Legionnaire (1998)

Director:

Peter MacDonald

Writers (WGA):

Sheldon Lettich (story) &
Jean-Claude Van Damme (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

3 December 1998 (Australia)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | War

Tagline:

From The Producer Of The Crow And The Director Of Rambo III

Plot:

Alain Lefevre is a boxer paid by a Marseille mobster to take a dive. When he wins the fight he attempts...

Plot Keywords:

Escape | French | Foreign Legion | Arab | Revenge

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Jean-Claude Van Damme	...	Alain Lefevre
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje	...	Luther
Steven Berkoff	...	Sgt. Steinkampf
Nicholas Farrell	...	Mackintosh
Jim Carter	...	Lucien Galgani
Ana Sofrenovic	...	Katrina
Daniel Caltagirone	...	Guido Rosetti
Joseph Long	...	Maxim
Mario Kalli	...	René Galgano
Joe Montana	...	Julot
Kim Rømer	...	Capt. Rousselot
Anders Peter Bro	...	Lt. Charlier
Paul Kynman	...	Rolf Bruner
Vincent Pickering	...	Viktor
Takis Triggelis	...	Cpl. Metz
Tom Delmar	...	Cpl. Legros
David Hayman	...	Recruiting Sergeant
Rob Kaman	...	Glock
Derek Lea	...	Gendarme #1
Andy Smart	...	Gendarme #2
Pilly de Vicente	...	Chanteuse
Kelli Shaughnessy	...	Ivonne
Amrani Hanfine	...	Paulette
Kamel Krifa	...	Abd-El Krim
Charles Wood	...	Watchtower Lookout
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Crystal Allen	...	(unconfirmed)
Emma Boardman	...	Can Can Girl
Dida Diafat
Philip Murphy	...	Army driver
Nosher Powell	...	Soldier
Chloe Treend	...	Can Can Girl

Directed by
Peter MacDonald

Writing credits (WGA)
Sheldon Lettich		(story) &
Jean-Claude Van Damme		(story)
Sheldon Lettich		(screenplay) and
Rebecca Morrison		(screenplay)

Produced by
Wendi Friedman	....	associate producer
Samuel Hadida	....	co-executive producer
Christian Halsey Solomon	....	executive producer
Werner Koenig	....	co-executive producer
Kamel Krifa	....	co-producer
Sheldon Lettich	....	executive producer
Peter MacDonald	....	producer
Roberto Malerba	....	co-producer
Richard G. Murphy	....	co-producer
Edward R. Pressman	....	producer
Jean-Claude Van Damme	....	producer
Gregory G. Woertz	....	associate producer

Original Music by
John Altman

Cinematography by
Douglas Milsome

Film Editing by
Mike Murphy
Christopher Tellefsen

Casting by
Irene Lamb

Production Design by
Charles Wood

Art Direction by
Franco Fumagalli
Nathan Schroeder
Marco Trentini

Set Decoration by
Alessandra Querzola

Makeup Department
Desideria Corridoni	....	hair stylist
Maria Teresa Corridoni	....	key hair stylist
Hayat Ouled Dahhou	....	hair stylist
Katalin Elek	....	makeup artist
Zoltan Elek	....	key makeup artist (as Zoltan Elek Gabori)
Alberto Moccia	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Hamid Araissi	....	unit production manager
Fabiomassimo Dell'Orco	....	production manager
Roberto Malerba	....	unit production manager
Michael Solinger	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Mike Brewster	....	second unit director
Jamie Christopher	....	second assistant director
Simon Emanuel	....	second second assistant director: second unit
Rachid Gaidi	....	assistant director
Ahmed Hatimi	....	first assistant director: Morocco
Richard Kellond	....	third assistant director
Cliff Lanning	....	first assistant director: second unit
Michael Murray	....	first assistant director
Matthew Sharp	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Majid Aoulad Abdellah	....	assistant set decorator (as Abdelmajid Aoulad Abdellah)
Alex Boswell	....	on-set dresser
Stephen Bream	....	draughtsman (as Steven Bream)
Abdenabi Izlaguen	....	assistant art director
Luciano Magagnini	....	swing gang
Roberto Magagnini	....	swing gang
Sarkis Marandjian	....	model maker
Mauro Masotti	....	tapestry
Gary McIlraith	....	swing gang
Jouali Med Abdelhamid	....	interpreter: props department
Antonio Murer	....	propmaker
Philip Murphy	....	props
Andy Nicholson	....	set designer
Rachid Quiat	....	assistant art director
Rando Schmook	....	set designer
Michael White	....	storyboard artist

