Sisters of War

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.

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.

An Australian made for TV film based on the wartime friendship between a nun and army nurse on an island east of New Guinea. This was a German colony before WW1, which explains the German bishop in the mission. In Australian culture, the opening newsreel is self-depreciating highlighting naivety when a small garrison was sent to hold the position against the onslaught of Imperial Japan. The film follows the growing respect and relationship between the two women who confront violent events and respond differently. The accents are quite thick with many older Australian slang words that will make it difficult to understand. Although this is not a war action film, episodes of brutality and friendly fire incidents occur and may upset sensitive viewers. From the women's perspective, they see suffering on both sides which changes their outlook. This suffering, however, is depicted softer than would've been portrayed in a cinema released film. The scenery, especially in the jungle location is realistic. The acting ranges from adequate to good. It's worthwhile to those who watch it realising its limitations and what kind of film it is. Stay to the end for images of the real people and a little of their history.

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.

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.