No, or the Vain Glory of Command

No, or the Vain Glory of Command (Portuguese: Non, ou a Vã Gloria de Mandar) is a 1990 Portuguese film directed by Manoel de Oliveira. The film, starring Luís Miguel Cintra and Miguel Guilherme, depicts a series of defeats from the entire military history of Portugal – the assassination of Viriathus, the Battle of Toro, the failed attempt of Iberian Union under Afonso of Portugal and Isabella of Spain and the Battle of Alcácer Quibir – and the Lusiads episode of the Island of love, which are told through flashbacks as a professorish Portuguese soldier recounts them while marching through a Portuguese African overseas territory in 1973, during the Portuguese Colonial War (1961–74). He easily draws his comrades into philosophical musings, while the little contingent suffers surprise attacks by groups of independentist guerrillas.

It was screened out of competition at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival.

Cast

Luís Miguel Cintra – Ens. Cabrita, Viriato, Dom João of Portugal

Diogo Dória – Soldier Manuel, Lusitanian warrior, Dom João's cousin

Miguel Guilherme – Soldier Salvador, Lusitanian warrior, Alcácer warrior

Luís Lucas – Cpl. Brito, Lusitanian warrior, Alcácer nobleman

Carlos Gomes – Soldier Pedro, Alcácer warrior

António S. Lopes – Soldier, Lusitanian warrior, Alcácer warrior

Mateus Lorena – Dom Sebastião

Lola Forner – Princess Dona Isabel

Raúl Fraire – Dom Afonso

Ruy de Carvalho – Preacher at funeral, Suicidal warrior (as Rui de Carvalho)

Teresa Menezes – Venus (as Teresa Meneses)

Leonor Silveira – Tethys

Paulo Matos – Radio operator, Vasco da Gama, Camões

Francisco Baião – Prince Dom João

Luís Mascarenhas – Dom Afonso V

Duarte de Almeida – Baron of Alvito