With Franz Waxman's score booming in their ears, French paratroopers Anthony Quinn and Alain Delon get stuck into a band of Algerian insurgents in this politically dubious, but nonetheless combative actioner. From the off, you know whose going to come through and there asre no real surprises, (apart from George Segal).
Segal looks ridiculous in his Arab make-up, but the disillusioned Delon is more than happy with the pro-French activities of his sister, Claudia Cardinale. Director Mark Robson puts some zip into the battle scenes and this really improves the energy of the film, but the sanitized romantic clinches and the simplistic history lessons make for dull viewing.