The backdrop is the turbulent end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th in France. Right wing Catholics conspire against the Government and try to undermine secular education by attracting children to their own schools. The Government retaliates by banning even the mention of religion in secular education, closing Catholic schools and even collecting secret files on the religious orientation of army officers (l'affaire des fiches). At the same time, anti-Semitism is present in both factions; Captain Dreyfus, imprisoned in Devil's Island on trumped up espionage charges is granted a second trial, again found guilty against overwhelming evidence but pardoned without acknowledgement of his innocence.
The scenario for this TV movie is the city of Limoges and environs. The characters are Marie, a schoolteacher in favor of secular education but tolerant of religion, her love interest Julien, whose views are more extreme and Pierre, her brother, a religious fanatic. Sophie Quinton plays Marie to perfection supported by her considerable charisma. Sagamore Stévenin (Julien) and Julien Peyrac (Pierre) do excellent jobs too, although they are assigned some overly melodramatic lines at the end. The rest of the cast is at the same level, and the reconstruction of time and place is flawless. The original title "1905" (that refers to an education law passed that year) has been absurdly translated in the streaming services to "The Winds of Passion," which invites confusion with a 2000 movie with almost the same title.
I liked this direct and unpretentious movie. Perhaps it is a little simple-minded here and there, but the positives outweigh the negatives. It grabs your attention from beginning to end, and puts forward some commendable ideas. Highly recommended.
