(2012-04-20 03:01:55)

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.

(2012-04-19 15:30:18)

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.

(2012-04-14 04:46:18)

MOST NURSES DON'T 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.

(2012-04-13 16:49:49)

Nuns: forget "Sister Act."

This review is from: Sisters of War (DVD) Nuns have for too long been the subject of humor and stereo-typing as stern and uncaring disciplinarians; the hyperbole stems from images of Catholic School culture (of which I am a product) before the 1960's. Sisters of War is an incredible true narrative about nurses and nuns of a particular order and their lay RN counterparts; they are put in prison camps by the Japanese in WW II and nearly reduced to the level of starving animals; but the spiritual strength and commitment of these women is incredible to watch as they consistently disregard their own personal pain and suffering and tend as best they can to the needs and chronically deteriorating health of each other; it is the Good Samaritan story in overdrive. The interview at the epilogue of one surviving nun who is now in her 80's left me struggling to avoid complaining and carping about the daily annoyances of life. This is a must see.

(2012-04-08 22:40:57)

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

whoozhe

(2012-04-08 16:23:37)

A must see movie

Inspired by real events and based on Rod Miller's manuscript The LostWomen of Rabaul Sisters of War is a telemovie based on the true storyof two Australian women, Lorna Whyte, an army nurse and Sister BereniceTwohill, a Catholic nun from New South Wales who survived as prisonersof war in Papua New Guinea during World War II. The two women remainedfriends for the remainder of their lives. Beautifully filmed with afeel of authenticity. The story of the Rabaul nurses would never havebeen told if it wasn't for an auctioneer who discovered a diary writtenby Grace Kruger, one of four civilian nurses captured by the Japanesein Rabaul in 1942. Apparently the diary was written cryptically as toconfuse the Japanese soldiers and any casual reader and as aconsequence went unnoticed for decades.