24 May 2012

Sisters of War

This review is from: Sisters of War (DVD) Sisters of War is about a group of Australian Nurses and a small Catholic Mission in Vunapope. The Japanese landed, moved inland and the Australian soldiers barely escaped. The Military Doctors left the Nurses to fend for themselves, believing they should support the soldiers. The nurses and Catholic nuns took care of the wounded, and were terrified when the Japanese arrived. They became prisoners of War, with limited food and little medicine. Lorna Whyte one of the nurses became friends with Sister Berenice Twohill. They suffered trauma, death, starvation throughout the war. The Nurses were finally moved to Japan and nearly starved to death before they were rescued. In 1952 Lorna and Sister Berenice met again and remained friends the rest of their lives. This movie is based on actual facts and characters. The movie is well done and I would highly recommend it to all individuals who are interested in this time period and history.

24 May 2012

Sisters of War

This review is from: Sisters of War (DVD) I liked this movie. It was quite accurate with what I expected from a World War II genre with Japan and our allies. The pace of the movie was good and the cast was above average in their performances. I would recommend this movie for anyone interested in old WW II movies.

23 May 2012

Tear-jerker for even the studliest among us.

Judge David Johnson, DVD Verdict-- Sisters of War is based on a true story, and it's a story worth telling. I hadn't the faintest idea about what Australian nurses and nuns were up to during World War II, so a little history lesson is always appreciated. Mix that with the fact that this is a genuinely interesting human interest story--told well and executed nicely--and you've got yourself a modest gem.A TV movie originally, Sisters of War sports a top-line production design; I didn't realize it was a TV movie until looking it up on IMDb. Most of the film takes place on location and there are a handful of cinematic moments, including an intense scene featuring a bombing run. Either the filmmakers are skilled at masking a low budget or there was a nice chunk of change to work with.Which would of course mean bupkus if the story was wobbly. Not the case.-Full review at dvdverdict.com

22 May 2012

MOST NURSES DONT CHARGE BY THE HOUR

This is a made for Australian TV movie. During WWII Australia is fighting the Japanese. They are on an island in New Guinea. When a ship lands, they think it is the Americans come to rescue them only to find it is the Japanese. The Australian soldiers flee to the jungle leaving behind the hospital and nurses and nuns to the "mercy" of the Japanese. The bishop manages to save their lives by claiming they are Nazis loyal to Hitler. The hospital suffers hardships. Australian soldiers are captured and tortured. One of the Japanese soldiers form bonds with a nun and break the stereotypes. The bishop, who saved them is suspected of being a traitor. Tradition religious beliefs are questioned during the hardships of war. The nurses work to save people they would rather see die. The Americans have no misgivings about bombing what they think is an enemy hospital. The movie makes you feel the sad realities of war without constantly showing you the horrors of war. And like real life, there are some moments of humor and gladness. The Japanese captain, who had initially ordered the death of everyone shows he is more than a one-sided stereotyped figure we see in so many WWII films. Sarah Snook gives us an Academy performance as Nurse Lorna Whyte. She sees things as black and white, good and evil. She excuses the Americans for their deeds. She is friends with a nun excellently portrayed by Claire van der Boom. Claire likewise has a black and white code, but one that is solidly different from Lorna's. Excellent acting. Excellent drama. No f-bombs, nudity, or sex. There are minimal scenes of violence to women.

21 May 2012

Australian Actors-great

This review is from: Sisters of War (DVD) I loved this movie as did my boss I loaned it to. We both order a lot of British movies and serials. This is about Australian Nurses, Doctors and military personnel that end up in prison camps. Very good.

20 May 2012

Australian Nurses, Nuns and the Imperial Japanese Army in WW II

This tells a part of the story of World War II that is all but ignored, let alone forgotten. It is of the Australian rapid withdrawal from New Guinea. A contingent of soldiers who are mostly wounded with their doctors and nurses are retreating to a Catholic mission at Rabual. When they get there, the mission Sisters take them in and share everything with them.They think the Americans are on their way to rescue them as this is 1942 and events at Pearl `Harbor' has brought the Americans into the War with a taste for vengeance. One nurse Lorna Wyhte (Sarah Snook) befriends one of the sisters, a sister Berenice (Claire van der Boom). They learn from and with each other and to face the horrors of trying to deal with the injured men and the lack of basic victuals and medicine. Then they see boats landing in the lagoon and sing praise for their rescue by the Americans, only these boys aint Yanks. Their doctors say it's every man for himself and bravely run away. The few soldiers that are left go into the jungle to carry on the fight. The women do not know what to do and as one says `Their God isn't white, he doesn't play cricket and he won't give a hoot what happens to you'. The whole mission is soon turned into a prison camp. There is a big however, and it is not a plot spoiler, in that the Bishop of the mission is a German and therefore under the direct protection of the Fuhrer; this prevents the Japanese doing the normal slaughter.What then develop is the stories of both the friends and how they try to get through captivity and the rest of the war. This is a beautifully shot film, it is well directed (Brendan Maher)and very well acted. It does not glorify or over vilify either side - there is good and bad etc. The only really ambiguous character is Bishop Scharmack (Gerald Lepkowski) who you are never really clear about. This lasts for 105 mins and you will think it a lot shorter, there is many a tug at the emotional heart strings and made even more moving when you know this is based on a true story. I thoroughly enjoyed this, but it is not an action war film, no battles a few bombs dropped, it is really a story of courage, friendship and survival. It is good to see another great Australian film in this vain to go with the likes of `Beneath Hill 60'Beneath Hill 60, Kokoda Kokodaand more recently `Balibo'Balibo ( The Balibo Conspiracy ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.4 Import - Australia ]. If you like offbeat historical war stories, you will want to see this, if you are looking for action, then this may not be for you, but I would urge you to give it a chance.