Saturday, 5 June 2010

March or Die (1977) part 1

What is the best Foreign Legion movie? Maybe it's still to be made but I quite like this one. Stars Gene Hackman. Not sure why these troops are wearing the uniform of 1914 in 1918 but I suppose that's movies for you. The opening march is Le Boudin - a strange song dating from the post Franco-Prussian war period about a black pudding or blood sausage. Hear it sung here
The English translation is

Here you are, some blood pudding, some blood pudding, some blood pudding For the Alsatians, the Swiss, and the Lorrains, For the Belgians, there's none left, For the Belgians, there's none left, They're lazy shirkers (repeat)

1st sonnet
We're at ease,
We're rough-and-tough
No ordinary guys,
We've often got our black moods,
We are Legionnaires
1st couplet
In Tonkin, the Immortal Legion
At Tuyen Quang we honoured our flag,
The heroes of Camerone and model brothers
Sleep in peace in your tombs
2nd sonnet
Our ancestors died
For the glory of the Legion.
We will all perish
According to the tradition.
2nd couplet
During our far-off campaigns,
Facing fever and fire,
Forgetting with our sadnesses,
Death, which forgets us so little.
We the Legion.

2 comments:

  1. This IS a good one. I'm still waiting for NETFLIX (the US movie rental company)to get it off the future release list. Strange that a unit of many non-French soldiers was shown getting the reception shown in the opening scene.

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  2. Dear Somerset,
    Ripping scene , what ? National airs always effect the heart-strings and the Frenchies do it well ( RE: "Casablanca ").

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