Paul Fox looks more like a paperboy than a foreign legionnaire and struggles to make anything out of the trite dialogue in this tale of life in the French Foreign Legion which is based on the autobiography of Simon Murray. Murray seems to have led an interesting life - in addition to serving in the FFL he was the oldest man to reach the South Pole unsupported and his wife was the first woman to fly around the world in a helicopter - but Deserter is desperately dull stuff. At least Tom Hardy is on hand to provide some acting chops as Fox's comrade.
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JoeytheBrit28 June 2020
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dtm-5900313 February 2020Having recently read Simon Murrays factual book 'Legionnaire ' on which this is based - I tracked down the film. The result sadly lacks the grit and gruesome integrity of the book in almost all respects. The casting doesn't really help either, with the main character coming across as rather too honest and righteous compared to his colleagues. I had hoped that the film may have captured the atmosphere of the conflict in some respects but found it sadly lacking. Likewise the quandary of whether or not to support the 'Generals Revolt' coup attempt was dealt with on a rather local basis and contradicts and belittles what actually happened. Its not a well known part of world history outside Algeria or France so for this reason alone it is worth a watch - but don't make the mistake of thinking it paints a true picture of the conflict. To learn more take a look at 'The Battle of Algiers' which was banned in France for years, or even the rather cheesy 'Lost Command' (Anthony Quinn).
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nogodnomasters20 September 2018The year is 1960. Simon Murray (Paul Fox) joins the French Foreign Legion because of his romantic notions. It is an iron clad contract for 5 years during which he is sent to Algeria where the Arabs are fighting for Independence. Like "Full Metal Jacket" the film takes you through the rigors of training with cruel and sadistic trainers. The diverse group of trainees bond together. Simon supplies us with some boring first person narration to the background of some melancholy French tune.
Simon makes it through training, and life gets better...almost. He gets a "Dear John" letter and wants to leave. In town he discovers the locals hate the French and want their independence. His romantic notions have placed him on the wrong side, one that he is committed to be a part. His ideas of life become confused and tested in the reality of life and conflict. There are French and Algerians who are on both sides of the independence movement, primarily for economic reasons.
In many ways this movie mimics the US involvement in Vietnam, and just about any war against colonization. There is a major exception to this film in that...well I will let that one go as that becomes the twist in the tale. And even though it may be history, it was history I was unaware.
The acting was acceptable. The film jumps from scene to scene. You don't know how one scene ends before you are in a scene you wonder how it began. Perhaps this was deliberately done by the director so the audience can feel the confusion of the main character, or maybe it was just poor writing and editing. This is one of those areas where one person sees genius and another sees idiot.
The action is light. The drama involves mostly men. There is next to no humor. Excessive first person narration with a mediocre sound track. A story that is theme heavy.
No-f-bombs, sex, or nudity. Most of the actual killing is off camera. -
YohjiArmstrong4 April 2013DESERTER is an excellent micro-budget film ($3.5 million apparently) which does an awful lot with very little. Based on Simon Murray's famous memoir "Legionnaire" - the film was retitled to avoid confusion with a JCVD film of the same name - it's about a jilted Englishman in the 1960s who joins the French Foreign Legion and fights with them in Algeria, before facing a moral crisis. It's suitably authentic in the details and mood of life in the Legion, although some of the props (tanks, trucks) are inaccurate. The tiny budget often works in the film's favour; the actors (who do very well) are the right age (early 20s) for once because older stars were too pricey; the battle scenes have a documentary vividness because they can't afford silly lenses or hyper-editing (the gasoline explosions are stupid though); and the story is short and sharp because there wasn't the money for unnecessary subplots. Generally it gives a good overview of the Algerian War, from a multitude of perspectives: an Englishman, the French military, the French colonists and the Arabs. Life in the FFL - the sun-scorched marches, the brutal punishments, the ferocious discipline, the primeval initiation ceremony, the intense camaraderie and the brutal if effective counter-insurgency tactics - is extremely well conveyed. Occasionally it threatens to veer into political correctness or melodrama but it always recovers in time. Overall, a small, good film on an interesting subject. I wish there were more like it.
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denzil-094348 June 2019Almost watchable until the cafe scene 41 minutes in. Give me a break!
