MovieChat Forums > Bangkok Hilton (1991) Discussion > one of the best stories ever told on fil...

one of the best stories ever told on film

posted 14 years ago by Jacovitti86
5 replies | jump to latest

I have seen MANY movies, including ones that are considered all-time classics. And I believe Bangkok Hilton is one of the best I've ever seen. Sure, visually or style-wise it's not particularly memorable, but the performances and story are so amazing that they completely make up for that. It doesn't hurt that it features some terrific actors, some of whom were already established names (Elliott) and others who would become stars later on (Kidman, Weaving).

The emotional power of certain scenes is something I've rarely seen equalled in theatrical releases. This is such a great story that if it had been shot with the same cast but with a more well-known director and trimmed down to around 3 hours (especially the first hour or so which is pretty uneventful and too drawn out), and released in theaters, it would be considered a classic and be high up in the imdb top 250.

[–] karensastar73 14 years ago

I loved this mini series iv got the box set and watched it 3 times so far only thing i don't like is the first 30 minutes a bit slow i though .

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[–] CCRider01 13 years ago

Yep, editing the first hour down to 30 minutes and cutting out a few scenes, plus shooting the whole thing in wide screen, this film could have been a big box office hit. The story and acting is fantastic and it certainly would be of interest to fans of the "locked Up Abroad" TV series.

[–] aishahbowron 11 years ago

You are right !. This is one of the best movies I've seen. Professional storytelling and acting as well !.

[–] jillsand-1 10 years ago

I disagree with you. I think it was important to create a storyline in Australia prior to the events that took place overseas so that it would be more understandable why she went to great lengths to find her father. Also, having it as a TV mini-series at the time was good because more people got the chance to see it.

[–] Pierre_Christen 8 years ago

I loved it! What I like the most is the actors' play, and also the deep 1980s atmosphere in each and every aspect. 2 years later, the world would never be the same after the war in Kuwait. Then 2 years later www was launched in Geneva (I was there). This film was made just before all these worries, so I can't help but feel nostalgic about this.