Sound Department
Don Banks	....	boom operator
Rubén Domingo	....	sound editor
Henry Godding Jr.	....	voice recordist: French version
Mike Le Mare	....	supervising sound editor
Steve Livingston	....	sound editor
David Marcus	....	assistant sound editor
Solange S. Schwalbe	....	sound editor
Lionel Selwyn	....	foley artist
Ivan Sharrock	....	production sound mixer
Ivan Sharrock	....	sound mixer
Karola Storr	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Daniel Acon	....	special effects technician
Trevor Butterfield	....	senior special effects technician
Maurizio Corridori	....	special effects foreman
Neil Davies	....	special effects technician
David Harris	....	special effects supervisor
Judith Harris	....	special effects technician
Matthew Horton	....	special effects technician
Darren May	....	senior special effects technician
Duilio Olmi	....	special effects technician
Claudio Quaglietti	....	special effects technician

Stunts
Faycal Attougui	....	stunts
Robert Bastens	....	stunts
George Bejue	....	stunt double: Jean Claude Van Damme (as Georges Bejou)
Ignacio Carreño	....	stunts
Ricardo Cruz	....	stunts
Dean Forster	....	stunts
Pedro García García	....	stunts (as Pedro Garcia Garcia)
Luis M. Gutiérrez Santos	....	stunts (as Luis Manuel Gutierrez Santos)
Paul Heasman	....	stunts
Mark Henson	....	stunts
Paul Herbert	....	stunts
Gérard Lesage	....	stunts
Mark Lisbon	....	stunts
Philippe Losson	....	stunts
Peter Miles	....	stunts
Peter Pedrero	....	stunts
Dinny Powell	....	stunts
Gary Powell	....	assistant stunt coordinator
Greg Powell	....	stunt coordinator
Nosher Powell	....	stunts (as Frederick Powell)
Cedric Proust	....	stunts
Joel Proust	....	stunt coordinator: Maroccan Unit
Angelo Ragusa	....	stunts
Jesús Riarán	....	stunts (as Jesus Riaran Torres)
Gary Robert	....	stunts
Todd Senofonte	....	stunt double: Jean Claude Van Damme
Tom Struthers	....	stunts
Mustapha Touki	....	stunts
David Ware	....	stunts
Peter White	....	stunts
Lahlali Zakaria	....	stunts
Tom Delmar	....	stunts (uncredited)
Paul Heasman	....	stunt double: Jean Claude Van Damme (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Patrick Bramucci	....	gaffer
Fausto Cancellieri	....	machinist
Alessandro Cardelli	....	electrician
Ali Cherkaoui	....	video playback operator
Roberto De Angelis	....	focus puller
Claudio Del Gobbo	....	grip
Massimiliano Dessena	....	grip
Jack English	....	still photographer
Sergio Faina	....	grip
Stefano Falivene	....	first assistant camera
Claudio Frollano	....	electrician
Jeremy Knaster	....	electrician
Tommaso Mele	....	key grip
Bill O'Leary	....	rigging gaffer
Mauro Pezzotti	....	grip: second unit
Carlo Postiglione	....	dolly grip
Mohammed Hamza Regragui	....	grip assistant: Morocco
Sky Sharrock	....	clapper loader: second unit
Marco Sticchi	....	electrician
Emiliano Topai	....	assistant camera
Francesco Zaccaria	....	electrician

Casting Department
Driss Biratate	....	casting assistant
Mulay Mustapha	....	extras casting
Mary Jo Slater	....	casting advisor: USA

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Stefano De Nardis	....	assistant costume designer
Ali Lammari	....	set costumer
Mustapha Mimis	....	set costumer
Abdelfattah Qzaibar	....	costume aging and dying
Maurizio Torti	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Paul Elman	....	assistant editor
Hilarie Roope	....	post-production coordinator
Misako Shimizu	....	assistant editor

