Sam Fuller had combat experience and always wanted a more gritty portrayal of war which had little to do with jingoism but plenty to do with the human toll of fighting a battle.Merrill's Marauders has no big stars but several character actors such as Claude Akins. It also uses stock footage from other war films to keep it economical even though location filming took place in the Philippines.The film is based on a non fiction book, The Marauders written by a soldier who served on the missions in Burma. To help the British troops who themselves are exhausted after many years fighting the Japanese in Burma. General Merrill and his soldiers first objective is to take the town of Walawbum. Tired from jungle warfare, some of the soldiers suffering from fatigue or disease Merrill and his men are ordered in no uncertain terms on another objective, to take the strategic airstrip at Myitkyina. Even though the men seem to be in no fit condition to march further up the jungle and take part in more combat, General Merrill has to reluctantly get them to follow orders.Although Fuller was a war veteran because of a low budget and censorship the combat scenes are rather uninteresting and bloodless. In fact some of the acting of the soldiers falling down is rather flaky and should had been better staged.Where the film is good at are the smaller scenes that make more of an impression. Weary soldiers collapsing as other watch and continue to march or climb. The man who refuses to let his donkey get shot. At a Burmese village a boy gives Claude Akins some food who breaks down from such an act of kindness.Fuller would continue with the theme of warfare many years later in 'The Big Red One.' This is a mixed bag, lacking in tension, poor battle sequences but has it some fine character moments.

Merrill's Marauders is directed by Samuel Fuller, who also co-adapts the screenplay with Milton Sperling from the book, The Marauders, written by Charlton Ogburn Jr. It stars Jeff Chandler, Ty Hardin, Andrew Duggan, Claude Akins, Peter brown, Will Hutchins and John Hoyt. A Cinemascope/Technicolor production with music by Howard Jackson and cinematography by William H. Clothier.Cracker-jack war movie, packed to the rafters with blood, sweat and tears, and best of all, gritty realism. Story is about the warfare unit led by Frank Merrill (Chandler) during the Burmese campaign in 1944. Their mission was to destroy Japanese bases to avert the Japanese from making their way into India and onto a rendezvous with Hitler's forces. Their efforts was a success but it came at great cost of lives.Fuller, an ex-soldier himself, isn't interested in glorifying war for entertainment purpose, he wants to keep the focus on the men and what the mission does to them, both physically and mentally. The mission was only meant to be a short sharp shocker, but they keep getting "requested" to push on further beyond what was originally required, pushed to their limits by their leader who asked they follow his lead.In turn the men suffer through lack of food whilst some of them fall to typhus and malaria, inhospitable conditions take their toll, like trekking through miles and miles of swampy terrain, and of course they encounter the enemy on several nerve shredding occasions.As comrades fall and heart breaking letters are written to families, Fuller peppers the picture with haunting moments. A sweep of the aftermath of a battle finds dead bodies from both sides strewn about the place, the surviving Marauders too exhausted to lift themselves off the soil. A soldier breaking down crying, another willing to carry his donkey's load so it will not be shot for holding up the trek and on it goes, a whole ream of memorable instances designed to give us some idea of what the war is hell statement actually means.Filmed on location in the Philippines, it seems a little weird to say that the photography is beautiful given that so much emotional hardship and misery is being portrayed, but Clothier really brings everything to life with his superb use of colour, the great lens-man the ideal fit for Fuller's keen eye for lingering details.Performances are across the board on the good side of good, with Chandler - in what sadly would be his last film before his premature death aged 42 – turning in his best ever work. He puts his all into portraying Merrill, giving him great personality whilst hitting the mark for the various emotional beats required for a leader of men. A leader who himself carries a secret that he doesn't want his men to know about.Stock footage usage from another movie and musical lifts from two more, hint at the economical restraints on the production, but neither affects the all round quality of the picture. Free of cliché's or extraneous pap, this is one excellent – exciting - haunting war movie. 9/10

Another attempt for Sam Fuller to show the "blood and guts" Reality of War. The Horror that the real Folks Felt and endured, Suffered and sweat, and in the end it was all for the Love of Squad and Country. Hollywood Hotshots paraded through the standard War Movie was not acceptable. But here is the Rub, unfortunately the Industry was not ready for or Never Did Understand the Vision of this Maverick Director, and that is usually what He got. He Tried so Hard with varying results Restrained by the System and at odds with the Money Men. His best War Films are his Independently produced Movies that were Cutting Edge and pushed the boundaries of Social Paradigms and rampant Hypocritical Behavior. This Film does have the Psychological predetermination and Buddy Bonding lacking in lesser efforts done by Hacks and Company Men and some Exceptional Photography and Battle staging. But compared to say, The Steel Helmet (1951), this is more of a Studio Film than he felt comfortable with and was Not totally Satisfied with the completed Work.

This movie was definitely worth watching. I met Jeff Chandler when he came into the the photography shop where military could develop their own photos. He was quite a man. Very tall, with piercing eyes and that silver hair... Sad that he died in such a fashion.I was in the Air Force in the Philippines when this was made and I actually was in the movie as an impromptu stunt man :) They paid me $35 because I fell off of a horse in the race scene :) Watching other scenes being shot was quite humorous at times when men would be shot and fall and then, not wanting to be out of the scene I imagine, would get up and get back in the fight :))) The editors did a great job with what they had ...Just watch the film, it is really well worth it!