 List Price: $14.98
Lowest Price: $6.22 
Description: All her life Englishwoman Gladys Aylward knew that China was the place where she belonged. Not qualified to be sent there as a missionary, Gladys works as a domestic to earn the money to send herself to a poor, remote village. There she eventually lives a full and happy life: running the inn, acting as "foot inspector", advising the local Mandarin and even winning the heart of mixed race Captain Lin Nan. But Gladys discovers her real destiny when the country is invaded by Japan and the Chinese children need her to save their lives. Based on a true story. Amazon.com essential video: An epic and extraordinary true story--or, at least, an extraordinary story based on a novel (Alan Burgess's The Small Woman) based on a true story. Gladys Aylward (an improbably mesmerizing Ingrid Bergman) is a British would-be missionary with an obsession about China. As she has no experience, the Missionary Society won't let her go, but she goes anyway, alone, to a remote northern province. She is hated, then loved; finally she becomes both a significant political figure and the heroine of a miraculous escape in which she shepherds 100 children to safety across the mountains just ahead of a Japanese invasion. Curt Jurgens is suitably stony as Lin Nan, the half-Dutch, half-Chinese military officer who falls in love with her, and a visibly ailing Robert Donat (who died before this, his final film, was released) is the wily local mandarin who sees and makes use of her extraordinary abilities. Directed by Mark Robson, The Inn of the Sixth Happiness is a sweeping, stirring tearjerker, a big tale told in a big landscape with acres of orchestrated strings by Malcolm Arnold. A beautiful and beautifully made film that's a classic of the "everyone said I couldn't but I did it anyway" genre. --Richard Farr Customer Reviews: Rating: 
Date: 2008-07-07
Hard life in China
This book is about saving children from the ravages of a hard life in China. It demonstrates the persistence of one women and the children's trust in her. This missionary, played by Ingrid Bergman, faced many hardships yet she kept her goal in mind - helping orphaned Chinese children. Rating:
Date: 2008-06-22
The real New Testament faith in action.
If you decide to watch this, keep a hanky handy. Though the movie has been Hollywood-ed somewhat from the original story, it is still pretty true, and very inspiring to say the least, even humbling. How many of us come close to Gladys Aylward's love and faith in action? Ingrid Bergman was fantastic every minute. (I heard that she later commented she did not feel worthy to play the part.) The children are adorable and there is never a dull minute. The only reason I didn't give four stars is because I really wish they had left in one true event - but again, for Hollywood it was wonderful overall. The event they left out is where Gladys and her 100 orphans were making their dangerous trek over the mountain and encountered an impassable river. The movie shows them solving their dilemmna with a rope strung from one side of the river to the other, for the children to cling to. What actually happened is that some of the children reminded the missionary that nothing was impossible with our Heavenly Father. So they prayed for a way to get across the river. And like Paul and Silas in chains, they sang to Him. A Chinese boat captain heard them singing and came to investigate, then got them across on his boat. Rating: 
Date: 2008-05-25
Expecting an inspirational film, instead got a B comedy
This movie allegedly takes place in China, but all of the main actors are whites pretending to be Chinese. The zillions of extras are "Asians" of all sorts (e.g. Chinese, Korean, Japanese, etc., because, after all, "they" all look the same to a white audience) who run around subserviently speaking bad English. The most I could say for this movie is that it provides deep belly laughs because it seems like a perverse parody. "Surely," you'll keep asking yourself, "they can't be serious!"
If there's anyone who can keep a straight face when this Complete White Man (who's supposed to be half Chinese/half white, as if the audience wouldn't notice the difference) asks Ingrid Bergman: "Would you be insulted to be loved by a man of a different race?" I tip my hat to them for being either blind or mentally retarded.
Unless you are mentally impaired, the only entertainment value to this movie would be to mock it. It is truly an insult to not only the Chinese people, but to the woman this movie is supposed to be about (it's allegedly a true account; Gladys would be appalled). Since I did not intend to purchase a farce and/or have my intelligence affronted in such a bigoted manner, I was extremely disappointed. Therefore it earns zero stars.
Rating: 
Date: 2008-05-15
Inn of the Sixth Happiness
Based on a true story this is one of Ingrid Bergmans best and it seems least shown movies. Rating:
Date: 2008-05-02
Beautiful Movie
This is one of my all time favorite movies. It is a family and friends favorite and definitely not just a chick flick. My husband loves this movie too! It is the true story of an ordinary women who feels a call by God to serve in China, but is told by everyone that she is unqualified. By following her passion, God uses her in a powerful and exciting way. An amazing journey! |
