A single working mother in Nazi-occupied France, Countess Mary Lindell is an honored member of the red cross. Walking a fine line between nations at war, she maintains a dignified front while working to save British soldiers trapped behind enemy lines. Her first army officer is James Leggatt, a major wounded in a skirmish. Endangering her own life, she works to see him taken into the south of France, where he might easily be transported back to England. Her children, Maurice and Barbe, are divided on the issue. Maurice thinks its a noble occupation, while Barbe is terrified they'll be found out.

After seeing Major Leggatt safely across the border, Mary has no more interest in helping other officers escape... but they flock to her door by way of the American consulate. Unable to turn them away, she conspires a regular route and manages to take hundreds of soldiers to safety. In the meantime, Barbe has been befriended by a young officer of the Third Reight... and the Nazis are beginning to suspect Mary's involvement. After a particularly narrow escape, the line is broken and one of her contacts imprisoned. She's sent Barbe from the house in anger over the girl's infatuation with the enemy, and has now been accused of treason and faces jail time or death. Will good triumph, or will Mary be imprisoned? Is there anything Maurice can do to help? Will the operation fail without its headstrong and determined leader? She is a woman who stands alone against the winds of war to make a difference. But it may cost her everything...

This production by Hallmark won an Emmy for Judy Davis, who plays Mary Lindell exceptionally well. The supporting cast, made up of well known faces and names such as Sam Neill, Anthony Higgins, and Kate Beckinsale, maintain a dignified balance in an emotional ride through war-torn France. Infiltrated with actual footage of Paris, London, and aircraft, it's a beautiful history lesson and engaging story rolled into one. For the most part, the quality of the production is exceptional and has a swift but informative pace.

The nature of the thematic elements and violence make it a film for older viewers only. We get many a glimpse of the cruelty of the German army as they abuse prisoners, beat up one of the main characters, and shoot down fleeing British officers heartlessly. Men are often shot and killed, with some bloody results. A young man is tied to a chair and hit on the head numerous times with a wooden club. French peasants open fire on a German car, shattering the windows and riddling the bodies inside with bullets. There is some language, mainly 'hell' and a few abuses of deity. The element of romance to the piece is kept light, although viewers are reminded that Mary is only separated from her husband, not divorced. Leggatt tries to kiss her once, but it never pushes further than that, since she pulls away. There's some mild innuendo (she tells him after nursing him back to health that he's not the first 'naked officer' she's seen).

It's not a film I would watch on a regular basis, merely because it doesn't appeal to my sense of romantic tension. But One Against the Wind is one of Hallmark's finer films, and for any history buff or lover of WWII-era stories, it's a must-see.