PARADISE ROAD (DVD/1997/CRITICS CHOICE) DVD

Paradise Road
Based on the testimony of survivors, this historical drama recounts the WWII heroism of female prisoners of war. (Glenn Close) stars as Adrienne Partiger, a society doyenne who flees Singapore with other expatriate women, mostly the wives of servicemen, when Japanese forces invade in 1942. When their gunboat is sunk in an air attack, the survivors wash ashore on Japanese-held Sumatra. The women are interned in a grim POW camp where punishments for even minor infractions are extreme. With the help of a missionary (Pauline Collins), Partiger corrals the women, including a tough American (Julianna Margulies), an Australian nurse (Cate Blanchett) and a young wife (Jennifer Ehle) into a musical group. Since singing is not allowed, the a cappella chorus dubs itself "a vocal orchestra" and is tolerated -- if barely -- by their Japanese captors. Though living conditions are squalid, food is scarce, and a thin sliver of soap inspires a shower brawl, the music keeps spirits uplifted and a Jewish-German doctor (Frances McDormand) provides some medical aid. Writer-director Bruce Beresford interviewed real-life participants in similar POW musical groups. Some provided, from memory, sheet music of the pieces they performed, which were used in the film. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Cast Glenn Close as Adrienne Pargiter Pauline Collins as Margaret Drummond Cate Blanchett as Susan McCarthy Frances McDormand as Dr. Verstak Julianna Margulies as Topsy Merritt Elizabeth Spriggs as Mrs. Roberts Jennifer Ehle as Rosemary Leighton-Jones

Crew Ian Gracie - Art Director Joseph Middleton - Casting Alison Barrett - Casting Patsy Pollock - Casting Terry Ryan - Costume Designer Colin Fletcher - First Assistant Director Bruce Beresford - Director Tim Wellburn - Editor Andrew Yap - Executive Producer Graham Burke - Executive Producer Ross Edwards - Composer (Music Score) Herbert Pinter - Production Designer Peter James - Cinematographer Gregory Coote - Producer Sue Milliken - Producer Brian Edmonds - Set Designer Brian Cox - Special Effects Gary Wilkins - Sound/Sound Designer David Giles - Screen Story Martin Meader - Screen Story Bruce Beresford - Screenwriter

Paradise Road
(not reviewed)
 

(no awards)

General Specifications: Language Options: English, French Subtitle Options: English, Spanish Sound Processing: DD5.1: Dolby Digital w/ sub-woofer channel DDS: Dolby Digital Surround Additional Features: Anamorphic widescreen [aspect ratio 2.35:1] Audio: English 5.1 Surround, English Dolby Surround, French Dolby Surround Subtitles: English, Spanish Theatrical trailer DVD Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1: Cinemascope MPAA Rating: R DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: 1 Content Length: min   DVD Chapters: Scene Selections 0. Scene Selections 0. Menu Group #1 with 20 chapter(s) covering 01:53:57 1. Singapore, 1942 [5:56] 2. Main Titles. [3:03] 3. Escape from Singapore. [2:07] 4. Sumatra. [3:53] 5. Prisoners. [4:44] 6. Hard Labor. [1:16] 7. The Sick. [7:53] 8. Death Penalty. [2:43] 9. Music Lovers. [1:36] 10. The Younger Girls. [4:19] 11. A Punishment. [3:48] 12. A Celebration. [1:54] 13. A Music Lesson. [3:03] 14. Disrespect. [7:54] 15. A Concert. [1:40] 16. Moving Camp. [:14] 17. Snakes and Grasshoppers. [6:39] 18. Starvation. [5:35] 19. The War is Over. [:48] 20. End Credits. [5:52]