Based on Neville Shute's book, it is a story that encompasses four cultures and the struggles within those cultures and of a love that endures despite many hardships and time and distance.
Bryan Brown and Helen Morse are captivating in their roles as Joe Harmon and Jean Paget, two people who meet in the trying circumstances of war and are separated by fate but reunite again only to endure the hardships of the outback of Australia.
Beautiful scenery and wonderful acting make this a must see movie. Although long, it is a don't miss movie.
Helen Morse' character, Jean, is a refreshing and welcome depiction of a strong woman. The first leg of this saga takes place in Malaya during WWII. Jean and a group of English women and children are forced by the Japanese army to walk for two years in search of a camp for women prisoners of war. The highlights of the movie are Jean's adaptability and the meeting of the English, Japanese and Malayan cultures.
Once Jean arrives in Australia, the tone of the movie changes a bit more than it should. The pace becomes tedious. Each time I watch it I feel the time in Australia should be just as compelling as the time spent in Malaya. However, I do watch it, again and again.
