No, or the Vain Glory of Command (1990)

Original title

Non, ou a Vã Glória de Mandar

Directed by

Manoel de Oliveira

Genre

drama film, war film, historical film

Country

France, Portugal, Spain

Runtime

1h 50m

Rated

M/12

Rating

6.4 of 10 from 27 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A Portuguese lieutenant marches through Africa during the colonial war, telling his comrades about historic Portuguese military defeats. As they face surprise attacks from guerrillas, the soldiers fall into conversations about war and futility.

meditativesomberphilosophicaldiscursiveslow-pacedwartimereflectivegrim

What happens

No, or the Vain Glory of Command (Portuguese: Non, ou a Vã Glória de Mandar) is a 1990 Portuguese film directed by Manoel de Oliveira. Starring Luís Miguel Cintra and Miguel Guilherme, the film portrays a series of defeats in Portuguese military history—such as the assassination of Viriathus, the Battle of Toro, the failed attempt at Iberian Union under Afonso of Portugal and Isabella of Spain, and the Battle of Alcácer Quibir. Additionally, it includes the episode of the Island of Love from The Lusiads. These events are recounted through flashbacks as a Portuguese lieutenant, stationed in an African territory during the Portuguese Colonial War (1961–74), narrates them while marching in 1974. He effortlessly draws his comrades into philosophical discussions, even as their small contingent endures surprise attacks from independence guerrillas. The film was screened out of competition at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

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