`One Against The `Wind' Is Spellbinding

"One Against the Wind," "Hallmark Hall of Fame," 9 p.m. Sunday, KIRO-TV. --------------------------------------------------------------- This week's emphasis upon the 50th anniversary of Pearl Harbor has put World War II in the spotlight and "One Against the Wind," the "Hallmark Hall of Fame" production CBS airs at 9 p.m. Sunday, could scarcely be more appropriate.

It's a true story about an Englishwoman, living in France, who operated a successful escape route for Allied airmen shot downed over Nazi-occupied France - while at the same time it is highly reminiscent of the movies about such heroic individuals, both fictional and real, that were regular fare for moviegoers during World War II.

Mary Lindell is the heroine's name - she lived to be 92 - and actress Judy Davis makes her a fascinating woman. Although English-born, she was living in France in the 1930s ( the movie is rather vague about all of this, in addition to the whereabouts of Mr. Lindell), and when "One Against the Wind" opens we meet Mary, a countess with a beautiful home and a goodly amount of money, at a sidewalk cafe. She spots a downed English airman before the Nazis and creates a scene that allows Mary's son, Maurice, to spirit the airman away to safety.

It's the beginning of the work that occupied Mary until peace came in 1945, dangerous work that resulted in her spending time in solitary confinement in prison, being shot when she jumped from a moving train, and eventually being sent to a concentration camp.

In addition to chronicling the noble efforts of this woman, "One Against the Wind" has been turned into a crackerjack suspense movie, with all of the trappings of those old wartime movies - dangerous Nazi officers, dogs, SS men patrolling borders, split-second escapes and so many people involved in undercover activities it's difficult to know whom to trust.

Davis, best known for "My Brilliant Career," can also be seen in "Barton Fink" and is outstanding as the outspoken and energetic Mary. Under Larry Elikann's direction, her performance is matched by Christien Anholt as her son, Maurice; Kate Beckinsale as Mary's daughter, Barbe, who made the mistake of falling in love with a Nazi officer; Denholm Elliott as a priest involved in the underground, and Anthony Higgins as Gruber, a dangerous Nazi.

Sam Neill portrays the first downed British airman. Although he receives second billing, his role is actually a small one, since he returns to England early in the film and the one weakness in Chris Bryant's script is that he keeps trying to bring Neill's character back into the film and to suggest a romantic liaison between him and Mary. Mary's wartime activities are so much more interesting than a conventional affair, that that aspect of the film feels tacked on. --------------------------------------------------------------- Don't miss this ---------------- "Medusa: Dare to Be Truthful," 10 p.m. Sunday, Showtime/cable.

Winner of the year's funniest, most wicked comedy has to be "Medusa," an hour-long parody of Madonna every bit as hilarious and on-target as was "The Ruttles" when it took on The Beatles.

The success is mainly due to MTV's Julie Brown, who has been around those Madonna music videos long enough to be able to ape her every movement, every gesture. Add to that a knife-sharp script, by Brown and Charlie Coffey, that pillories the rock scene and you have "Dare to be Truthful," which leaves not a single aspect of Madonna's public or private life untouched.

Segments include Medusa's troubles with her former actor-husband, named Shane Pencil; a great scene where she decides she's going to do serious theater, like "Romeo and Juliet," until she discovers Shakespeare is dead. And there are long segments of Medusa's fabulous world tour which gives Brown and a smarty-pants supporting company a chance to do such numbers as "Expose Yourself," "Like a Video," "Everybody Be Excited" and "Party in My Pants/Vague."

Brown's language, as Medusa, is every bit as frank as is Madonna's - it has to be if this is going to work - so the easily-offended might steer clear. But for the millions and millions of others who have been a party to the creation of the Madonna legend, "Medusa: Dare to be Truthful" is just about perfect and sure to be a classic. Don't miss it! --------------------------------------------------------------- Excellent casting "Fatal Friendship," NBC Sunday Night Movie, 9 p.m., KING-TV.

The casting is perfect - Kevin Dobson and Gerald McRaney - in this attempted thriller that asks the question: What would you do if you suddenly discovered your best buddy was secretly involved in dangerous skulduggery?

Unfortunately, the film doesn't have much of an answer. The movie more or less ends without explaining anything, which is frustrating because it has so carefully laid the earlier scenes as Dobson discovers McRaney may be somehow involved in gangland killings. He wants to know why - and so do we - but the film ends enigmatically, Phooey.