Lines of Wellington

I watched this film, all 150 minutes of it, from a DVD I received from FilmMovement. Apparently this film, a European production, is hardly known in North American.

At 150 minutes this is one long film, and if you expect to see epic battle scenes you will be disappointed. The story centres around the English and Portuguese armies retreating, with many civilians, from the advent of the Napoleonic army. There are many characters involved in several sub-plots, and three languages (English, French and Portuguese) are used in the dialogues. One can get confused easily.

Despite its flaws, I find the film watchable for the settings, for the costume, and for certain portions of the human dramas depicted. And forget about the presence of the two big-name French actresses referenced in the credit. Both Isabelle Hupert and Catherine Deneuve appeared in an inconsequential scene for less than two minutes.

In 1810 Napoleon sent Marshal Massena (who was famous then and called "the dear son of the victories" I think that by Napoleon himself) to invade Portugal for the third time (French army had been defeated there twice before). The Franch army now entered the center of the country and marched to the south with relative facility despite having been beaten at Buçaco by the Anglo-Portuguese troops who began to withdraw to the south till they reached the Lines of Torres Vedras a huge mass of fortifications built in secret by Wellington in the previous one and half year behind which they entrenched themselves always under Wellington command. The French army after being before the Lines for some time realized they were unconquerable and retreated for good. This movie is about that but who is hoping to see a historical movie may be somewhat disappointed because though the story develops itself having that war as a background it is much more about the personal adventures and misadventures of its characters not only the main ones but some minor ones too. It is very good from the technical standpoint I mean the scenes, camera movements, sequences, angles of view, framings and visual details are very good indeed. The acting is also excellent with a luxury cast with such actors like John Malkovich (as Wellington)and the Portuguese Nuno Lopes. The reproduction of the epoch atmosphere in sceneries and costumes is also excellent. The main flaw that can be appointed to this movie is that the story somehow lacks a thread, losing itself among scattered and diverse episodes although very well shown and developed. And in terms of social usages (certain love scenes for instance) and language employed there is some inadequacy to early 19th century seeming much more as belonging to our contemporary meanings and values.

I rent the DVD in hope of getting a movie on Napoleonic warfare and the Portuguese campaign. Actually, this is a collection of soap opera sketches set against the grim background of the general evacuation brought about by the French advance.

This bleak background provides the contrasting point to the light, humorous, often implausible and generally unhistorical approach that characterizes the sketches. They are centered on different individuals involved in the evacuation and they bear an unmistakable (and irritating to me) feminine touch. The character of Wellington is not made an exception and the filmmakers make no attempt to portray his personality or his military abilities.

Another annoying touch is that the French are portrayed as involved in all kinds of base butchery. These acts of cruelty are partly exaggerated; for the part that they are true, no attempt is made to explain that this was the normal trend in this era and that the English and the Portuguese behaved in exactly the same way. Historical exactness plays no part in the movie; since all characters are English or Portuguese and they are presented sympathetically, the director needed some bad guys on the other side of the pond.

In conclusion: a successful attempt at duplicating American soap operas set against a historical background. Go to the box office if you are interested in comedy; don't go if you have any serious penchant for history.

A historical drama co-produced by Portugal and France. The plot takes place post Battle of Bussaco (27-09-1810) while the population and the Anglo-Portuguese troops make the strategic withdrawal for the Lines of Torres Vedras, erected by order of General Wellington, in an attempt to make a final decisive stand against the advance of the Napoleonic Army lead by Marechal Massena.

A film that had everything to be extraordinary and perhaps even a striking epic of the Portuguese cinema, with a budget around 5 million Euros, it is revolting that it does not contain a single battle scene, just two brief skirmishes. It follows too many characters none of them of consequence on the grand scheme of the theme portrayed (except Wellington and Massena), so the audience does not empathize with any of them, even with a length time of 151 minutes (2h:31m). I guess all the money went to scenery, costumes and some 'big name' actors that hardly show for a maximum of 5 minutes to quickly disappear and never be seen again. I know that the focus of this movie is on the common folks, their plights and efforts during such a terrible event, but the movie is called "Lines of Wellington", not "Evacuation to Torres Vedras"! Therefore the title is misleading, being more a soap-opera with a thematic backdrop then properly a movie about the title's theme.

So I assumed the plot would revolve around the two most influential personalities related to the event: Massena (Melvil Poupaud) and Wellington (John Malkovich). But Massena hardly has any screen time, and when he does, he rarely talks! He also should have been played by someone at least ten years older, just as the real Massena was during that time. And Wellington, who also should have been played by someone at least twenty years younger like the real Wellington was during that time, just comes out as a pompous ass, which really annoys me: sure he was pompous due to his historical, social and upbringing context, but I doubt he was an ass even more amidst a military campaign as portrayed by Malkovich! And then when comes that scene where he recites the Beef Wellington recipe, I swear I never before in my entire life felt so compelled to punch the screen! There is no proof that the two are related! John Malkovich, you are a nice actor, but I will never forgive you for making an ass out of one of the greatest European heroes, the man who defeated Napoleon Bonaparte! And your hair is ridiculous: Wellington was ahead of his time and already wore it short.

I really have no clue to what was the producers' idea behind this grotesque travesty. Have they made any minimal research? The majority of characters are purely fictional. The acting is just ordinary, except Victoria Guerra that really uplifts the scene when on screen. The soundtrack is nice but nothing epic and a bit monotonous. And don't even tell me about the 'not so' outstanding technical aspects because nowadays it is no hardship to get outstanding settings and costumes for period movies, so that does not count! - I know it should, but I won't.

For those who want to have a true historical perspective of this event and its most outstanding characters, please buy a book on the subject or consult Wikipedia because from this movie you learn nothing. The only payoff is 2 or 3 interesting dialogues and to see Soraia Chaves and Victoria Guerra naked, but not even that is sufficient to save this movie from being on my (short) list of the most hated ones.

Had everything to work...good cast, beautiful landscapes, and a very good story... Unfortunately, there's no movie director in this god forsaken country, that knows what "action"means...to do a movie like this, without any battle scenes, in absurd, at least... So, don't bother... it's very very boring...