One not-so-famous film that caught my eye when I was watching Oscar Isaac's filmography is a Spanish-American film directed by British director Terry George, The Promise, 2016. The film tells about the Armenian genocide in Turkey at the beginning of the last century, carried out by them under the guise of an alleged evacuation, as a result of which for some reason a huge number of Armenians died. Hereditary pharmacist Mikael Bogosyan (Oskar Isaac) lives in the small village of Sirun, no one thinks about whether his neighbor is a Turk or an Armenian, all are served the same way. Michael dreams of becoming a doctor, so he agrees to be engaged to a girl from a wealthy family, so that the money received in the dowry could go to Constantinople to study. Arriving there, he shows good success in his studies, there he will be friends with the Turkish boy Emre, the son of a high-ranking official. There, in the family of his wealthy uncle, he will meet an Armenian girl Anna (Charlotte Le Bon), who grew up, however, in Paris, but moved to Constantinople, she brings up uncles’ children. Despite the engagement, Michael can not resist Anna and immediately falls in love with her, but Anna already has a boyfriend – this is an American journalist Chris Myers (Christian Bale), he works for the Associated Press and writes quite critical notes. After some time, the PMV and mobilization begin, the Turks are given reservations to the school, the Armenians are sent to the army, they want to send Michael there, but Emre intervenes for him, referring to his father, which he does not forgive and immediately sends to the army. This Emre will prove himself a decent man, for which he will pay. And then the events become more and more tragic, a lot will happen, many people will die, including the main characters, but Michael, along with one of his cousins still manage to escape, they will reach America, where he will finish his education and become a doctor, he will adopt a sister, raise and marry. But the memory of events will remain with them forever. The film was quite difficult to watch, as the events were shown without embellishment and they look very cruel, so I watched the film in two receptions. I will not recommend it to everyone, I was interested to see it, because they write that the events there are very true. The film did not receive wide recognition from the modern audience, not that they are now waiting for, they do not need such a theme, very negatively, which was expected, it was treated in Turkey, against him they strongly rebelled, which, however, is not surprising, and even wherever they could, scored him ratings and twisted negative ratings, it came to a scandal. The film was shot entirely on the money of American billionaire of Armenian origin Kirk Kerkorian. The actors play well, you believe them.
The Armenian Genocide is a very complex and tragic topic, so the film had a great responsibility, because it was supposed to highlight this event and draw attention to it (this is what the creators intended). However, for this, the tape had to fully convey the horrors of those years and put genocide in the first place, not a toothless love story.
Mikael Poghosyan, performed by Oscar Isaac, works as a pharmacist, but after getting engaged to a girl, he goes to study in Constantinople for a doctor and pay for training her dowries. In Constantinople, the main character lives with his uncle Mesrop. At the academy, he meets Emre, who became his friend, Anna, an Armenian girl from Paris who teaches Mesrop’s daughters dance, with whom Michael will later fall in love, and Anna’s lover, Chris Myers, an American military reporter played by the inimitable Christian Bale. All this is happening on the eve of the First World War, when the international situation is tense to the limit, and the fruits of future genocide are already beginning to ripen in Turkey.
Since I mentioned genocide, first of all it was. Whatever it sounds like, but the genocide in this picture does not look like genocide, we were shown a couple of scenes with corpses, a couple of scenes with shootings of Armenians and a couple of scenes with citizens who go against Armenians, apparently, in the opinion of the creators, this is enough to reveal a tragedy of this magnitude and devote the rest of the time to the love games of the main characters (about which later). And no, I'm not saying to fill the whole story with blood, corpses, women, children, etc., but it could have been given more time to make the viewer feel and feel. And so, this is more like not mass extermination, but an insurgent war of the Armenians against the Turks.
The very narrative in the film is very confused, the events rush with the speed of light and because of this it is impossible to adequately merge into what is happening. And complement this almost undisclosed characters, which, accordingly, it is impossible to empathize. Well, the scene with an attempt to reveal Anna in the garden during a walk with Michael generally looks pathetic, it is in line with the whole film is confused, and even put poorly. The only one of the characters who is even slightly interesting is Chris Myers, yes, he is clichéd to the point of ugliness: a brave American who, despite the threat to life, remains in a dangerous place and only he can save Armenians by telling the world about the genocide, but, somehow, Bale’s character bribes. There is nothing to say about the other characters except that they are flat and faceless, for this reason, scenes that are supposed to cause sadness and empathy are actually only tear-pressing fakes.
