Paradise Road (1997)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Bruce Beresford

Writers:

David Giles (story) and
Martin Meader (story) ...

Release Date:

11 April 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Plot:

Fact-based recounting of a group of women who are imprisoned on the island of Sumatra by the Japanese during World War II and used music as a relief to their misery.

Plot Keywords:

Japanese | Singapore | Island | Prison | Sumatra

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Glenn Close	...	Adrienne Pargiter
Frances McDormand	...	Dr. Verstak
Pauline Collins	...	Daisy 'Margaret' Drummond
Cate Blanchett	...	Susan Macarthy
Jennifer Ehle	...	Rosemary Leighton-Jones
Julianna Margulies	...	Topsy Merritt
Wendy Hughes	...	Mrs. Dickson
Johanna ter Steege	...	Sister Wilhelminia (as Johanna Ter Steege)
Elizabeth Spriggs	...	Mrs. Roberts
Pamela Rabe	...	Mrs. Tippler
Clyde Kusatsu	...	Sergeant Tomiashi, 'The Snake'
Stan Egi	...	Captain Tanaka
David Chung	...	The Interpreter
Sab Shimono	...	Colonel Hirota
Penne Hackforth-Jones	...	Mrs. Pike

MPAA:

Rated R for prisoner of war brutality and violence.

Runtime:

122 min | 114 min (FMC Library Print)

Country:

Australia | USA

Language:

English | Japanese | Dutch | Malay

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Iceland:12 | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | Netherlands:12 | South Korea:18 | Philippines:R-18 | Argentina:16 | Chile:18 | Germany:12 (w) | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Marrickville Town Hall, Marrickville, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Company:

Village Roadshow Pictures

Goofs:

Factual errors: An early night scene of the women swimming ashore (set in the week after 10 February 1942) shows the full moon. The moon was between last quarter and new moon that week.

Quotes:

Margaret Drummond: I just can't bring myself to hate people. The worse they behave, the sorrier I feel for them.

Movie Connections:

References Three Came Home (1950)

Soundtrack:

Mad About the Boy

Moving moments - Put yourself in their place.

A little slow to start, but the plot picks up early in the film, and leaves you thinking about "What would you do in their position?" - not just the women internees, but also the Japanese Soldiers involved at the time. All are involved with their own emotions, as controlled from 'authorities' above them.

Based on a true event, you can watch this film and empathise with all of the characters (both 'Goodies' and 'Baddies'). You'll be left thinking very hard about the persons who 'did it' for real.

In the middle of the film, when the Vocal Orchestra perform Dvorak's "New World Symphony" without instruments, and at the end of the film, "Londonerry Air" (Oh Danny Boy), a box of tissues may be required accessories.