Gene Hackman Movie:

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		MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) Media: DVD

March or Die [Region 2] Reviews:
Lost Legion
2006-09-02 - March or Die was one of a number of massive box-office disasters that nearly brought Columbia to its knees until CE3K rescued it from the brink. On the surface it belongs alongside the trilogy of mid-70s adventure films that Sean Connery made for the studio, with Gene Hackman's embittered Foreign Legionnaire reluctantly leading his surviving men to protect Max Von Sydow's archaeological dig. It's a perfectly workable premise for an adventure but it never really works. It's a schizophrenic film at best, and not just because of the usual international co-production vagaries: Gene Hackman is starring in a bleak, revisionist drama while Terence Hill is starring in an old-fashioned swashbuckler, and despite John Alcott's strikingly subdued photography neither strand quite works - not enough panache or too much depending on whose turn it is in the spotlight. The final (and only) battle scene is a particularly odd affair, with Hackman's character behaving very oddly indeed, depriving the audience of the expected climax in a way that seems more bizarre and just plain wrong than innovative. Heavy pre-release cutting probably didn't help (the original US TV broadcast, which many wrongly assume was given a theatrical release in Europe, included a number of deleted sequences, including an additional battle scene), but this is more an interesting failure than a successful reinvention of a subgenre it all but killed off for good. It certainly managed to kill of director Dick Richards' career.

The UK DVD is a decent fullframe transfer of the same theatrical version released both in the US and Europe with no loss of picture area: for the original 1.85:1 widescreen version you need to track down the Australian DVD. There are no extras on either issue: a shame, as it would have been interesting to see the deleted scenes, and the film's trailer was very good.

Blood Thirsty Sands of the Riff!
2006-05-16 - The Foreign Legion has inspired a variety of films from comedies as "Abbott & Costello in the Foreign Legion" (1950) thru epic classics as "Beau Geste" (1939) till more recent action ones as "Legionnaire" (1998).
"March or Die" (1977) is a good film on the subject with many ingredients as to produce an outstanding product, yet the viewer ends with the impression that something is missing to insufflate a real epic spirit.
I have only seen this VHS version and some other reviews imply there is a more complete version in existence and that may be the reason to this.
However it wasn't a box office success either, so there is some flaw that I can't define exactly.

Arguably the only weak link may be director Dick Richards who hasn't delivered any remarkable film. He was supposed to direct great success "Tootsie" (1982) but for reasons unknown to me he was replaced by Sydney Pollack and relegated only to produce that movie.
Every other category is headed by well known specialists that had made first class products.
In charge of cinematography is exquisite John Alcott, who usually worked with Stanley Kubrick as in "Barry Lyndon" (1975) and "The Shining" (1980). Desert images are beautiful and battle scenes very neatly photographed.
Musical score is composed by famed Maurice Jarre author of remarkable and awarded scores as "Lawrence of Arabia" (1962), "Dr. Zhivago" (1965), "A Passage to India" (1984) and "Ghost" (1990) amongst more than 170 other.
First class actress and actors: Catherine Deneuve, Gene Hackman, Max von Sydow, Terence Hill and Ian Holm. Even if none of them deliver their best, they are more talented than average.

The story is two pronged as it follows Maj. William Sherman Foster persecuted by dreadful memories of WWI and legionnaire Marco Seagraine who entered the Legion escaping jail.
Confronting them is historical character Abd el-Krim, in a fictitious episode, who is in search of something symbolic and transcendent that helps him to unite and launch Riff's tribes into revolt.
Finally there is a group of archeologists that in the name of science, will try to unearth some relics considered sacred by the tribesmen, no matter the cost.
All this elements will blend to constitute an interesting movie crowned by an epic battle filmed marvelously.

It is a good action film deserving to be seen!
Reviewed by Max Yofre.

European Version
2004-07-05 - The original, uncut European version of March or Die, about the Foreign Legion in North Africa, was a damned good movie, with Genre Hackman, as always, portraying his character, a battle-weary veteran of WW I, to the full. The US version, the only version that seems to be available currently, is pathetic by comparison as it has been cut to pieces. It does not show the character detail of the original cut, losing much of the storyline and, therefore, the point of the story and why the characters are where they are at that given time and place.

The original cut was an excelently shot period movie, with time and place well portrayed. The cast, in addition to Hackman, includes Terence Hill, Max von Sydow, Catherine Deneuve, and Ian Holm.

For those who enjoy a good adventure, this is it. Those who enjoy stories of the military, specifically the Legion with few punches pulled, this is it. Also, romance is not forgotten, as it would not be a Legion movie without it. There is also mystery and intrigue.

Strong acting, good story, excelently filmed - in the original, European, version. The US version is not worth the bother.