Now for the love triangle. He is so stupid, naive and stereotyped, yes, the film, in principle, in itself all this, for example, the conflict between Michael and Chris was practically not solved, and at one point, suddenly, it suddenly grows into a friendship. The worst thing is that, as already mentioned, it is the love triangle that stands in the foreground, not the tragedy that formed the basis of the film. Genocide here is needed only in order to develop a love line, nothing more and this, of course, is not right.
This tape pursued a good goal, trying to tell the world the nightmare events of more than a century ago, but stumbled on an absolutely idiotic and uninteresting love story that harms the disclosure of the tragedy itself, as well as confused narrative, stupidity and naivety. He also failed poor installation and mediocre camera work. But the costumes, the environment, the beautiful views, yes, and the acting is not bad.
A historical drama that will make you not only empathize with what is happening on the screen, but perhaps for many, as for me, will illuminate the tragic genocide of the Armenian people. Great movie!
The topic of extermination and persecution of any people is always painful, so I did not plan to watch the film. The situation was changed by an interview with Bale, whom I love and respect dearly, I decided to take a look.
1914, Turkey. Michael (O. Isaac) works in a pharmacy in an Armenian village, which has been his family’s for many years. The guy dreams of becoming a doctor, but there is no money for studying, and then the parents come up with a way out: betrothal to a fellow villager Maral. With the money given to the girl as a dowry, Michael goes to Constantinople and begins his studies.
At his uncle’s house, he meets Anna, an Armenian girl born in Europe. In the film, she is mysteriously called an artist, but it is impossible to determine the occupation of Anna. She's everywhere. She teaches children strange dances, draws a little herself, and spends her free time in drinking establishments. So that you do not think about Anna badly, I will say that she goes to hang out not alone, but with her civil husband Chris (K. Bale), a famous American journalist. In one of the establishments, Anna and Chris meet Michael with a friend, so a relationship is formed. Everything would be fine, but the persecution of Armenians begins in the country, and Michael goes to his native village.
I'm not going to tell you any more if someone wants to see you. Let me tell you my impressions. The main emotion experienced while watching, literally from the beginning, was anger. The film is full of absurdities and absurdities. For example, the behavior of the same Anna, her dancing in taverns, folk kisses and lifestyle suggest that the director is “a little off topic.” This is not a Parisian bohemian, it is a collapsing, but also the Ottoman Empire and an Armenian lady.
Or a pharmacy in a remote village. In the village, Carl! The owners have no money.
The characters of Anna and Michael are no less disgusting. The authors seemed to be thinking for a long time how to make a movie interesting to the viewer. You can't blockbuster, the wrong topic, there's no money for special effects, then we shove love in. Certainly suffering. The First World War and the horrors inside the country are nonsense, it is better to add a love triangle. But the director will still say that the main purpose of the film was to draw attention to the topic of genocide.
The only more or less sane person in this play of the absurd was Chris. For Christian Bale, this is a rather unusual character, not a Messiah or a superhero, not even a maniac or a drug addict, but an ordinary person. Bale, of course, did it well. By the way, Chris is the only one who evoked sympathy. Another hero who liked, the same friend of Michael played by Marwan Kenzari.
But the main problem is the same as in “Titanic” by James Cameron, most of both tapes are occupied by the love adventures of the heroes, and the tragedy remains only the background. The “Promise” was filmed on the money of an American businessman of Armenian origin.
To sum up: I liked Christian Bale, the scenery, costumes and music. That's 6 out of 10.
Undoubtedly, the drama ' Promise' was given special hope, which lay not only in the financial plane, but in telling the world about one of the most terrible pages of human history - about the Armenian genocide by the Turks. In theory, such a grandiose idea could be displayed as awards and nominations, but this moment bypassed 'Promise', which may be directly related to the scandal, when on the page of the film resource IMDb went avalanche of assessments, which were mainly '1' and '10', which could not but surprise. Of course, you can immediately think that '1' put the Turks and their allies, and '10' came from the Armenians and their sympathizers. But, it is a good thing that the scandal did not grow, turning a worthy picture into a platform for political insinuations, mutual hostile attacks and other ...
