Product: One Against the Wind [VHS] (1991)
Rating: 5.0
Judy Davis as "THE MATI HARI" of France,Mary Lindell
Mary Lindell is a household name in Great Britain. Thank God that HALLMARK took the time to recreate her daringly true escapades in smuggling evaders into unoccupied zones during WW2. For dramatic purposes, much of ONE AGAINST THE WIND has been rearranged and condensed . As exciting as this presentation of Mary Lindell's exploits is, her real life was even MORE dramatic than what HALLMARK assembled!( Read the book NO DRUMS,NO TRUMPETS by J.B. Wayne!!!!!)Nevertheless, this film is extraordinary for what it accomplishes and Judy Davis is spot-on as the resourceful,courageous and mulishly strong-minded Mary. It is significant to note that Mary Lindell was 45 years old when she and her family began smuggling people out of occupied France, first by sheer bluff and boldness! Her methods became much more "professional" as the War dragged on. The focus of ONE AGAINST THE WIND is more towards the end of her smuggling people into Spain, more in particular Australian bomber pilot McSweyen (Sam Neill).Lindell actually had three children, two boys and a little girl.The son Maurice, is a composite of her two sons, and daughter Barbe (Kate Beckinsale) is pretty much invented along with her attraction to a Nazi officer for dramatic purposes.This makes for a great screenplay and creates dramatic tension, but it's not true. Other than that, ONE AGAINST THE WIND is about as exciting and daredevilish as a film can get (especially for HALLMARK!).Great similar companion films would be BLACK BOOK, VARIAN'S WAR and CHARLOTTE GRAY.