''March or Die'' is a 1977 British war drama film directed by

Dick Richards Dick Richards (born 1936) is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. Known as a storyteller and an “actor’s director”, Richards worked with Robert Mitchum, Gene Hackman, Martin Sheen, Blythe Danner, Catherine Deneuve, Al ...

and starring Gene Hackman,

Terence Hill Terence Hill (born Mario Girotti; 29 March 1939) is an Italian actor, film director, screenwriter and producer. He began his career as a child actor and gained international fame for starring roles in action and comedy films, many with longtim ...

Catherine Deneuve Catherine Fabienne Dorléac (born 22 October 1943), known professionally as Catherine Deneuve (, , ), is a French actress as well as an occasional singer, model, and producer, considered one of the greatest European actresses. She gained recogni ...

Max von Sydow Max von Sydow ( , ; born Carl Adolf von Sydow; 10 April 1929 – 8 March 2020) was a Swedish-French actor. He had a 70-year career in European and American cinema, television, and theatre, appearing in more than 150 films and several television ...

and Sir Ian Holm. The film celebrates the 1920s

French Foreign Legion The French Foreign Legion (french: Légion étrangère) is a corps of the French Army which comprises several specialties: infantry, Armoured Cavalry Arm, cavalry, Military engineering, engineers, Airborne forces, airborne troops. It was created ...

. Foreign Legion Major Foster (Hackman), a war-weary American haunted by his memories of the recently ended

Great War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, is assigned to protect a group of archaeologists at a dig site in Erfoud in

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria t ...

from Bedouin revolutionaries led by El-Krim (based on Moroccan revolutionary

Abd el-Krim Muhammad ibn Abd al-Karim al-Khattabi (; Tarifit: Muḥend n Ɛabd Krim Lxeṭṭabi, ⵎⵓⵃⵏⴷ ⵏ ⵄⴰⴱⴷⵍⴽⵔⵉⵎ ⴰⵅⵟⵟⴰⴱ), better known as Abd el-Krim (1882/1883, Ajdir, Morocco – 6 February 1963, Cairo, Egypt) ...

). The song "

Plaisir d'amour "" (, "Pleasure of love") is a classical French love song written in 1784 by Jean-Paul-Égide Martini (1741–1816); it took its text from a poem by Jean-Pierre Claris de Florian (1755–1794), which appears in his novel ''Célestine''. The son ...

", a tune about lost love and regret, is played repeatedly throughout the story as the film's theme song.

Plot

Soon after the

, Major William Foster ( Gene Hackman), an American commander in the French Foreign Legion, suffers the haunting memories of leading an army of more than 8,000 men and watching them slowly get whittled down to just 200. He has become an

alcoholic Alcoholism is, broadly, any drinking of alcohol that results in significant mental or physical health problems. Because there is disagreement on the definition of the word ''alcoholism'', it is not a recognized diagnostic entity. Predomina ...

as a result, and his only friend is his faithful Sergeant, Triand (

Rufus Rufus is a masculine given name, a surname, an Ancient Roman cognomen and a nickname (from Latin '' rufus'', "red"). Notable people with the name include: Given name Politicians * Rufus Ada George (born 1940), Nigerian politician * Rufus ...

). Foster arrives in Paris to assume a new command: taking the Legion to

Rif The Rif or Riff (, ), also called Rif Mountains, is a geographic region in northern Morocco. This mountainous and fertile area is bordered by Cape Spartel and Tangier to the west, by Berkane and the Moulouya River to the east, by the Mediterrane ...

in Morocco to re-establish French authority, as the Bedouin and Berber tribes have begun to revolt against French rule. Foster is also ordered to escort archaeologists from the

Louvre The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is the world's most-visited museum, and an historic landmark in Paris, France. It is the home of some of the best-known works of art, including the ''Mona Lisa'' and the ''Venus de Milo''. A central l ...

, who are uncovering an ancient city near

Erfoud Erfoud ( ber, ⴰⵔⴼⵓⴷ, Latn, ber, Arfud; ar, أرفود) is an oasis town in the Sahara Desert, in the Drâa-Tafilalet region, eastern Morocco. It is divided into several districts: Hay Salam, Hay Jdid, Hay Ziz, Hay el Bathaa, Hay Ann ...

, buried by a sandstorm 3,000 years ago. The site is the final resting place of a Berber saint known to the French as "The Angel of the Desert". Foster was specifically chosen for the assignment as he is the only French officer alive who served in Morocco before the war. He had helped to develop diplomatic ties with the tribes by negotiating with El Krim (

Ian Holm Sir Ian Holm Cuthbert (12 September 1931 – 19 June 2020) was an English actor who was knighted in 1998 for his contributions to theatre and film. Beginning his career on the British stage as a standout member of the Royal Shakespeare Company ...

