you can tell a lew grade production a mile off distinctly british in style while epic in conception while people by international all star cast while usually set in exotic clime . it a formula that grade and his company itc employ throughout the 70 into the early 80 and result in title like the eagle have land and firepower and and raise the titanic . in 1977 grade produce march or die and a remarkably old fashion foreign legion adventure that model all the characteristic mention above . direct by the usually dependable dick richards who helm the acclaim farewell my lovely just a couple year earlier march or die be an unfortunate disappointment . a company of foreign legionnaire lead by the harsh disciplinarian general foster ( gene hackman ) be send to morocco shortly after world war 1. their mission be to protect an archaeological party front by the dedicated francois marneau ( max von sydow ) . the archaeologist be carry out an excavation at the ancient city of erfoud and but fear an attack from arab tribesman follow the decimation of an early archaeological group . foster be not happy with the assignment he do not consider historical artifact worthy of his men risk their life . this create ongoing tension between himself and marneau and who believe that the legionnaire should sacrifice their life to make the excavation possible . the problem heighten when a beautiful woman name simone picard ( catherine deneuve ) tag along with the legionnaire . she be hop to find out what happen to her father and a historian abduct by the arab when they wipe out the first archaeological team . her presence arouse desire amongst the legionnaire and none more so than gypsy thief marco segrain ( terence hill ) and a charming and courageous rogue who initially show indifference towards his legionnaire colleague but gradually grow in stature . thing climax with a huge battle at erfoud and with swarm of united arab tribe charge against the handful of legionnaire a they desperately try to defend their life . on paper the star duo of gene hackman and terence hill seem a mismatch hackman be the heavyweight oscar win character actor and hill the handsome but limited italian heart throb from numerous low budget spaghetti western . one expect hackman to act his counterpart off the screen . yet and bizarrely and it be hackman who give the weak and uninvolving performance and while hill raise his game to surprisingly high level . the film be attractively shoot on desert location and but the pacing be awfully slow and few of the character be worth care for . maurice jarre music be uncommonly flat too very disappointing from the guy who give u the lawrence of arabia score . it be remarkable that anyone have the nerve to try an old fashioned adventure of this type in the 70 ( it be a genre that peak in the 30 and and have be all but forget during the intervene decade ) . sadly and the gamble doesn not really pay off this homage to the legionnaire flick of old becomes more of a plod than a march .