Cheap Lost Command (DVD) (Mark Robson) Price

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Customer Reviews of Lost Command

Atrociously bad, Larteguy should have sued.
The Centurions is one of the premiere war novels of all time, and aptly catches the nuances and flavors, both sweet and bitter, of the period. It was an instant classic, and Larteguy's dictum on two armies, mouthed through the fictional Cnel. Raspeguy to his mentor, was a standard office fixture of many a paratroop and special forces commander in the 1960s and 70s. In 1966, "Lost Command" was not so bad because the great majority of war movies were then B films with actors the likes of John Wayne essentially playing themselves. In the wake of "Saving Private Ryan" and "Blackhawk Down", "Lost Command" barely merits a B rating. And in the league of "Bridge on the River Kwai" or "Lawrence of Arabia", it is a cartoon. This is a crime. Larteguy's characters are all composites of real Indochina and Algerian war soldiers and commanders from both sides, and his ability to capture that so well in prose deserved a far better movie. Simply put, the screenplay writens and the director should have been taken out and shot for crimes against literature.

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One of the few good movies about the French Army
This is a story about a poor humble man who finds a home in the Army. Who does the best that he can with what he has and does well. The problem was that he was born about 100 years too late. He is trying to save an Empire that is quickly dying and he is up against an Enemy that is finally getting his act together. Couple with politicans in and out of uniform who want an omelet but don't want any eggs broken. Who acted shocked yes shocked when he gets the job done! But at what a cost. This film would make for a good primer for those who would go into harms way in the 3rd world.

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"There's only one rule...don't die!"
One reviewer categorized Anthony Quinn, who's purported to have been in more Oscar winning movies than any other actor, as Hollywood's All Purpose Ethnic...I thought that was not only an humorous description, but also an accurate one, too...I really wasn't sure about the film Lost Command (1966), but given the praise posted, I decided to give it a chance, and I wasn't disappointed. Based on a novel by Jean Lartéguy, the film was directed by Mark Robson (Peyton Place, Von Ryan's Express, Earthquake). Starring in the film is Anthony Quinn (The Guns of Navarone, Lawrence of Arabia), Alain Delon (Scorpio), and George Segal (Fun with Dick and Jane). Also appearing is Claudia Cardinale (The Professionals), Maurice Ronet (Three Rooms in Manhattan), and Michèle Morgan (Joan of Paris). <
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>The film begins as the mid-20th century conflict between the French and the Vietminh guerrillas battling each other somewhere in Indo-China comes to a close, with Quinn, playing Lt. Col. Pierre Raspeguy, finding his relatively small band of fighters overrun and eventually captured. Soon after they're deposited in a prisoner of war camp, an armistice is declared, and the men are released to return home. This is when Raspeguy, who comes from humble beginnings, learns his unit has been disbanded, and is effectively out of a job. The French command is hesitant to give him another as not only is he perceived as someone who's difficult to work with by his superiors (only when they give inane commands that will needlessly kill his men), but he's also looked down upon as an officer because he's not of noble blood, something that used to be a requirement for high ranking positions in the French Army. Anyway, through some assistance, Raspeguy does receive a new command, that of a newly formed paratrooper division made up of volunteers and rejects from other units, and his first assignment is to return to Algeria to deal with a growing insurgency among the Muslim population (the Vietminh effectively threw off the yoke of French control, and now others are getting similar ideas), led by a former French officer (who's originally of Arab descent), who, incidentally, used to be under Raspeguy's command. As Raspeguy and his men move in, the situation is far from ideal as not only do they have to find this well hidden and highly armed insurgency force, but they also have to deal with a sympathetic population (sympathetic to the rebels, not the French) and the conflict becomes increasing dirty as the rebels/terrorists use whatever means possible to push the French from their land (but that's not to say the French didn't resort to less than savory methods also). Not only that, but Raspeguy also must face harsh scrutiny from his superiors, who, it seems, are looking for any reason to put him out of commission, so success is critical (they're less likely to prosecute a hero over a scapegoat), even if it means adopting some rather harsh tactics (secretly, though, I think they admire his ability to get `down and dirty'). <
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>I think one of the many things I liked about this film is, while the story was fairly complex, it wasn't difficult to follow, and I think this stems from a strong sense of direction and an eye for details provided by Robson. There may not be fluid and grace in how in how the story proceeds, but that probably comes from the desire to stay close to the source material rather than trying to appease a more general audience. I did feel some of the melodramatic elements included felt a little out of place, but given some of Robson's previous films, it's not surprising their inclusion here. The film has similarities to another film, released a year later, titled The Dirty Dozen, in that you have a band of misfits lead by a strong leader, forced to take on a very dangerous assignment, so I can't help but wonder if that film took a little from Lost Command. The main difference between the two films, in my opinion, besides the obvious, is The Dirty Dozen presents the characters in terms of heroic types, and the audience develops a sense of empathy with them, while in Lost Command, there's not so much of that as we see the some very strong-armed tactics employed by Quinn and his group, tactics that many would probably view as unfavorable, therefore not developing any strong attachments to the core characters, but given what they were up against, who's to say what one would do in a situation like that, against an enemy willing to sacrifice all for their ideals. There aren't really any strong heroes here, but men doing what they must to survive...anyway, I though Quinn did a really excellent job as Raspeguy, and I could actually believe he was not only an officer in the French army, but also a native of the country. I wasn't sure how Segal (darkened face and all) would come off as an Arab, and there were times it was a bit hard to swallow, but overall I think he managed to pull it off. And having Claudia Cardinale, as the sister of the independence movement's leader, in the film sure didn't hurt...yowsa. I enjoyed how the film showed both sides of the conflict, the difficulties they faced, and the tactics employed. I haven't seen The Battle of Algiers (1965), released a year earlier, but I have heard it deals with the same conflict, both films covering the historical aspects very well. <
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>The anamorphic widescreen (1.85:1) picture on this DVD looks very sharp, and the 2-channel Dolby surround audio comes through clearly. There are slim pickings with regards to special features as the only extras include a trailer for this film, along with another for The Guns of Navarone (1961). <
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>By the way, watch for an early appearance by Burt Kwouk as a Vietminh officer...most will remember him as Inspector Clouseau's manservant Cato Fong, from the Pink Panther series...Clouseau: You raving Oriental idiot! There is a time and a place for everything, Cato! And this is it! <
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