We should be grateful to Rod miller for many years of his inexhaustible endeavor in gathering up documentary information regarding these lost women of Rebaul. Had it not been for him we would not have heard about the fate of these nuns and nurses who were inhumanely brutalized and murdered by Japanese soldiers in WWII. The whole world must have been lucky when Japan lost the war, otherwise a terrible fate would have fallen on all of us.I did read a lot of documentary articles regarding these these nuns and nurses and the movie mostly keeps in line somehow with the real events. In different parts of movie, correct reference is made to real events and the demise of people involved with Japanese. Another side effect of this movie was about this very important matter that the fate people is not in the hands of almighty God ,as is believed , but merely subject to chances and circumstances.Bishop Scharmack saved the lives of all those nuns,nurses and wounded soldiers from a Japanese execution threat but then the same wounded soldiers lost their lives at sea when their ship was torpedoed by American Navy. God even did not save his mission from airplane bombardments ! The movie was well organized in terms of successive occurrences of events and Claire Van Der Boom and Sara Snook played their roles beautifully. There was also a clash of religious beliefs between Claire and Sara , one, Claire, believing in the cycle of their daily events as a Godly-destined manifestation and other, Sara, looking at them as haphazard series of events not being destined by any supernatural control. Who won ? I think Sara(Lorna) did.
10 Reviews
A good portrait of people tested by the hell of war
PeterM2718 December 2021
This is an interesting, although somewhat harrowing, look at a group of Australians put under extraordinary pressure by their experiences in wartime.
Based on a true story, the film looks at two young Australian women, Lorna Whyte, one of a group of about a dozen nurses left behind when the Australian army withdrew in the face of the Japanese advance, and Sister Bernice, a Catholic nun at a German mission on the island. Like most films about Japanese prison camps, there are distressing scenes of cruelty and brutality, but most of the Japanese soldiers behave professionally most of the time, and some are even shown to behave more humanely.
Snook is very good as Lorna, and won the AFI Award for Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama, while van der Bloom won the Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Actress. Overall, this is a moving account of the extreme events of the war, and you can't help but be filled with admiration for what these women went through.
Based on a true story, the film looks at two young Australian women, Lorna Whyte, one of a group of about a dozen nurses left behind when the Australian army withdrew in the face of the Japanese advance, and Sister Bernice, a Catholic nun at a German mission on the island. Like most films about Japanese prison camps, there are distressing scenes of cruelty and brutality, but most of the Japanese soldiers behave professionally most of the time, and some are even shown to behave more humanely.
Snook is very good as Lorna, and won the AFI Award for Best Lead Actress in a Television Drama, while van der Bloom won the Silver Logie for Most Outstanding Actress. Overall, this is a moving account of the extreme events of the war, and you can't help but be filled with admiration for what these women went through.
A must see movie
whoozhe13 December 2011
Inspired by real events and based on Rod Miller's manuscript The Lost Women of Rabaul Sisters of War is a telemovie based on the true story of two Australian women, Lorna Whyte, an army nurse and Sister Berenice Twohill, a Catholic nun from New South Wales who survived as prisoners of war in Papua New Guinea during World War II. The two women remained friends for the remainder of their lives. Beautifully filmed with a feel of authenticity. The story of the Rabaul nurses would never have been told if it wasn't for an auctioneer who discovered a diary written by Grace Kruger, one of four civilian nurses captured by the Japanese in Rabaul in 1942. Apparently the diary was written cryptically as to confuse the Japanese soldiers and any casual reader and as a consequence went unnoticed for decades.
True Story - Amazing & Heartwrenching
bathompson-6374830 May 2021
As it is Memorial Day Weekend, I chose to watch this movie. It's Australian, and the actors are very real in their roles. We don't often think about this area; usually, it is Europe. They went through hell and these nurses and nuns were so brave. I don't want to give anyway away but please watch to the end of the movie - very interesting facts of what they went through. Remembering those who fought and fell in this horrible WWII.
Underrated Movie
Freedom0602869 May 2017
The movie is carefully written and historically accurate. It's a realistic portrayal of the suffering on both sides during the Pacific War.
Some fine performances in this one from Claire van der Boom and Sarah Snook - I hope to see these talented women in future films.
It's sad that relatively few people have seen this excellent movie, while so many more have watched garbage like the "Resident Evil" series.
Some fine performances in this one from Claire van der Boom and Sarah Snook - I hope to see these talented women in future films.
It's sad that relatively few people have seen this excellent movie, while so many more have watched garbage like the "Resident Evil" series.
myopic and misleading
pquig5023 August 2020
Australia ,as part of the UK,was very active in fighting and bombing in Europe and the Pacific.
This film portrays a lot of goody ,goody little sitting ducks by focusing on one tiny part of the effort.
Australia desperately needed the Allies.
MOST NURSES DON'T CHARGE BY THE HOUR
nogodnomasters2 June 2019
Warning: Spoilers
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.
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.
Excellent movie...
glennsmith-3434117 April 2019
Dramatic story
rosalina-7562031 July 2021
Warning: Spoilers
It was an intense story of two different women's views and attitudes and reactions during a very dangerous and stressful time in their lives as POWs after being confined in a camp as prisoners. Their faith and courage was really tested, especially the nuns. Based on a true unknown story and the two women survived and were lifelong friends. I recommend it.
Ambiguous filming location
hossein-dashtaki26 May 2014
I have already put my view about this movie some time ago but somehow I became interested to find out the real location where filming took place. It is said that filming location was at Mt. Tamborine in Gold Coast of Queensland but where exactly no one knows. I say no one knows because I found the facebook address of more than dozen of those people who played in this movie and sent them messages asking them where the exact location was. Only two people responded who said it was around Mt. tamborine. When I asked them where exactly or if they could pinpoint the location they both dodged away and did not respond.Something fishy about this matter ? The problem is here if you have watched the movie at least twice : The small harbor where Japs' navy ships are seen to be sending their soldiers to invade the missionary compound is not near Mt. Tamborine at all. You can not see a small lake or harbor anywhere near Mt. Tamborine where navy ships were seen in the movie.Even this small harbor--which seems to be a part of an ocean nearby-- is not near Gold Coast area. So where is that harbor ? Somewhere in Japan or Rebaul ? Anybody can comment ?
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