Customer Reviews

Lost Command

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

A lone C-47 aircraft flying high overhead.

Stand up! Hook up!

Red light buzzes.

Green light, GO!

As you jump into the surrounded French position of Dien Bien Phu with Aliane Delon, George Segal and the characters French Commando Jean Larteguy created in "The Centurions" and "The Praetorians"---you experience the mood and the feel of a desperate battle gone wrong. As they land to desperately reinforce the abandoned outpost, they meet Anthony Quinn's Raspeguy--his best movie role--a legendary figure modeled after Col Marcel Biegard to include his pipe---who keeps the men together and out of the prison camps by personal humanity and leadership-by-example. Its too bad Larteguy's books are out-of-print--you should read them as companions to the film, which differs in some details to keep you guessing. There is even a romance to keep the females interested with the dashing Delon and sexy Claudia Cardinale (WOW).

This film is simply a masterpiece and must-see for every American in uniform or who ever wants to serve. Its our guide of how a fighting force should be--a force of esperit de corps, yes, but a force that THINKS. After Raspeguy's "lost command" in Indo-China, he reflects and decides to surround himself with bright, innovative young officers and to learn from his experiences. He realizes that men will fight for an identity reflected in a piece of head gear---I love how in the book, Raspeguy says that if he had been Jewish, he would have made the cursed yellow Star of David the Nazis used to march Jews to the death camps, his unit's insignia of honor--to embrace it---to turn its symbolism on its abusers--to fight for and make it a symbol of honor and courage. In the film, he chooses the "Leopard" camouflage cap and makes it the symbol as we would the beret if we were smart in the U.S. Army and made a universal BROWN BERET our symbol to live up to. Raspeguy's men, outcasts from other units---soon start believing in themselves and winning in battles noone thought they could win.

The film is just superb in its depiction of truck and helicopter-mobile tactics fighting the guerrillas in desert Algeria. It has some of the best, most realistic combat scenes of a light infantry assault uphill against a dug-in foe ever depicted on film, Raspeguy's SLAM-esque style of cross-talking by radio his subordinate leaders is superb. All of the key figures are thinking infantry leaders not mindless macho stooges/tyrants as is the common American stereotype depicted in films and emulated too often in real life.

If this were not enough, the film has a My Lai-type moral leadership dilemma incident that would make a good place to stop the tape and discuss among your men.

I cannot rate this film too high, its one of the best war films ever made, its more helpful to watch than even Saving Private Ryan because it has a positive message of what to go out and do if you are in the military, whereas SPR brings on negative sadness and an anger that if properly channeled by a pursuit of how to do it better would be helpful. Most people when they see something negative go no further, its better to see the French Colonial Paratroops find a way to win in this film. I pin a medal for bravey on the leopard camouflage uniforms of the film-makers and old Commando Larteguy wherever he is--and render the salute!

Airborne!

Very good film released in 1966 based on Jean Larteguy's novel "The Centurians" with Anthony Quinn portraying the main character Lieutenant Colonel Raspeguy. The film opens with Raspeguy and his paratrooper battalion fighting to the bitter end at Dien Bien Phu in Indo China. Raspeguy with his surviving officers and soldiers are interned by the Viet Mihn forces and repatriated back to France. Raspeguy loses his battalion, but later obtains command of the 10th Paratrooper Regiment that is activated for battle in Algeria against Arab guerrilla forces fighting for independence. Raspeguy recruits his trusted veterans and they train the regiment with lessons learned from their experiences in Indo China. Raspeguy is the typical maverick; a hardcore soldier who runs operations his way. His unconventional methods for weeding out terrorist factions and insurgent forces causes friction with the French senior command and government administration. He suffers a setback after his soldiers commit atrocities against local villagers in an area where several comrades were ambushed. Raspeguy is under investigation and faces a second relief from command and possible imprisonment. Victory is his key to success and he pulls out all stops to defeat the terrorists and a large insurgent force led by one of his former officers who defected from France.

Overall it's a very good film and an interesting subject with French paratroopers fighting guerrilla forces in Algeria. Good action scenes on small unit combat, though tame by today's movie standards. The DVD release is finally here and an excellent deal considering its previous VHS edition was expensive and of average quality. The DVD's imagery is sharp and clear, in letterbox format, and sound is significantly improved.