Music Department
John Altman	....	music arranger: Offenbach extract
James Collins	....	music scoring mixer
Randy Gerston	....	music supervisor
Erik Jordan	....	assistant scoring engineer
Gerard McCann	....	music editor
Amy Rosen	....	music coordinator

Transportation Department
Abdelhay Elanbassi	....	transportation
Hicham Regragui	....	transportation coordinator
Mohammed Chaoui	....	transportation (uncredited)

Other crew
Noureddine Aberdine	....	production assistant
Cecilia Alvarenga	....	production coordinator (as Cecelia Alvarenga)
Jon Baker	....	armorer
Vito Colazzo	....	location manager
Denise Cresswell	....	dancer: can can
André Duhamel	....	military advisor (as Andre Duhamel)
Maria Fiorito	....	production accountant
Marco Giacalone	....	location manager
Terry Gilbert	....	choreographer: can can
Houda Jabrane	....	unit doctor
Patrick Jack Lee	....	production financing
Madelyn Most	....	assistant to director
Joel Proust	....	horse master: Marocco
Enzo Sisti	....	production auditor
Bernadette Tanchauco	....	accountant
Lisa Vick	....	script supervisor: second unit
Nosher Powell	....	boxing trainer: Jean-Claude van Damme (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Edward R. Pressman Film (as Edward R. Pressman Film Corporation)
• Long Road Productions
• Quadra Entertainment

Distributors

• Filmes Lusomundo (1998) (Portugal) (theatrical)
• TriPictures (1999) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Metropolitan Filmexport (1999) (France) (theatrical)
• Helkon Filmverleih GmbH (1999) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Comstock (2001) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Ascot Elite Home Entertainment (2010) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Ascot Video
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2005) (UK) (DVD)
• Fiction Pictures (2010) (Greece) (DVD)
• Fiction Pictures (2010) (Greece) (TV)
• Metropolitan Filmexport (2000) (France) (DVD)
• New Films International
• Nordisk Film (2005) (Sweden) (DVD)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2000) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2001) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2002) (Netherlands) (DVD) (rental)
• RCV Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD) (retail)
• SBP (1999) (Argentina) (DVD)
• SBP (1999) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Sterling Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Sterling Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
• V8 (2003) (Netherlands) (TV)

Other Companies

• Film Finances  completion guarantor
• Motion Picture Merchandise (MPM)  crew merchandise
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script services
• Sylvia Wheeler Film Services  negative cutting

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for battle violence

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M | France:U | Germany:12 | Norway:15 (video rating) | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R | Argentina:13 | Iceland:12 | Brazil:14 | South Korea:15 | Philippines:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Atlas Corporation Studios, Ouarzazate, Morocco

Company:

Edward R. Pressman Film

Goofs:

Plot holes: Lefevre is photographed for the machine gun demonstration against his will, thus leading to his discovery. One of the few guarantees afforded legionnaires is anonymity, and it is specifically forbidden for a legionnaire to be photographed without explicit permission.

Quotes:

[In the boxing ring, Julot prepares to knock out Alain.]
Julot:Galgani controls your world now! Any last words?
[Alain suddenly counterattacks and knocks out Julot.]
Alain Lefevre:I changed my mind.

Movie Connections:

Version of March or Die (1977)

Soundtrack:

Parlez-moi d'amour

Worth watching even for non van Damme fans

Legionnaire is beautifully photographed and contains both an engaging story (loosely based on Beau Geste) and good performances by the actors. Underrated from the start, the picture undeservedly went straight to video. However, it is not a 10 out of 10 as some suggest. The story and characters fall too often into clichés and some of the roles could have been given more depth. Particularly the love story, mostly told in flash backs, is depicted with emotionally appealing pictures and music but remains too superficial to be fully satisfying.

This film had the potential to be great with a bit more emphasis on the drama part and toning down the more usual action flick formula (the action scenes are well done, though). However, here is hope that van Damme will make more serious movies, even if they have martial arts and action themes. I always liked him as an actor. There is an honesty and modesty to van Damme's work that is missing in most Hollywood products.