1. The Big Red One (1980)
Director: Sam Fuller
Cast: Lee Marvin, Mark Hamill & Robert Carradine
Plot: Epic story of a WWII squad consisting of an anonymous sergeant (Lee Marvin) and the inner core members of his unit as they try to serve in and survive World War II. The film follows them from Northern Africa to Sicily, up through France for the Omaha Beach landings and ending in a concentration camp in Czechoslovakia where they face the true horrors of the war
Reason(s) To Watch Before You Die: Director Sam Fuller actually served with the 1st Infantry Division, known as the Big Red One, in World War II, received the Silver Star and the Purple Heart and was present at the liberation of the Falkenau concentration camp (featured at the films climax). This first-hand experience lends an air of authenticity that few other war films can match as Fuller follows the 1st Infantry Division on their journey through WWII and shows the audience not only the horror of war but also the absurdity of it. All of which make this semi-autobiographical story the best war film most people have never seen.