AllMovie

An oddity in the canon of director Douglas Sirk, The First Legion is a good, sometimes incisive, often thoughtful exploration of skepticism and belief. Legion almost rates as a very good movie, rather than just a good one, but unfortunately it is crippled somewhat by its ending, when the appearance of a "genuine" miracle wipes out much of what has come before. It doesn't help that Barbara Rush's performance in this sequence is poor, the only major performance in the whole film that is not deserving of praise. Sirk's sense of irony can be felt underneath many of the scenes, and while technically the film is not his finest - shooting on location did not allow him the careful control that brings out the best in him -- he still finds way to use his camera to make unobtrusive explorations of his characters and their setting. The director has also cast many of his performers against type, and to very good effect. Charles Boyer's work here is especially fine, easily among the best of his career, and his screen presence adds a weight to the part that is critical. Lyle Bettger is in top form as his opposite, and the conflict between the two hits all the right notes. Leo G. Carroll is excellent as well, but the real honors go to William Demarest, giving a nuanced and carefully wrought performance that is a genuine treat. Thought provoking despite its ending, Legion is the kind of film one is always glad to stumble across when it's on TV.