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graexx
Reviews
Mail Order Bride (1984)
When human decency confronts inherent human prejudices
You might think this intriguing story to be mostly about a man's narrow view of women/wives, and also about an impoverished woman sacrificing to help her family survive. I think they exist, but there is so much more than them.
I think the viewer will find, at a minimum, the following, more important, and very common themes, if they think deeper: 1. a man looking for the warmth his own community couldn't provide 2. a woman trying to fulfill her unconscious desire to make the world a better place through love 3. emotionally cold people lashing out at minority groups in a fruitless attempt to cure their anger at their own cold communities/families.
It's a reminder that most, if not all, of a person's emotional problems are only cured by "fixing" themselves, and that, sadly, through frustration, most people slip into shortcuts, such as alcohol, blaming others and anger instead.
The writer had a lot of insight about life, and also about 1980's Australia in my opinion.
About the actual plot - I think both main characters were doing the right thing and I think so much good would come from their union - if they could eventually transcend his and society's prejudices.
One criticism - why did it finish abruptly - it would have been great to have seen the movie end with, say, them settling in their new community and eventually overcoming the trials to live happily and peacefully.