I've never seen a women-in-a-Japanese-concentration-camp film before, so, unlike the writers of some other comments, I think Paradise Road is a mighty fine film. I couldn't guess what was about to happen, although I could guess the ending pretty well (in a prisoner camp film, who can't?). But I was never sure who would survive and who would die. About the characters: I've never really cared for Glenn Close in films before, but this is the best I've ever seen her act. I didn't really like her character, but the actress can't be blamed for that. The actress who played the German doctor obviously had the hardest part, but her performance was marvelous, to the point that it didn't seem like a performance: she was believable. She was probably my favorite character. The other characters were also interesting, and all were well-acted, particularly the part of the Japanese interpreter. I sensed a dig against me and my fellow Americans in the characters of the American women, but that's to be expected and it wasn't as bad as in other films I've seen. About the music: the music was fantastic. Dvorak's New World Symphony and Ravel's Bolero are two of the most beautiful classical compositions ever. Since the scores used in the film were the same ones the original ladies used, it's not hard to hear why the original Japanese guards might've been charmed to listen, and why this film was made about it! After hearing the pieces in Paradise Road, I feel that vocal orchestra ought to be an art practiced wherever there are voices to sing. As everyone else seems to feel, this movie isn't a dazzling, artistic drama breaking new ground in the world of film. But it is a good movie worth watching.
Review of Paradise Road