The film is an excellent adaptation of Jean Larteguy's pivotal novel "The Centurians" which was written just after the French defeat at Dien Bien Phu and during the Algerian war. It is NOT about a unit of the French Foreign Legion, but rather about a newly-formed French Colonial Parachute Regiment. The events described in novel and film are modeled after those of a famous officer of the French Army named Bigeard who went on to a lengthy career in the French service. The important aspect of this history is that it led up to a defacto mutiny of several key elements of the French Army. The film catches the bitterness of French soldiers who gave their all in a lost cause and the book was almost required reading for our own Special Operations people in the early days of the Vietnam war. An excellent film.

This is a surprisngly good movie with Anthony Quinn, the all purpose ethnic! I say this because he has been used to play everything from American Indians to Arabs over the years! Here he plays a fairly conventional character modeled after the actaul charasmatic Marcel Biegeard, a French paratrooper. I would concur with the other reviews that its one of Quinn's better roles.

The movie has plenty of action taking the viewer from the defeat of Dien Bien Phu to Algeria. The scenes in Algeria are less propagandistic than some portrayals, though I believe the French were a good deal more brutal than this movie shows.

Again, the best features really are the combat scenes, and the depiction of how Quinn's character molds a solid and versatile combat unit able to take on terrorists in the mountains and the city. My question when watching this movie was why didn't the French show this kind of courage and determination in 1940 against the Germans when it would have really mattered? The movie conveys a subtle anti-French message toward colonialism at the end which does not come across very clearly. Reviewers have tended to pan it because of this, but that's no reason not to give this film a chance.

Despite these minor quibbles this is still a unique film covering an exotic topic. With increased American involvement in Afghanistan and elsewhere there's a lot of added interest here. The movie conveys quite well the difficulties of dealing with insurgents. There's lots of good action without gore, some good acting, and even a romance or two. Not a bad deal considering this movie was out of print until the recent DVD re-issue.

Seems to be a bit of confusion in many of the reviews. This film does not attempt to glorify the French military action in Algeria, but rather highlights several off the salient issues and tensions that underscored the collapse of French colonialism.

Many, perhaps most of the French units which fought in French Indochina were recruited from colonial territories, but generally officered by mainland Frenchmen. The BPCs (battalions de parachutistes coloniales) are a good example, but by no means the only one. One of the young officers in Raspiguy's unit at the siege of Dien Bien Phu (where France lost Indochina)is named Mahidi -- an Algerian, played by George Segal.

Raspiguy is from peasant stock in the Pyrenees. In order to retain unit command in the French army after the Indochina debacle, he must manipulate an army widow who comes from the aristocratic class. A nice, cynical touch in the film, and, well, French. Depardieu was born too late for this film, but he might have been better in the lead role than Anthony Quinn. Maybe.

Raspiguy does indeed recruit a new unit, but tries to retain as many 'old hands' from Indochina as he can. This includes a bright young lawyer (my recollection of his profession) played by Alain Delon. Delon becomes a key player in the drama. And the unit Raspiguy recruits looks more like an REP (regiment de parachutistes entrangeres)(foreign legion), because it's definitely not full of north african or vietnamese troopers.

When Raspiguy's unit arrives in Algeria, they find themselves fighting -- you guessed it -- an Algerian independence movement which includes guerillas under the command of Mahidi. Claudia Cardinale plays Mahidi's sister, who assits the urban insurgency in Algiers.

As it was in Indochina, the Algerian independence movement was a nasty fight, with considerable brutality on both sides. Raspiguy and his men are caught up in this, and ultimately embrace it as the only effective means to complete the mission they were given. Delon breaks with Raspiguy over this issue, and ultimately resigns. The confrontation with Mahidi in the mountains (very well done depiction of small-unit infantry action) resonates of our own experience in Viet Nam: a very difficult and costly battle which Raspiguy ultimately wins, but to no avail -- as Delon leaves the HQ compound, it becomes clear to the audience which side will ultimately triumph in the struggle.

If the movie has one failing, it's a presumption of viewer familiarity with the history of French colonialism. Many folks probably don't have that, and consequently won't connect the dots: defeat by an independence movement in Indochina followed by capitulation to an independence movement in Algeria, the embitterment of French soldiers sent to fight a war they really couldn't win (other than at a cost which was unacceptable to their government), all kinds of internal tensions in the French Army itself, and, ultimately, an effort to extract a measure of revenge on the guy they held responsible for it all -- does anyone remember "Day of the Jackal'? (sp?)

In all, a very well done film. Good performances by everyone involved, though my personal favorite of AQ's work is 'High Wind in Jamaica'. If you're interested in the subject matter, try 'The Battle of Algiers', a chilling documentary film made in France, or the book 'Hell in a Very Small Place', the very best best account of Dien Bien Phu. And if you liked George Segal (not as well remembered as he should be), try two of his other films: 'The Quiller Memorandum', with Alec Guiness, and 'Bridge at Remagen', with Ben Gazzara.

