Rating of
3/4
March or Die - Worst recruitment slogan ever.
Indyfreak - wrote on 08/17/15
Gene Hackman leads an international cast in this barely remembered but beautifully filmed desert epic that recalls the romance, intrigue, and danger associated with the French Foreign Legion. Hackman and his costars are sent into the Sahara to uncover a missing tomb and retrieve its treasures before they are attacked by hostile Arabs (led by an admittedly unconvincing Ian Holm). As far as style goes, it's a curiously old-fashioned movie to be released in the 1970s when audiences became too jaded for this sort of fare. There is an anti-imperialist sentiment that's clumsily conveyed to the audience which makes me guess that it was thrown in to join the anti-military bandwagon;this was released after the Vietnam war after all. Luckily the script is thoughtful enough to remain interesting without becoming too pessimistic or gloomy. There is admittedly little action until the third act but the strong performances and the film's noirish atmosphere work together to hold your attention.
