A Town Like Alice [VHS]

A Town Like Alice
Historical Romance, WWII love story. Long (301 min.), I believe this was originally a mimi series, based on the book by Nevil Shute. A chance meeting between a group of British women and two Australian men, all captives of the Japanese, in Malaya, during the war. The movie follows the lives of Jean Paget who believes the kind Australian soldier was tortured to death for an act of kindness towards the women, and Joe Harman who thought the nice lady in the group of British women and children was married. Years pass with them separated by continents when Jean's life circumstances change. She returns to Malaya to build a well for the women of the poor village who showed such kindness towards the British women during the war. By chance she discovers that Joe Harmon survived. About this same time, Joe, a cattle rancher in the Outback of Australia discovers that Jean was not married. Each decides to seek out the other. Eventually they are reunited and then begin the challenge of life in the desolate Outback in an country totally foreign to Jean. Be prepared to need tissues during this emotional, enjoyable saga!

I liked this video
happy ending, characters worth knowing, characters evolve in the story to become great people, overcome compelling situations. Even though there was very little violence and it was like the real history, I prefer Jane Austen story type movies with no violence. However this movie was worth it

A lot of buzzing on the soundtrack
Anyone else have this problem? The tape was sold as new, yet it has a loud buzz on the soundtrack and the video is also noisy, especially at the bottom. We're talking a new tape here, so it is inherent in the production, maybe?

a town like alice
We had a misunderstanding - I think. I bought a video film from someone in America - but it turns out that american videofilms are not compatible with european videoplayers ? So it does't work, I haven't seen it and I cannot really rate the item, then.

Splendid
This is a great movie. It is a long romance between two great characters. Some of the events are improbable but that is not necessarily a disadvantage if needed for the plot. The summary is that a group of English women, from the families of administrators of the local rubber plantations are taken captive by the Japanese and marched to and fro, no Japanese officer wishing to have to do with them(to be fair, they probably didn't have enough to keep their own army going). While they are in distress they meet an Australian POW, Joe Bonnock who helps them because of his attraction to Jeane Paget, one of the Englishwomen, by stealing from the Japanese. He is eventually caught and crucified. After the war, Jeane returns and comes into money. The first thing she does is go to Malaya to thank the villiage that helped her. Here she learns that Joe is still alive and so travels to the Australian Outback to meet Joe. While she is with mixed success becoming used to the local culture, Joe goes to England and meets Jeane's lawyer to find that Jeane has left. After a few weeks stay Joe returns home. Then he meets Jeane and they court in the Outback for several months. Finally they get married and live happily ever after. Much of the plot is trite and melodramatic. But the setting and the attractive and believable characters more then make up for it. Jeane's stuffy but kind lawyer, Noel also deserves mention as a sympathetic character who is attracted to Jeane(despite his age)but nonetheless helps her find Joe. The setting is some of the best parts of the movie. The jungles of Malaya is presented well, as is the Outback. The movie can drag at times-it is 301 minutes. But if you can endure, or if you watch in stages, it will be worth it.