Hope this helps.

This movie was shot in Spain, and it was being filmed just before the classic Gillo Pontecorvo behemoth THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS (1966). It was released first but it has been overshadowed by the more popular epic for over 40 years. One of the problems it had was that the actual history regarding the Algerian fight for independence received the "Hollywood" treatment--complete with well-known actors and a "Love Story".

THE LOST COMMAND (1966) was directed by Mark Robson, who had given us several powerful films 20 years earlier, like CHAMPION (1949), HOME OF THE BRAVE (1949), BRIGHT VICTORY (1951) and THE HARDER THEY FALL (1956). The year before COMMAND, he directed the fine war film, VON RYAN'S EXPRESS (1965). Robson, in the twilight of his career directed mainstream fluff like THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS (1967), and EARTHQUAKE (1974).

Anthony Quinn played Lt. Col. Pierre Raspeguy, a Basque peasant who rose in the ranks to a commander of paratroopers. We are introduced to him just as the Viet Minh are overrunning his company at the battle of Dien Bien Phu in Indo-China; soon to become Viet Nam. Emerging from a POW camp, Quinn loses his command.. We are treated to a back story scene as Raspeguy returned home for a visit to his family and his village. We see more than a trace of Alexis Zorba during those scenes. Soon in France, he is romancing a widowed Countess de Clairfons (Michelle Morgan), who cannot seem to resist his earthiness. Through her aristocratic intervention, he is offered another command of paratroopers, and sent into the fray in Algeria.

Quinn was able to gather many of his old troops around him, including Alain Delon and Maurice Ronet. After arriving in Algeria, Raspeguy discovered that his primary advesary was a former officer of his in Indo-China, Lt. Mahidi (George Segal). Segal had to struggle a bit with the dark pancake make-up and the French accent, but generally he was effective. Claudia Cardinale played Aisha, Mahidi's sister, providing the love interest for Delon. She, too, although woefully miscast provided adequate eye candy.

There are three large scale battle scenes in the movie, and they are handled very spectacularly. When the 10th Paratrooper Battalion arrived early one morning in the city of Algiers, declaring martial law -there are marvelous echoes and similarities to Pontecorvo's film. LOST COMMAND does serve as an interesting companion piece to BATTLE OF ALGIERS, for it deals a lot with the battles in the mountains, where historically much of the revolt actually happened. Then the FLN took to the city streets, and their terrorist bombings cajoled the international press into covering their struggle.

Made the same year as Battle of Algiers, and dealing with the exact same subject matter, Lost Command is an oft-forgotten action story telling the story of the Algerian fight for independence from the French perspective. Following the end of the Indochina conflict with the disastrous defeat at Dien Bien Phu, French colonel Pierre Raspeguy are returned to France by their Vietminh captors, only Raspeguy discovers his regiment has been disbanded. It isn't long before Raspeguy is offered another regiment, a new group of paratroopers made up of some old comrades and a group of rejects from other units. Arriving in Algeria, Raspeguy's 10th Parachute Regiment must help to put down the Algerian fight for independence, only to discover the rebel leader is an old friend. Not many movies have been made about the Algerian War so any take is interesting to see. What stands out here are the top-notch action scenes, including a disastrous airborne drop to open the movie, an ambush by Algerian rebels, and the final firefight on a rocky mountainside. Mark Robson's movie tries to show both sides of the story, and mostly succeeds, but what's memorable about this movie is the action from start to finish.

By this point in his career an established star, Anthony Quinn leads the cast as Lt. Colonel Pierre Raspeguy, a career soldier given one more chance to make good, lead his inexperienced regiment in attempt to squash a rebellion. Quinn brings just the right amount of world-weariness and need to accomplish his mission to make Raspeguy a very interesting character. Alain Delon is Captain Phillipe Esclavier, an idealistic young soldier who becomes Raspeguy's close friend and second in command. In a weird bit of casting, George Segal plays Mahidi, an Arab leader of the Algerian fight for independence who use to fight alongside the men now hunting him. Michele Morgan is Countess Clairfons, a rich widow who recently lost her husband and starts to fall for Quinn, while the very beautiful Claudia Cardinale gets to play a villainous role as Aicha, Mahidi's sister who starts to play Delon. Maurice Ronet leads Raspeguy's group of support as the cold-blooded Boisfeuras, along with Maurice Sarfati, Jean-Claude Bercq, Syl Lamont, and Gordon Heath. Also look out for small parts for spaghetti western bit players Al Mulock and Aldo Sambrell.