Action ' Promise' unfolds against the backdrop of a love triangle consisting of an Armenian medical student Mikael (American of Guatemalan origin Oscar Isaac), an ethnic Armenian artist Anna (Canadian Charlotte Le Bon) and American journalist Chris Myers (Welsh Christian Bale). And all three find themselves embroiled in a slaughter on an unprecedented scale by the Young Turk government. And while men hold their love for Anna firmly in their hearts, and she cannot make her choice, terrible things happen that will not touch only the most callous viewer or the viewer who will think, because of his illiteracy, that everything is a complete invention of the creators, or the viewer who does not want to believe it will not shudder. Cruelty, murder, violence - all this literally hovers in the atmosphere and each subsequent step carries with it a mortal danger, because the wolves smelled the taste of blood when they began to be encouraged to do so. Indeed, there are very heavy scenes in the film, so be careful if you are too impressionable viewer.
Could ' Promise' really count on recognition, because the director's chair was taken by Terry George, who knows what it's like to work with serious movies related to recent events. George was the screenwriter of the acclaimed biographical drama In the Name of the Father & #39; and as a director he won worldwide fame with the film & #39; Hotel Rwanda & #39; telling about another massacre-genocide that occurred in one African country. So it seems that Terry George's appointment was no accident. And the script for 'Communication' (originally titled 'Anatolia') was written by Robin Swickord, who gave birth to such films as 'Little Women' (1994), 'Memoirs of a Geisha' (2005), 'The Mysterious Story of Benjamin Button' (2008) and several other great projects. And that Terry George, that Robin Swickord certainly coped with the task, making 'Promise' a film that still needs to be seen.
In addition, this favors not only the heartbreaking plot component, but also the acting. Oscar Isaac is not so long gone in the status of a famous actor, but lately he looks more and more convincing on the screen, clearly approaching his heyday. For example, he perfectly embodied the character of the ancient mutant Apocalypse from the next series of the franchise ' X-Men' and in ' Promise' vividly demonstrated his dramatic talent, because for his hero you are worried with all your heart. What are the scenes when Mikael helps the wounded after clashing with Turkish soldiers? Charlotte Le Bon had only one memorable role - in the film 'Walk' Robert Zemeckis, now she can add to the asset and the role of Anna from ' Promise', the tragedy in this girl was enough and Le Bon as she could cope with the difficult task. And Christian Bale is Christian Bale. He always said that he chooses projects with his heart, and the financial side of the matter he cares little and ' Promise' was another confirmation of his words, and that he is a very strong actor.
In general, I do not want to touch the political component of the film, it is better to pay attention to the historical, to form a certain opinion for yourself, to study the sources and facts, and only then to declare something loudly. With 'Promise' you can really enjoy a quality picture with a good and strong acting. Like I said, this movie is worth watching.
There are movies where it is difficult to determine your opinion: advise or not advise? Which is more important: form or content? And what if the covenant between them did not happen?
"Promise" is a classic (you can even add a classic Hollywood) love story during the war, about which the creators speak openly and actively use in an advertising campaign, such as the slogan of the picture: "Empires are dying." “Love is immortal” (too obsessive or am I just getting old and stale like bread the day before yesterday?) And since there are certain canons of the genre that you need to follow, the same sketch can be easily found in other films on a similar topic – in “Admiral”, for example. Oh, why didn't we meet before, oh, what's going on, oh, we gotta run, oh, pee-poop, oh, we're gonna see each other again soon, oh, pee-poop, my love, oh, they're all killed, oh, badaboom, oh, hugs, tears, kisses, oh and so on. Just in case, to consolidate the unconditional future success, the creators added several other win-win moves like the friendship of the prince and the beggar, the love triangle, the polar division of characters into bad and good. And this is also one of the problems of the film: the Turks are bad, the Armenians are good, the main characters are also quite unambiguous (doctor-pacifist, sister of mercy and journalist) – there are not enough shades, they are all too one-sided (Chris tries to be ambiguous, but the key word here is “trying”).
On the visual side, overall, the film is quite beautiful. Bright colors, costumes, playing with light, interesting solutions, but sometimes the graphics are too computerized and you do not believe for a second that the view of Istanbul, for example, is a real view, but you should.
However, the film keeps in suspense and leads the viewer through the entire timekeeping. However, it is built so thoughtful that sometimes too artificial. So, for 15 minutes, no one died -- it's time for some drama to happen. So, our main character has not cried for a long time, for which we pay him money - let's throw him off the bridge.
I think that’s the problem with the movie for me. They tried too hard to make him good and follow all the rules, and in the end there is no soul in the film. Spoiler: I didn't cry. There were plenty of scenes for that.
