The Sleeping Dictionary is a 2003 American romantic drama film written and directed by Guy Jenkin and starring Hugh Dancy, Jessica Alba, Brenda Blethyn, Emily Mortimer, and Bob Hoskins.
The film is about a young Englishman who is sent to Sarawak in the
1930s to become part of the British colonial government. There he
encounters some unorthodox local traditions, and finds himself faced
with tough decisions of the heart involving a beautiful young local
woman who becomes the object of his affections. The Sleeping Dictionary was filmed on location in Sarawak, Malaysia.
John Truscott goes to Borneo to work with the Iban. He reports to Henry Bullard, who gives him a "sleeping dictionary"--one of the locals who teaches him the local language and culture. And who he gives John is Selima. And while teaching him, John finds himself attracted to her. And we says it's not allowed, both the locals and Bullard forbid him to be in a relationship with Selima. But he defies them which has dire consequences.
- Brenda Blethyn, Bob Hoskins, Jessica Alba, Hugh Dancy, Mano Maniam, K.K. Moggie, Emily Mortimer, Junix Inocian, Malcolm Rogers, Noah Taylor and others
A young and naive Englishman, John Truscott (Hugh Dancy), goes to the British colony of Sarawak, Borneo, to try to apply his father's work to the Iban society. There he meets his boss Henry Bullard (Bob Hoskins) and his wife Aggie Bullard (Brenda Blethyn).
John tries to civilize them, building schools and providing education
for the Iban people. He is met with unfamiliar local customs. Selima (Jessica Alba) becomes his "sleeping dictionary", who sleeps with him and teaches him the language and the habits of the locals.
John is sent up river where a sickness is affecting the Yakata tribe.
He and Selima travel inland. John witnesses a nearby mining operation
run by Europeans. He notices that the Yakata have rice – which has been
given to them by the miners – and he guesses correctly that the miners
have poisoned the rice in order to get rid of the Yakata. Knowing that
they will exact vengeance, John tells the Yakata what has happened. The
Yakata wipe out the miners.
Despite their intents, the two find themselves falling into a
forbidden love. John is eager to marry Selima despite the longhouse not
allowing it. When John tells Henry about his plans to marry her, they
lock Selima up. Selima then agrees to marry in the longhouse and they
part ways. Bullard threatens to send him to trial for the death of the
European miners. He makes a deal with John. John has to give up Selima,
and go to Britain for a year's vacation and to meet the Bullards'
daughter Cecilia. Another local British official, Neville Shipperly (Noah Taylor), a boorish drunk and a man who despises the locals, is jealous of John because he had planned to win Cecilia as his own.
A year later, John is seen marrying Cecilia. He still struggles to
get over his past with his sleeping dictionary. With Cecilia, he decides
the best thing to do is go back to Sarawak to continue his work there.
Returning to Sarawak, Cecilia notices John's desire for Selima with his
constant distance from her. Cecilia demands to know more about Selima
and John replies by saying that she is married to Belansai and that the
couple have a baby together.
