Ein dreckiger Haufen

Sensationell! Ein dreckiger Haufen bedeutet für mich nicht nur ein weiteres Teil des Puzzles namens "Michael Caine", sondern auch einen der besten (Anti)Kriegsfilme, die ich je gesehen habe. Ich würde ihn als eine Kombination aus Das dreckige Dutzend, Lawrence von Arabien, Steiner - Das Eiserne Kreuz und The Wild Bunch - Sie kannten kein Gesetz beschreiben. Allen Liebhaber*innen dieses Genres und der erwähnten Filme, die auf meine Rezension stoßen, kann ich diese Delikatesse nur empfehlen. Aber Achtung – Ein dreckiger Haufen wird in Ihnen wahrscheinlich kein gutes Gefühl hinterlassen. Es ist ein harter Film über eine Spezialeinheit, die wirklich speziell ist. Die Schauspielleistung von Michael Caine und Nigel Davenport verdient große Anerkennung. Das gilt auch für den Regisseur De Toth, dem es gelungen ist, viele unvergessliche Szenen zu schaffen (die Fahrt auf die Klippe, der Stopp zum Reifenwechsel, die Sandstürme, der Überfall des Brennstofflagers und natürlich auch das schaurige Finale). Sie alle bekommen von mir fünf dreckige Sterne. (18.12.2010)

An unconventionally anti-heroic war actioner about a dysfunctional team of soldiers made up of vicious psychopaths who never learn to pull together. Play Dirty openly disregards genre conventions, is delightfully unpredictable and cynical to the bone. It isn't afraid of long wordless scenes and manages to build tension brilliantly even in seemingly routine moments. The Dirty Dozen, British style. (27.12.2017)

There are movies that, after watching them, you will understand that you urgently need to change the rating of a series of films of the same genre, because you are forced to measure their quality precisely based on what you have just seen. The same goes for Play Dirty because it surpasses a much more famous and better-rated war film called The Dirty Dozen, not to mention its numerous imitations, and quite significantly. It is much more realistic, well thought out, more cynical, and constantly surprising. It is also very inappropriate and takes proper jabs at its own ranks. I you have such assholes in your own unit, you don't even need an enemy. And even more dangerous than German weapons are the fluctuations in weather and the whims of the leadership. There is essentially only one logical error in the film, being that when in a crisis situation, I would rather expect avoidance of responsibility and subsequent surrender than a knife fight. Nevertheless, it is a film that pleases and confirms the paradox I have observed, that famous war films often mean nothing, while almost unknown films, favored only by a handful of connoisseurs, are underappreciated gems. Michael Caine confirms that he is one of those movie stars who have worked hard to earn their position and know how to act at the very top. Overall impression: 85%. (23.06.2012)

This hits the spot. The Brits were always knew how to do it. A somewhat reserved approach to the characters is fully compensated by cynicism and a beautifully rendered atmosphere of the nasty, sand blasted landscape where the action plays out. Essentially everyone, with the possible exception of Michael Caine, is a self-centered bastard who never does a thing unless he has to. It's a slow road to reach the “action", full of tire changes and boredom. The conclusion, which would have been a bombastic finale in a contemporary Michael Bay movie, is made economically and realistically. The brilliant ending brought a dry smile to my lips and made me give the movie five stars. (04.02.2011)