Retro Film/Television Review: One Against the Wind (1991)

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(Edited)

(source: tmdb.org)

Generic-looking European locations and good studio facilities are the reasons why Luxembourg, despite its relatively small size, became interesting to foreign movie and television industry. One of first films to use Luxembourg assets is One Against the Wind, television WW2 docudrama directed by Larry Elikann.

Chris Bryant's script for this film is based on the true story about Countess Mary Linden (played by Judy Davis), British aristocrat who used to work for French Red Ross at the beginning of WW2. In June 1940 France succumbs to German onslaught and capitulation leaves many British soldiers on the territory under German control and with few options to escape capture. One of those is Major Legatt (played by Sam Neill) who meets Mary Linden by accident. Countess decides to help him escape to neutral Spain. After that she is being approached by Allied soldiers still in hiding, downed airmen and those who escaped from German POW camps. Countess sets up escape network and gets in touch with various Resistance organisations. Her activities, complicated by her high profile, bring attention of Gestapo, led by cruel SS Captain Gruber (played by Anthony Higgins).

Extraordinary story of a woman risking everything for the sake of noble principle in inhuman times was given routine American TV movie treatment. Sometimes this routine treatment could work to story's advantage, and sometimes it couldn't. One Against the Wind is the example of the latter. The plot is accelerated in order to be compressed in standard 90 minutes of running times, resulting in many scenes being incomprehensible, unfinished or downright pathetic. Judy Davis tries her best to compensate film's flaws with her acting, but her partner Sam Neill seems wasted. One Against the Wind also features Kate Beckinsale in one of her earliest and great Denholm Elliott in one of his last roles. All those who aren't particularly great fans of those actors should skip this film.

RATING: 2/10 (-)

(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.movies.reviews on June 2nd 2003)

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