However, there is something important in this film. The genocide against the Armenians really happened. And about 1.5 million people died. But Turkey still does not recognize what happened as genocide, and many people do not even know what happened between 1915 and 1923 on the territory of the disappearing Ottoman Empire. If the film helps people read about what happened, then the film has a right to exist. The Armenian Genocide deserves a different approach.
Throughout its history, cinema has almost always been a kind of symbol of yin and yang. On the one hand, dedicating himself to the task of entertaining the viewer. On the other hand, raising important, relevant and important topics for the audience’s attention. Only occasionally presenting a perfect symbiosis of both views on the screen. Something similar and tried to create in his next film Oscar-winning Irishman Terry George.
The creators of the film open on the screen a very sad, tragic and cruel page of world history. When back in 1914 and almost on the verge of the destruction of the Ottoman Empire, the Turkish government decides on an unprecedented act of aggression and attempts to "wipe off the face of the earth and history" the entire Armenian people. Thus, arranging several years of total genocide of the Armenian people and the first case of a recognized crime against humanity, which even today denies the current government of Turkey.
Similar to James Cameron’s Titanic, which inadvertently quotes this film from director Terry George (especially in the final 5 minutes of the tape), the story of the greatest love and even a love triangle is the center of the story. Already around him and developing the theme of the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the tragic events “exterminated” so Armenian lives. It is gratifying that even at the same time the picture does not turn into an ordinary “snotty” melodrama. Concentrating a love story in the first half of the tape, and already in the second, easily pushing it to the background and completely giving in to the retelling of such tragic events. Except that, leaving behind the scenes the previous and became the root cause of the events that occurred. Thus, leaving a few notes of the “unsaid” of the story.
Loudly declaring himself a magnificent “Hotel Rwanda” the director of this film “Terry George” returns to the topic of genocide and extermination of the people. I can’t help but rejoice that George did not “revel” and “scoff” with violence on the screen. However, even so, fully demonstrating all the cruelty and injustice that unfolded in those years. Having created an insanely beautiful from a visual point of view, but full of sadness, sorrow and pain, the film and experiencing these very emotions when watching this tape is not difficult. Especially considering the fact how often the director of this tape Terry George manages to touch the living with many vital moments of the picture, and the composer Gabriel Yared "play on the strings of the soul."
The main find of the picture, which provided the film with the necessary attention of the audience and the public, is certainly a luxurious cast. Oscar Isaac and Christian Bale demonstrate a perfect hit in the images. Isaac was able to develop his viewer beyond the “lover hero” and Bale beyond the “last American hero”. Both actors masterfully coped with their task on the screen and certainly pulled the whole film on their shoulders.
It is impossible not to mention the wonderful play of Charlotte Le Bon, James Cromwell, Tom Hollander, Jean Reno and many other artists who took part in this film. Especially Marwan Kenzari, who managed to create the most “live” character of the picture on the screen. Brilliantly showing the moment of his character’s transformation from an irresponsible and frivolous “party king” into a man with a capital letter and able to sacrifice his life to save someone else. I want to believe that the career of the actor will go only uphill and the actor will still be able to surprise a lot.
9 out of 10
A promise is a rare example of a worthy picture made with a soul. A very rich, epic, exciting, overflowing with drama and emotions art canvas, which acquaints the audience with a beautiful love story against the background of several years of bloody and cruel extermination of the Armenian people. The film touched me for a living and such “aesthetic pleasure” from watching the picture I have not experienced for a long time.
The Armenian Genocide is a theme that many may be reminded of. Therefore, it must be handled very carefully. But I actually got a tear-pressing movie. Trying to tell the world the truth about those terrible events is an exploitation of the suffering of others.
The first problem with the film is that I have absolutely no sympathy for the character. So medical student Mikael Bogosyan comes to Constantinople to study medicine, and then help develop it in his native village. There he meets an Armenian artist named Ana. He falls in love with her even though he is in a relationship with another. His character changes very quickly, his relationship with Ana is too crumpled. About the relationship with the photojournalist Chris Myers, who is the lover of Ana, do not want to talk. They almost want to kill each other, but they are best friends.
Terry George is a good director. But there are a lot of things in this movie that I can call controversial, if not a failure. To add drama, he uses blunt, straightforward techniques. The Turks in the film are shown as cruel, terrible, but incredibly brainless idiots.
The film seems to be woven from many random parts, because of which some scenes do not work for others, there is no connection between them. It ruins the whole story.