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JamieWJackson1 January 2015Sometimes it helps to step outside of the familiar. In "Deserter", my American perspective gets broadened by looking at an Arab country through the eyes of a young Brit placed within the French Foreign Legion. With my own country removed entirely from the scene, I thus start with no default "side" here. The movie does start off following the FFL, but of course expands before too long to show us (some of) the Arab side as well.
I'd like to know, but don't know, how true to reality the movie is. Most of what we're shown seemed very plausible to me. A few bits did feel "Hollywoodized" but perhaps were reasonable distillations of multiple events.
What made the biggest impression on me was the discomfort of Murray as he came face to face with the inexorable underlayment of the whole situation: that military occupation is fundamentally wrong because it is not consensual. That's a good lesson for everyone.
I'm surprised this only has a 5.3. I wouldn't call it a great movie, but it's well done and involving and deserves a higher score.
My biggest complaint is that the accents were hard for me to understand, especially near the beginning. With the mixture of different national origins of the characters and some of the dialog being in French with the rest in (mostly) French-accented English, a lot of the early lines were lost on me. I almost stopped watching after about 10 minutes due to this. I'm glad I didn't. -
REVVINCENT1 February 2020I watched this film with interest. It appears to have some vague reality to the history of the Algerians fighting against the French.
Amazon lists this film as produced in 2016, when in fact it was filmed/produced in 2002. I could not figure out why Tom Hardy is so young in this movie if it had been produced in 2016. The fact it was produced in 2002 makes more sense" . Hardy and his colleague "Simon Murray" are 18 years younger!
I should study the French Foreign Legion a bit, because I am unaware of the brutality imposed by senior officers upon the recruits and the junior ranks. Paul Fox as Simon Murray is dazzlingly good looking. Hardy's youthful look is quite striking.
This movie is listed as "Legion of Honor on Amazon. On IMDb, it is listed as "Deserter". It is a bit confusing, as I came away from this not knowing exactly who the deserter was. I also question the historical accuracy of this film. Having said that, I do like it and I may watch it again to put together some of the "missing pieces". -
donnellydp22 March 2020Good for Tom Hardy fans to see him early. You have to consider the budget (with an R-22 depicting an early helicopter). I think it's as good as you can get for the money and the training sequences reminicent of FMJ but without the humour.
What winds me up as an Irishman is that the English Legionnaire criticises what the French are doing in Algeria for 127 years, yet what his own country did/ does to Ireland for 800 years and other countries... -
I liked this film immensely, it has very nice scenery in Morocco, and strong characterizations, and in this case the introduction of the love interest actually drives the story along and makes it even more compelling.
Especially when the Legionnaires have to make a choice to side with the OAS the breakaway French military faction opposing deGaulle, this makes it fascinating! I thought the characters were well defined, and the film showed enough for us to get a true picture of Legion life: the brutal training, the marches, the NCOs, the officer class, the ceremonies, the skirmishes with the Arabs, the sense of loyalty.
Also the film had enough money spent on it to make a convincing portrait of Morocco at this period of transition, you have the colonial French architecture, and the spectacular desert scenery! I recommend any Foreign Legion fans to buy this film and watch it again and again! -
trainerlkn26 November 2016Given who the producer was I.e. a real Legionnaire, I expected more accuracy. Legionnaires only wear the winged dagger brevet after joining the Second Para Regiment or 2eme REP as it's known nowadays.
His own book made no mention of a lot of what was in the movie which is probably why they should say "loosely" based on a true story instead of based on a true story.
Someone else made mention of the brutality of the NCOs being inaccurate. Actually that's not true. In the epoch the level portrayed in the movie the brutality actually existed (it calmed down a lot later on in the eighties whene -
This is a good 'Foreign Legion' Film and a fairly open representation of a very complicated Period of 20th century History.
France,Algeria and the Foreign Legion all were changed by this series of events and for Simon Murray this was very much a significant time of Personal development and Experience. He also wrote a Book about this time which is also a good read for anyone interested in Legion History.
This is one of Tom Hardy's early Films,but in my Opinion, underrated.
