Flickering Myth

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TIFF Movie Review – Lines of Wellington (2012)

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Lines of Wellington, 2012.

Directed by Valeria Sarmiento.

Starring Nuno Lopes, Soraia Chaves, Marisa Paredes, John Malkovich, Carloto Cotta, Marcello Urgeghe, Victória Guerra, Jemima West, José Afonso Pimentel and Miguel Borges.


SYNOPSIS:

Napoleon Bonaparte invades Portugal in 1810 where he encounters resistance from the Anglo-Portuguese army led by General Wellington.

After defeating the French troops in the Serra do Buçaco, the Anglo-Portuguese army retreats to the fortified lines Torres Vendras to prepare for the next onslaught by their common enemy. While this is taking place a Portuguese Sergeant feels guilty for his act of kindness killing a British soldier and leaving his wife a widow. A Portuguese Lieutenant who is left behind in a hospital must escape as it is overtaken by the French makes his way back to his regiment with the aid of a group of deserters. General Wellington is determined to have a commissioned painting made which reimagines the war as one without British corpses.

The production is vast in scope and well designed to create an authentic atmosphere for 19th century Portugal; however, the pace trudges along like the battle-weary troops marching on to the next fight. The acting feels staged and to make matters worse John Malkovich plays the title character as a caricature. There are ample naked breasts on display along with bloody dead bodies making war look both sexy and brutal. There are multiple storylines that intersect and the final battle which seems the French leave with a whimper rather than with a bang.

Perhaps Lines of Wellington is best seen on television where it originated in a longer version which ran over three hours; the extra footage may fill in the various plotlines. What it will not change is lack of ability to emotionally feel empathy for the various characters populating the scenery. The tale of the Portuguese invasion of the French has lots of cinematic potential but it never seems to spark into something fascinating. It is a major disappointment for me as I tend to enjoy historical war pictures. My best suggestion is to catch the picture in its expanded form on the small screen.

Flickering Myth Rating: Film ★ / Movie ★

Trevor Hogg

Originally published September 9, 2012. Updated April 14, 2018.

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