# I watched The Dirty Dozen for the first time today. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 6, 2014, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-watched-the-dirty-dozen-for-the-first-time-today/678008 "2014-01-06T07:53:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2014, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-watched-the-dirty-dozen-for-the-first-time-today/678008/21 "2014-01-09T17:29:20Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > They were condemned death-row prisoners, being told “We want you to train for a near-suicide mission under a nutjob Colonel, and if you by some miracle survive and return, we’re putting you right back in the stockade to be executed.” I’d be pretty resistant to that too. No, they were offered a pardon if they complied. They’d only be sent back if they fucked up. ---
**Author:** ![wedgehed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8edcca/32.png) [@wedgehed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wedgehed)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2014, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-watched-the-dirty-dozen-for-the-first-time-today/678008/22 "2014-01-09T17:40:32Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > No, they were offered a pardon if they complied. They’d only be sent back if they fucked up. No, the first offer merely offered them the chance to die in the line-of-duty. Lee Marvin had to fight for a highly conditional offer of pardon. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2014, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-watched-the-dirty-dozen-for-the-first-time-today/678008/23 "2014-01-09T17:44:00Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > From the [Wikipedia article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dirty_Dozen), Roger Ebert and Bosley Crowther criticised it as being violent and sadistic (“a studied indulgence of sadism that is morbid and disgusting beyond words”), so obviously times have changed! IIRC, the (at the time) extremely shocking and graphic bits were the non-censored nor discretion shot-ed burning people scenes. I haven’t rewatched it in a long time but IIRC a handful of Germans manage to break out of the bunker as Doomed From The Start Black Guy drops the grenades, which causes a few to become human torches. Today that barely raises an eyebrow. Back then it was macabre, gore, sadistic and what have you. The times, they have indeed a-changed. I chuckle at the thought of that selfsame Ebert from that same era being shown the opener of _Saving Private Ryan_ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2014, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-watched-the-dirty-dozen-for-the-first-time-today/678008/24 "2014-01-09T17:45:02Z")
> [@wedgehed](#): > > No, the first offer merely offered them the chance to die in the line-of-duty. Lee Marvin had to fight for a highly conditional offer of pardon. Right- at first, there was no promise of pardon or any other kind of reward. Lee Marvin convinced the general (Ernest Borgnine) that there had to be SOME hope of a commuted sentence or the men would have no reason to cooperate with him. Reluctantly, the general allowed that IF any individual showed unusual valor or served with special distinction, he’d consider a commutation… but HE would get to decide who met those criteria. Wladislaw (Charles Bronson), the only survivor, DID get a pardon. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-watched-the-dirty-dozen-for-the-first-time-today/678008.md?page=1)