Visually, the film is also very controversial. There are very beautiful, exciting shots that you want to savor. There are moments that immediately catch your eye. Some scenes in terms of color and saturation look different, which in modern cinema is unacceptable. I can't understand. Whether it is the fault of color correction and the one who was engaged in her hands grow from the ass, or filmed on different cameras, and again a question to the people involved in the picture and editing of the film: Why didn't you fix it? The budget seems to allow.
That's the movie. Could've done better. Definitely. And that's why it hurts twice.
Religion is a strange thing. Although a thing is certainly not the right word, I cannot find beautiful words. Strange and scary. Each nation created its own faith and allowed itself to destroy the unbelievers.39 Everyone believes in God, prays to Him, and is better than others.
Genocide is a crime against nature, against human nature. Of course, any killing of a person is a crime, but genocide is extermination.
The plot is a classic love triangle and the case when the heart is not commanded '. The persecution of the Armenian people is the background of the film. I won’t say that I thought it was a drawback, because otherwise I wouldn’t have seen the movie. It's too hard for my heart. And then for those who really understand the horror of this does not need additional demonstrations and reminders, and for those who are deaf to such troubles do not touch even a great plot.
I liked the work of many actors in the film. But I prefer Christian Bale, who is like a rock in this movie: impressive, solid. You can't miss it. The character of Oscar Isaac somehow confused me along the way. It's kind of unstable, unstable, fragile. I don't even know how to describe him. Of course, all people are different, and against the background of the hero Christian Bale, his personality loses. The strength of his beliefs, as well as the beliefs themselves, depend on the people present. In principle, he loved both women: his wife and Anna.
The fact that he couldn't kill a man leveled his personality in my eyes. I thought that was true.
The film is elegant, although it tells about mass murders. Beautiful pictures, beautiful places.
And finally, I guessed again how the film will end and how the fate of the main characters will turn out. At the very beginning of the film. It's really predictable: another triangle ' don't break ' and don't create drama.
The picture caused only an avalanche of outrage, because it is impossible to make a primitive love drama out of such a topic. This is not the genocide of the Armenian people, but the genocide of the women of the protagonist. He cannot understand which of the girls he likes, therefore, out of a sense of duty, he nevertheless promised, proportionally alternates his love affairs, the more the difficult fate of his people will be pleased with this.
They killed women and children, and it didn’t even bother me, no, of course, when there is a direct hit of the camera on a pile of corpses, it becomes uneasy, but no more. Due to deliberate seriality, the atmosphere is lost, you do not want to worry at all, and the fate of the main character, like the whole people, becomes a burden, preventing you from thinking about abstract topics.
As for acting, there are no special complaints. Isaac was so reflective, shed so many tears that it would be enough for two series, but Bale, on the contrary, was calm, even cold-blooded and how a true American hero saved the plight of an entire people. Already from horribly written characters, it is clear that the quality of the picture will be below average.
I will not recommend the film for viewing, it is too small, empty, for the chosen topic, and the directorial amateurism (in other words, not to be called) catches the eye of even an unsophisticated viewer (I hope so). The only plus is nature, and the local flavor, but this is too little. Don't waste your time!!!
Adventure action-melodrama on the background of one Armenian genocide
Retreat
When I was younger, I was crazy about the Michael Bay movie 'Pearl Harbor'. Spectacular explosions, military actions, drama of people who died there. Everything was amazing. In high school, I even listed this film as my favorite historical film, despite my teacher’s bewilderment. But how else if the TV was the best teacher and the DVD player the best friend? But after re-reading the historical facts, I was somewhat perplexed. Time passed, but I still did not understand why this film was so hated in the West, what is the reason for this bias? Yes, the film twisted some important historical events, but it's just a movie! The fate of the people who fought and died in this dastardly attack should come first. And that's when it dawned on me that Bay had fooled me. Since then, before watching any historical film, I first run through Wikipedia, and after I start watching.
Film
After learning about the production of a film about the Armenian Genocide, I initially thought that the idea - not so. Once again, Bale's worn-out posters, Oscar Isaac, came straight from the solarium. Ridiculous. But, inspired by the films 'Silence' Scorsese and 'For reasons of conscience' Gibson, I decided to find out what I missed by not going to the cinema. And -- the movie is just awful. Very reminiscent of ' Exodus' Ridley Scott mixed with ' Sherlock Holmes' Guy Ritchie. And the aforementioned 'Pearl Harbor' of course. In the film there is an outspoken and already repulsive American, the fate of people in the hands of a heroic but sentimental American, and only he can prevent the conflict by writing an article about it and arriving there probably from a parallel universe at the behest of the writer. I’ve always wondered what Terry George did there in ' Hotel Rwanda' that they just threw nominations for 'Oscar'. And now, looking at the poster and seeing Nick Nolte's face in all its glory, I can guess who played a major role in that tragedy. This is an outright falsehood, which should not be full of films of this subject.