He brought depth and character to 'Dupont' and while the Script lost a little clarity at times by the end of the tale Hardy related the complex nature of Dupont and the Challenges facing many at that time and place! -
rightwingisevil30 January 2012three screenplay writers including the original author and director crafted this lukewarm screenplay. what we saw was a bunch of young men who came from all different regions or countries to blindly joined the french foreign legion, a mercenary-like commissioned army to deal with the Algeria uproar fighting France's colonization for independence. i have to say that all the young men who played the recruits of the french legion did great performances, their roles were very tough and rough, not an easy job to play those roles. but in the meantime, they looked not quite competent, especially the main character, the English young man who joined the force just because he got a broken heart from an unsuccessful romance in england. this young actor, although did a pretty nice performance, but at the same time, also a pretty bad cast. too youngish, too baby faced and also looked too unconvincingly weak. his best friend and comrade then became a turned coat who joined the opposition insurgent was a better cast but still not quite fit the role. the fighting scenes were brutal but not well directed and performed. if compare to similar historical background 'intimate enemy', 'incendis' and several other great ones, this 'deserter' would not even qualified as a good movie, just a lame, lukewarm movie that failed to connect the audiences or a viewer like me.
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Great film highlighting Peace and Reconciliation between nations - as well as the search of a man's soul to attain peace with himself.
In the words of the narrator, when he gives the reason why he joined the French Foreign Legion: "It's really all about finding your soul. It's about getting off the path, for that is where the freedom lies. So I say, do not follow where the path might lead. Go instead where there is no path, and leave a trail."
This applies especially to the current situation between Russia and Ukraine, I think, since both nations have to find a way to live in Peace with each other other - just like France and Algeria did, after the terrible and horrific Algerian War from 1954 to 1962; which actually has some striking similarities to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine instigated by the Putin regime.
Hence Russia and Ukraine must implement a Ceasefire - so that Diplomacy and Dialogue can be restored and Peace Talks can commence. Above all Peace must be restored - so that basic Human Rights and Child Rights can be restored in Ukraine.
On that note, we strongly urge Mr. Putin (or his body double) to work something out with French President Macron; so that Peace and Prosperity can be restored in the International Community :) -
RonellSowes14 April 2021Deserter is about as rich a film as the desert featured in it. Its bland, dull and uninspiring. The most notable aspect about it is Tom Hardy who is wasted in a weak role and worse film.
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Probably the best Foreign Legion film, although there are some discrepancies between the film and the book of the authentic story which it is based on. Paul Fox makes an excellent impersonation of Simon Murray which is wholly convincing, and since Simon Murray himself was the executive producer.of the film he apparently didn't object. Tom Hardy as his best friend Dupont in the legion is a more complicated role, and although they both develop strongly in opposite directions, Dupont's character is vital for the balance of the film, which otherwise would have been dominated by Paul Fox alone. You have to understand Dupont's stand and that of the other "pieds noirs" of Algeria, who had every reason to oppose the liberation of Algeria from France, while you also have to understand Simon Murray's difficult position and the decisions he had to make, although he was far more sceptical and brooding than Dupont. It's an excellent film which delves into the problem of a colonial power having to cut off its own limbs for the sake of the best of all, and the problems of this are unavoidable and unfathomable in their inevitable lasting consequences, like the scars after a civil war that never will heal.
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paudman9 February 2023I read Simon Murray's excellent book back in the late 1970s, and so when this movie appeared out of the blue on television, late one night, I recognised it immediately despite the misleading title. I suppose they already had a movie called 'Legionnaire' but sadly this meant I watched the remainder expecting Murray to desert at any moment. It did gloss over his initial training, and the brutality of it - his parachute wings for example appear as if by magic - but it was still interesting. Unfortunately, in Hollywood fashion, they made changes - his girlfriend plants bombs for the OAS, and he agonises over the shooting of a child that wasn't in the book, but eventually it wasn't as bad as expected, and he ended up as Sergeant (Not Caporal-Chef as in real life). I just wish it had shown more of the training, the promotion courses, his earnest struggle to become a Legionnaire rather than his forays into Arab territory and his attempts to understand their culture. It's still an interesting glimpse of the Legion without the over-the-top USA dramatics such film-makers often inject.