Name: Retro Film Review: Legionnaire (1998)
Item: Legionnaire
Rating: 40
Author: @drax

(source:tmdb.org)

While certain characters can use their service in French Foreign Legion to gain high military and police ranks and later become national celebrities and mythical folk heroes, in most countries people tend to associate that force with the dregs of their respective societies. Times when Legion radiated romantic mystique have long gone, but this didn't prevent film-makers from trying to recapture image of Legion depicted in classic Hollywood. The last of those efforts was Legionnaire, 1998 historical spectacle directed by Peter MacDonald.

The plot begins in 1924 Marseilles, where local boxing star and playboy Alan Lefevre (played by Jean-Claude Van Damme) sees nothing wrong in taking a dive during match arranged by local mobster Lucien Galgani (played by Jim Carter). However, everything changes when Lefevre learns that Katrina (played by Ana Sofrenović), woman whom he left at the altar, is now supported by Galgani as his mistress. In order to redeem himself, Lefevre decides to win the match and use money to arrange her journey to America. Plan ultimately fails and Lefevre, chased by mobsters and falsely accused of murder, can save his life only by volunteering to become a soldier in French Foreign Legion. His unit is sent to Morocco where they are about to fight rebels led by legendary Abd El-Krim (played by Kamel Krifa). Before battle, new recruits are subjected to intense training by sadistic Sergeant Steinkampf (played by Steven Berkoff). Lefevre befriends three men who joined Legion for different reasons - Rosetti (played by Daniel Caltagirone), poor Italian boy who wants to impress her sweetheart by heroic deeds, Luther (played by Adevale Akinnouye-Agbaje), black American who tried to escape racism of his country, and Mackintosh (played by Nicholas Farrell), disgraced British Army officer.

Legionnaire isn't the first film in which Van Damme played French Foreign Legion soldier - that honour belongs to Lionheart. Unlike that film, in which Legion was nothing more than exotic background for conventional martial arts story, Legionnaire is exactly what it tries to be – old-fashioned combination of romantic adventure and war film. Script by Sheldon Lettich and Rebecca Morrison didn't include many scenes where Van Damme's character displayed martial arts; instead this film gave more emphasis to genuine drama and tries to exploit mystique created around Legion and diverse set of characters who entered their ranks in order to forget their trouble past or find some sort of future. In doing so, Legionnaire unapologetically praises old-fashioned militaristic values of courage, sacrifice, honour and camaraderie, which makes this film very refreshing for our cynical world. Movie is helped by diverse and very talented cast. Van Damme, who was never known for great acting abilities, delivers what is arguably the best role of his career. While doing that, he was flanked by experienced character actors like Nicholas Farrel (providing one of the most memorable roles of his career). Action scenes are well-staged and exotic desert landscape is put to good use.

Legionnaire is arguably Van Damme's most ambitious film and the one which had potential for true greatness. This is the reason why it is also the most disappointing. The most obvious reason for that is in the inevitable comparisons with March or Die, Dick Richard's 1977 film about the same subject. The cast in this film is of lesser quality, period details are less convincing and complex realities of post-WW1 Europe and Abd El-Krim's revolt against French and Spanish colonialists are simplified. However, the biggest flaw of this film could be found in something which was probably beyond film-maker's control. The abrupt and disappointing ending, together with some unfortunate editing choices (which waste the talents of Serbian actress Ana Sofrenović) indicate that the makers of Legionnaire were left without money in the middle of production. And that is real pity, because Legionnaire, which could have been a great film, suffers the fate of its protagonists - honourable failure.

RATING: 4/10 (+)

(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.films.reviews on June 15th 2004)