ONE AGAINST THE WIND

US, 1991, 96 minutes, Colour.
Judy Davis, Sam Neill, Anthony Higgins, Christien Arnholt, Kate Beckinsale, Denholm Elliott, Peter Cellier.
Directed by Larry Elikann.

One Against the Wind was a very successful telemovie. It won a number of Emmys and Golden Globe awards, including a Golden Globe for the best film made for television as well as Judy Davis’s performance as best actress.

The film is a familiar World War Two story, the type of film that was made during the 1950s, for example Odette with Anna Neagle. Judy Davis portrays an Englishwoman married to a French count and living in France at the outbreak of World War Two. She had served as a Red Cross nurse during World War One. She lives with her son and daughter. She meets an English major (Sam Neill) in occupied Paris and helps him to escape from the Germans. The film then follows her career as she supported the Allies and helping soldiers to get across the Pyrenees into Spain.

Judy Davis is very strong in the central role. She had appeared with Sam Neill in My Brilliant Career and was to do so in Children of the Revolution. Christian Anholt has a good role as her son and Kate Beckinsale at the beginning of her career portrays her daughter.

The film also won a number of humanitarian awards including the Catholic Christopher Award.

1.The quality of the telemovie? Its awards? Its being similar to the patriotic films during the 1950s in the UK?

2.The re-creation of period, the outbreak of World War Two, France and the countryside, occupied Paris? The musical score?

3.The true story of Mary Lyndell, so many stories like this during World War Two, the heroics, ordinary people? The memories after fifty years?

4.Audience knowledge about World War Two, feelings towards the experience of the war? Towards Germany, towards France? Towards Britain?

5.The heroics in this kind of story, ordinary Peter, Resistance? Strong characters and demands made on characters? The war situations? The comparisons between the fighting and the nursing support in World War One, World War Two, helping military to escape?

6.Judy Davis’s strong performance as Mary? The background of her marriage, British, living in France, her sympathy with the French? Her relationship with her children? The incident in Paris, meeting Major Leggatt? Helping him, the shaving etc? The petrol? The difficulties with the Germans, getting through, permits? Getting Major Leggatt to the border, the farewells? Her relationship with Maurice, his life, age, prospects? Barbe and her relationships? Her friendship with Father le Blanc, the lawyer? The commanding officer?

7.The Canadians, their experience in the war, weeping, the Allies? Control? The adventure?

8.Mary and her joining the Resistance, the attitude of her daughter, her daughter’s experience? Her daughter continuing when her mother was in prison? The new line, the return? The experience of torture? Going to England? The exploration of motivations?

9.Barbe and her age, the SS officer, falling in love? Her being hurt, leaving? Quiet about the information? Her mother getting out of prison, her help? Maurice and care? The return, Africa, Eric? The bargain with Gruber? Her mother’s pride?

10.The prison sequences, the cell, the court case? The Legion of Honour? The nine months, her illness? British and tough – her return? Father le Blanc? The success of her mission, Maurice and the torture, Barbe being caught? The hospital? The experience of Auschwitz? The end?

11.Leggatt, his character, British officer? His assistant, the other officers?

12.The portrait of the priest, the French priest, in the French countryside, attitude towards the war, to the Resistance? Mary?

13.Gruber, German officials, the civilised pose? Torture? Barbe and the deal?

14.Issues of patriotism, collaboration? Survival? The underground? The portrait of the French Resistance, the Nazi occupation, the Allies and their fighting the war? Memories of war?