MovieChat Forums > Lost Command Discussion > A decent interpretation

A decent interpretation

posted 20 years ago by onziemechoc
4 replies | jump to latest

This film is a decent interpretation of "Les Centurions" of Jean Lartéguy. Admittedly, they cut out a lot of things, but that is understandable, given that they only had a couple of hours to tell the story. It would have been nicer if they made this into several films, or a television series. That would give more time, and do more justice to M. Lartéguy's classic work.

Also, "Boisfueras" in the book is a Eurasian. And it is "Esclavier", not he, who massacres the village males in retaliation for the murder of Merles. "Boisfeuras" does, however, conduct the interrogation. M. Lartéguy said he based "Boisfeuras" on the real-life Colonel Antoine Argoud. But, I also see strains of Colonel Trinquier and also Lucien Conein, in that both spent time in the Far-East.

"Mange la merde!"

[–] Sid-Blitzen 15 years ago

It's almost impossible to acquire "The Centurions" or its sequel "The Praetorians" in English, but I at last have managed to do so. Excellent accounts of the Algerian War, about which little is written in English. The books delve much more into the characters' back-stories and motives, dwelling much more on Indochina, and the minutiae of the Algerian War.

I have become quite a Larteguy fan, rading his "Sauveterre" as well, and I have also got "The Hounds of Hell" (Congo mercenaries) and "The Bronze Drums" (war in Laos).

[–] rac701 15 years ago

"...It's almost impossible to acquire 'The Centurions'...in English..."

No kidding! As of August 2009, a copy of the Avon mass market movie tie-in paperback book was listed for sale at over $70 on Amazon!

[–] Hancock_the_Superb 13 years ago

It's even worse now, you'll have to shell out $400+!

"You are, in your own idiom, a punk - and a second-rate punk at that!"

[–] rcdf 13 years ago

"Decent" is awfully generous. Namely, several characters were significantly altered [in addition to making him a European Boisfueras was predictably turned into a maniac, The army upper brass became sadistic, as opposed to merely incompetent, and Esclavier became a total wimp/ terrorist sympathizer] and while it's true that most of the cuts (the time in Camp One, the Suez invasion, the journalists/ several other characters, the various back stories, etc.), can be justified out of time constraint the alteration of the middle of the book (Raspeguy's near expulsion from the army and the Countess were pulled totally out of the director's hat) was inexcusable.