), the de facto leader of the scattered Rif tribes; one condition of peace was that the French cease all archaeological expeditions without the tribes' approval. Foster receives fresh Legion recruits for his assignment. Among those who volunteer, willingly or unwillingly, is "the Gypsy" Marco Segrain (

), a charming jewel thief famous for a three-year crime spree on the

Riviera ''Riviera'' () is an Italian word which means "coastline", ultimately derived from Latin , through Ligurian . It came to be applied as a proper name to the coast of Liguria, in the form ''Riviera ligure'', then shortened in English. The two areas ...

before getting arrested. Gypsy befriends three other recruits: the Russian giant Ivan ( Jack O'Halloran), formerly a member of the elite bodyguard of the deposed

Russian Imperial family The House of Romanov (also transcribed Romanoff; rus, Романовы, Románovy, rɐˈmanəvɨ) was the reigning imperial house of Russia from 1613 to 1917. They achieved prominence after the Tsarina, Anastasia Romanova, was married to t ...

; "Top Hat" Gilbert Francis ( André Penvern), a fashionable man and musician who lacks the physical traits needed in a soldier; and Fredrick Hastings (Paul Sherman), a romantic young English aristocrat who longs for the days of the Great War. The four friends are soon disillusioned by the harsh realities of life in the Legion, including heavy physical labor, little food and water, and scorching heat. A fatal fight breaks out among the men while traveling to Morocco over an insult to Foster's honor, to which Triand takes exception. Foster does not hesitate to harshly discipline his men, especially the insubordinate Marco, though he makes sure never to go too far and actively works to make sure his men are fit and ready for the hardships ahead. During the voyage, Marco charms one of the accompanying archaeologists, Madame Picard (

). During their journey, the train carrying the Legionnaires and the archaeological team is stopped by El Krim and his men. El Krim greets his old friend Foster, but also declares that Morocco belongs to his people and the French are no longer welcome. El Krim gives a "gift" to Foster to take back to the Premier of France: the archaeologists of an earlier dig, who have had their eyes and tongues gouged out and been subjected to exposure. He warns Foster to turn back while he still can. In response, Foster shoots the two mutilated archaeologists to end their suffering; afterwards, it is revealed that one of them was Madame Picard's father. Upon reaching their fortress, Foster puts the men through brutal and unforgiving training exercises. Top Hat collapses during a march and is left to die of thirst but manages to return to camp; he ultimately commits suicide rather than endure any further abuse. Later, at the digging site, Hastings is kidnapped while on guard duty and tortured to death by a tribal raider, whom El Krim excuses as being merely over-zealous. Marco retaliates by killing his friend's murderer. Instead of disciplining him, Foster defends him by using the same excuse, and El Krim accepts it. Eventually, the tomb of the Angel of the Desert is found, and her golden sarcophagus is excavated. Foster offers it to El Krim as a token of peace, but El Krim rallies the warriors of the Bedouin tribes to slaughter the Europeans. The well-trained Legionaries shoot down hundreds of tribesmen but are eventually overrun. Ivan is killed, but Marco fights on, single-handedly killing multiple enemies trying to outflank his unit. When Foster is finally shot dead, El Krim immediately calls off the fight, sending the surviving Legionnaires "to tell the world what happened" and allowing them to take Foster and the remains of their fellow soldiers back home. There are two endings: the TV version ends with Marco taking up Picard's offer to desert the Legion and leave with her. The theatrical ending shows Marco (after having been promoted for his bravery in battle) staying behind and training more Legionnaire recruits, welcoming them by reiterating Foster's earlier warning: "If the Legion doesn't get you, the desert will. If the desert doesn't, the Arabs will. And if the Arabs don't, then I will. I don't know which is worse."

Additional scenes

In the TV version, there were several scenes that were not included in the theatrical or in the video/DVD versions of the film. One pivotal extra scene occurs when the excavation work has commenced and it is discovered that two of the Legionaries, both of them German recruits, have deserted. The sadistic second-in-command of the company, Lt. Fontaine and his equally vicious crony, the Corporal, lead a patrol to capture them. They catch up with the two Germans and Fontaine orders the patrol to shoot them. The noise attracts a large group of Bedouin tribesmen and, disregarding the warnings from his men, Fontaine orders his men to open fire, igniting a battle. The Corporal is shot dead and Fontaine breaks down in fear and kills himself. Marco displays his courage and natural flair for leadership by rallying the survivors of the patrol and successfully beating off the attackers. In the video release, this scene was omitted but brief shots of Fontaine and the Corporal were taken from this scene and edited into the climactic battle at the digging site so it appears that both men died there instead.

