Summary
The movie takes place in Sarawak, Malaysia (not Thailand, the information I found was incorrect) in the 1930s. Selima (played by Jessica Alba) is the daughter of a British commanding officer and an Iban tribeswoman. When young John Truscott (played by Hugh Dancy) arrives in Sarawak hoping to educate the Iban people, he is given a "sleeping dictionary" by his commanding officer (actor Bob Hoskins). This "sleeping dictionary" happens to be Selima and she is meant to tutor him in the Iban language by sleeping with him. They fall in love but because of their stations they are not allowed to marry. Truscott is forced to leave Sarawak to marry his commanding officer's daughter and when he returns from Britain with his new wife he discovers that Selima has a son.
Knowing that the boy is his, Truscott desperately wants to see him even though he is not permitted. After a secret meeting or two, Selima's husband Belansai (the Iban chief's son) is forced to defend his honour by murdering Truscott--but he does not succeed. Truscott is forced to sentence Belansai to death, but later frees the young man from his prison so he may escape hanging. Truscott meets up with Selima at the prison and they decide to run away together. However Selima is hesitant because she thinks that Truscott will be stopped. They plan to meet on a boat that is leaving at dawn but because of other circumstances Truscott is late; Selima leaves the village thinking that he will never come for her, heading on foot into Dutch Borneo.
Truscott eventually discovers where she is going, thanks to his drunken cook, and catches up with her. At the end of the movie both Selima & Truscott (and the baby) find themselves at gunpoint but are saved by another tribe that wishes the little family to live with them. This movie was moving and beautifully shot on location in Sarawak. The cast was great, with superb acting especially on the part of Jessica Alba, Hugh Dancy, and Bob Haskins.