The DVD is a good buy, especially for the high quality widescreen presentation. Filmed in Spain, the desert locations have never looked better. Special features include a Lost Command trailer along with a Guns of Navarone trailer. It's a movie that has flown under the radar all these years, but don't miss out on this chance to catch it on DVD. Great action, and good performances from Quinn and Delon, check out Lost Command!

In "Lost Command", Anthony Quinn plays Colonel Raspeguy, a French paratrooper of peasent origins who finds himself caught up in the battles of the dying French empire. The film begins in May 1954 as Giap's Communist Vietminh overrun the French positions around Dien Bien Phu and capture most of the garrison. After leaving a POW camp, Raspeguy heads back to France desperate to find a new command and a chance at glory. He finds it in a horrific guerilla conflict in Algeria.
"Lost Command" is an interesting film for several reasons. For one, the subject matter of France's wars in Algeria and Indochina is rarely covered in films to my knowledge. The combat scenes and terrorist attacks are on the whole well shot in the picture. Another thing that makes the film interesting is its lack of heroes. The Vietmienh are depicted as radical Communists. The Algerian insurrgents and terrorists don't mind bombing civilians or mutilating the bodies of dead French soldiers (the guerilla leader [a former French officer] is at least slightly sympathetic and has a sense of honor). The French paratroopers seem to start out the "good guys" but as the war escalates, they deliberately murder civilians in one incident and also begin using torture (mostly offscreen) in their interrogations. Colonel Raspeguy is rather disgusted at the slaughter of civilians (he didn't order it) but is willing to do almost anything to win.
Oh, as this film was shot in Spain, people who have seen pictures of the area around Dien Bien Phu will quickly notice the radical difference in terrain between the Film's depiction and the actual battle.

The movie captures all the elements needed for effective military leadership. It should be used as a primer for all newly commissioned officers as it also details how quickly a situation can change when fighting a counter-insurgency war. A great learning tool.

Mark Robson's ambitious Lost Command is one of those films that has all the right intentions and a formidable array of talent but doesn't quite get it right. It's bold subject matter for a Hollywood epic - the increasingly unwinnable French war to hold onto its colony in Algeria after their humiliating defeat at Dien Bien Phu led to them losing Vietnam, something even the French didn't want to see movies about - but in its need to make an unpalatable war palatable to a mainstream audience it never quite gets the balance right.

Things start promisingly enough with the French flag being blown up and paratroopers landing in a minefield at Dien Bien Phu (a scene largely thrown away behind the opening credits) before being captured by the Vietnaminh and being released in disgrace. His regiment disbanded, Anthony Quinn's Colonel Raspeguy, a working class Basque soldier who worked his way up through the ranks but is still regarded as a useful animal and an even more useful scapegoat by his superiors, finds himself without a command unless he's willing to take a brigade of outcasts to Algeria to end the insurrection by any means necessary. Naturally, once there he discovers that the leader of the rebels is one of his former paratroopers while his two Captains take very different approaches to dealing with the locals as the atrocities on both sides start to escalate.

Knowing his right-wing political views, Alain Delon is curious casting as the conscience of the film, the unit's military historian, though he has more to work with than Maurice Ronet's brutally pragmatic moral opposite number, but, not being able to tempt Omar Sharif to play the role, there's a disastrous bit of miscasting as the Algerian paratrooper-turned-FLN leader: George Segal with cocoa beans smeared on his face doing what sounds like Peter Sellers' Indian doctor routine before veering off into a bad Welsh accent. Still known as a dramatic actor at the time, he does his best but he's no more convincing as an Arab than Sharif was as a Nazi in Night of the Generals. You can only guess what Tunisian-born-and-raised Claudia Cardinale thought as his onscreen sister...

As a retelling of then recent events, it covers most of the bases - the `Lizards' torture suspects and kill villagers in reprisals (albeit offscreen) while the rebels use women to bomb soft civilian targets - and it ends on a note of moral abdication from one character and a note of solidarity for the rebels from another (more in sympathetic thought than deed), but it's a film that seems as torn as Delon's character as to quite what it wants to be or believe in, falling into a no man's land as part old-fashioned studio war movie, part underdeveloped political/moral drama. The Spanish locations don't always convince, especially with the desert standing in for the jungles of Vietnam (complete with Cantonese-speaking Burt Kwouk as a Vietnaminh officer) while Franz Waxman's score veers more to the Spanish bullrings than the French legions or Algiers casbah. It's certainly a brave film to make in 1966, but compared to the power and immediacy of Pontecorvo's Battle of Algiers that's not quite enough to make it more than just worth a look.