Cast

* Gene Hackman as Major William Sherman Foster *

as Marco Segrain *

as Simone Picard *

as François Marneau *

as El Krim * Jack O'Halloran as Ivan *

as Sergeant Triand *

Marcel Bozzuffi Marcel Bozzuffi (28 October 19291 February 1988) was a French film actor. He appeared as a hitman in the Oscar-winning American film '' The French Connection''. In 1963, he married French actress Françoise Fabian. Selected filmography *1955: ...

as Lieutenant Fontaine *

Liliane Rovère Liliane Rovère (born 30 January 1933) is a French actress. Personal life In 1955, she went to the United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country pr ...

as Lola * Andre Penvern as Top Hat * Paul Sherman as Fred Hastings *

Vernon Dobtcheff Vernon Dobtcheff (born 14 August 1934) is a British actor, best known for his roles on television and film, he has acted in numerous stage productions. Biography Dobtcheff was born in Nîmes, France, of Russian descent. He attended Ascham Pre ...

as Mean Corporal *

Marne Maitland James Marne Kumar Maitland (18 December 1914 – March 1992) was an Anglo-Indian character actor in films and television programmes. Biography Maitland was born in Calcutta, and educated at Bedales School before going up to Magdalene College, ...

as Leon * Gigi Bonos as Andre * Wolf Kahler as First German * Mathias Hell as Second German *

Jean Champion Jean Champion (9 March 1917 – 23 May 2001) was a French film actor. He appeared in 60 films between 1962 and 1996. Partial filmography * ''Cléo from 5 to 7'' (1962) - Le patron du café (uncredited) * '' The Longest Day'' (1962) - Frenc ...

as Minister *

Walter Gotell Walter Jack Gotell (15 March 1924 – 5 May 1997) was a German actor, known for his role as General Gogol, head of the KGB, in the Roger Moore-era of the James Bond film series,Tom VallancObituary: Walter Gotell ''The Independent'', 20 June 1 ...

as Colonel Lamont * Paul Antrim as Mollard * Catherine Willmer as Petite Lady *

Arnold Diamond Arnold Diamond (18 April 1915 – 18 March 1992) was an English character actor, regularly cast in small parts on television. He graduated from RADA in 1936, and his stage work included the RSC, and three years in Agatha Christie's '' The Mo ...

as Husband * Maurice Arden as Pierre Lahoud * Albert Woods as Henri Delacorte * Elisabeth Mortensen as French Street Girl * François Valorbe as Detective * Villena as Gendarme * Ernest Misko as Aide In Minister's Office *

Guy Deghy Guy Deghy (born Gedeon Aladar Istvan Deghy; 11 October 1912 – 25 February 1992), was a Hungarian-born actor who appeared largely in British films and television, as in the 5th episode of the first season of '' The Saint'' depicting Inspector ...

as Ship's Captain * Jean Rougerie as Legionnaire #1 (at station) * Guy Mairesse as Legionnaire #2 (at station) * Eve Brenner as Singing Girl * Guy Marly as Singing Legionnaire * Margaret Modlin as Lady In Black

Production

Dick Richards had been interested in the French Foreign Legion ever since he found out a friend of his uncle's had joined the legion. Most of the finance was provided by

Lew Grade Lew Grade, Baron Grade, (born Lev Winogradsky; 25 December 1906 – 13 December 1998) was a British media proprietor and impresario. Originally a dancer, and later a talent agent, Grade's interest in television production began in 1954 ...

's ITC Company on the basis of Terence Hill's popularity. It was Hill's second film aimed at the American market. Filming started 23 August 1976. It was mostly shot in Spain. Gene Hackman was injured during filming after he was thrown off a horse. This caused filming to be suspended. Columbia only agreed to distribute in the US because they wanted to distribute Grade's '' The Eagle Has Landed''. In most markets, ''March or Die'' played theatres in a double-bill with ''Eagle''.

Reception

According to

the film "went well over budget when Gene Hackman suffered an accident, and lost money".Alexander Walker, ''National Heroes: British Cinema in the Seventies and Eighties'', 1985 p 197

References

External links

* * *
Review of film
at

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

{{Jerry Bruckheimer 1977 films 1970s historical adventure films 1970s war films British historical adventure films British war films Columbia Pictures films Films about archaeology Films about the French Foreign Legion Films directed by Dick Richards Films produced by Jerry Bruckheimer Films scored by Maurice Jarre Films set in deserts Films set in Morocco Films set in the 1920s ITC Entertainment films Films shot in Almería 1970s English-language films 1970s British films