Cliffs of Freedom (2019) Movie Review

Cliffs of Freedom – ABC Film Challenge – 2010s Movies – C – Cliffs of Freedom – Movie Review

Director: Van Ling

Writer: Van Ling, Marianne Metropoulos, Kevin Bernhardt (Screenplay)

Cast

Tania Raymonde (Deep Blue Sea 3)
Jay Uddin (Lies We Tell)
Raza Jaffrey (The Rhythm Section)
Patti LuPone (Witness)
Christopher Plummer (Knives Out)

Plot: Inspired by historical events, CLIFFS OF FREEDOM is a timeless and romantic story of bravery and faith between a Greek village girl and a Turkish Ottoman Colonel during the dawn of the Greek War for Independence.

Runtime: 2 Hours 17 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Cliffs of Freedom starts in 1821 during the first year of the Greek War for independence. They are fighting back against the Ottoman Empire and Anna-Christina’s (Raymonde) family becomes the center of an investigation. She gets close to a Turkish Colonel Tariq (Uddin) who finds himself conflicted about the war.

After Anna-Christina’s family is butchered by an assassin, it leads her to join the rebellion. As the war intensifies, she becomes an icon in the fight, leading to the change happening in the movie.

Verdict on Cliffs of Freedom

Cliffs of Freedom is a drama exploring the rebellion against the Ottoman Empire in Greece around 1821. It follows one woman that stands up against the tyrant’s reign and leads the rebellion for their freedom.

While the story behind the conflict is important, the way this version of events happens feels slow. It doesn’t make us feel like we are thrown into the same environment, leaving us feeling more like we are watching a stage play of events. Add in the idea that we are seeing conversations that feel like they have been ripped straight out of Game of Thrones. This movie ends up feeling a lot flatter than it should be.

Final Thoughts – Cliffs of Freedom is a flat movie about an important figure that defined a war.