might have benefited from being at least 20 minutes longer and them having taken the entire brigade only for 2 men to survive.Still worth a look though to see Richard Pryor playing a more serious role for a change.

I purchased "Black Brigade" (apparently a re-issue of the original) this week for $3.33 from the previously-viewed bin. Expecting to view a comedy, prepared to laugh, I discovered with mixed feelings, ten minutes into the film, that this is no comedy; it is not "hilarious". Rather, this film sends a realistic message about war. "Black Brigade" ranks well with "The Red Badge of Courage" and "Johnny Got His Gun" in depicting innocence and ignorance under fire. Moreover, "Black Brigade" educates the viewer as to what it must have been like for most black men serving our country in WWII, assigned individually and collectively to menial service slots because of the color of their skin. A classic. Just wish the quality of my copy of the film were better.