Mail order brides

Brides tells the story of women who were sold to the States as mail-order brides due to poverty and war conditions at that time. Set in 1922, the story revolves around 25-year old Greek, Nikki Douca, who is a responsible and determined lady. She was among the 700 brides that were being shipped to the land of dreams. Unlike others, she was a substitute bride as she was to marry her sister's husband, whom she left because she couldn't stand living in the States. In the ship that she was travelling on, she met photographer Norman Harris, who took pictures during the war between the Greeks and the Turkish. He lost his job becaused he took pictures showing the little details of war, which his boss deemed as "too artistic for a newspaper like the Boston World."

As their lives crossed, it tells the story of those around them - the shrewd middle-man who sold the young, virgin women under his care to the rich and famous men on board; the 16-year old Russian girl (she probably had only one or two lines throughout the film but gave a splendid performance with her expression of innocence) who met a dashing young sailor and eloped with him; the girl who committed suicide because of her guilt for abandoning her lover and the kind, elderly palmist.

Quoted from GSC website, "BRIDES" is a story about strong emotions, about dilemmas, about conscience, about behaving responsibly. It is about the brief moments, the glances, the touches, the yes and the no that count in life."

I left the cinema wondering to myself, which would be worst?
- to choose love and forget all about one's responsibilities and obligations, which could be detrimental to my family's honour and integrity
- or to choose to forsake my own self interest and seek for the benefit of others

It is quite a dilemma. In this situation, do i make myself happy or do i make others dear to me happy?

As a Christian, i guess i'm called to be like Christ - to forsake self for others - but as an individual, i'm inclined to do the reverse.. especially in a world like ours, where everyone lives for his/her own.

Tough.