Plot
A young Armenian doctor, performed by Oscar Isaac, arrives at the medical institute for study. Here it should be noted that he has a bride, and with the money from her dowry, he actually decided to move medicine. Probably by giving 'promise' he will keep her love, go through many deadly trials, and finally return to her and save her from impending disaster. Or... he will immediately switch to a new lover. This is where Christian Bale takes a back seat. A prominent journalist with a penchant for scaring others with the power of the United States, which, by the way, in real life ignored all reports of genocide, but Mr. Bale will tirelessly prove the opposite. Why not show the life of a real person, like the U.S. ambassador to Turkey, Henry Morgento, who really did something to cover the tragedy? No, more important is the Associated Press journalist, because he will be taken into custody, threatened with execution, and then released by the very ambassador, whose entire assistance will be reduced to a statement that the United States will not cooperate with Turkey in certain matters. Beloved Bale played by Charlotte Le Bon becomes the object of courtship of the hero Isaac. Against this background, unrest begins in the city, but our heroes safely fight off the attackers, and hide in a shelter, after which they indulge in love. Outside the window of murder and execution, but our heroes are passionate about each other. Romance, what can I say? Soon, our failed doctor will return to his village, having passed a spy stealth quest, and meet the bride, who is also pregnant, but soon will be killed along with the family of the main character, and alive completely ' accidental' thus only the mother will remain. Do you think the main character should be tormented by a series of events? In the intervals between the search for his second lover, he will be distracted by this. Further developments will include small episodes of the same genocide, the clashes of the Turks and the Armenian militia, and, of course, all the drama of the relationship between a doctor, a journalist and a simple girl with French roots, and finally entering the war of other countries, except the United States, which entered, entered, but in fact never came forward.
Conclusion
The presentation of the plot is absolutely banal, historical facts have no value, the tragedy is pushed to the background. Acting is tolerable, but does not fully reflect any historical figures, and therefore useless. The dialogue is pretentious and dry. There is nothing in this film that is relevant to a biopic, it is just a ridiculous canvas about a million times seen a love triangle, abandoned in a random location and random time of action. No vision of the tragedy, just a retelling of some events that do not catch on because of the lack of any justification.
The director, who is very good at shooting TV series, but not very successful feature films, this time took on a super-heavy story. The picture concerning the theme of the genocide of the Armenian people turned out to be quite heavy in an emotional sense, but still the film turned out to be unfinished, as if the authors were far from understanding the very essence of the events taking place.
A young Armenian student arrives in Constantinople to enter a medical school. Soon he falls in love with a beautiful Armenian girl. Between them, like a spark of great feelings, but, unfortunately, in the country is terrible. Before our eyes, the city turns into chaos, surrounded by hundreds of deaths of innocent Armenians. The main characters will have to escape from the persecution of nationalists, as well as save loved ones and relatives from imminent death.
Honestly, the story of the main characters was pretty well written from the side of drama. Personally, I was interested in following the development of the relationship of the characters, as the authors prepared several dramatic intriguing plot twists.
The creators seem to have done everything well, but I do not perceive, as a viewer, the truthfulness of the relationship between the characters. I didn’t believe in each other’s sincerity. I didn't see them as Armenians. They were anyone but Armenians. You could easily replace the characters with someone else and nothing would change. Of course, many people will not agree with me, but this is my personal opinion, my opinion, my assessment.
The actors themselves are good and played well, but they just played the lyrics without putting their soul into their characters. Ask me why I’m so picky about acting, because when you touch on such a serious topic, you need to fully understand your characters, their characters, their feelings and much more. If the director decides to tell one of the most terrible tragedies in the history of an entire nation, then be kind enough to immerse yourself in the story. But in the end I saw a superficial retelling from a man who is unfamiliar and unfamiliar with what he was talking about. The main trouble of this perception is the poor-quality dialogues of the characters, who in essence discussed their actions more than the causes and consequences of everything that is happening. With such heavy material on the screen there was a minimal semantic load, because, starting from the film, the viewer is completely unfamiliar and incomprehensible Armenian traditions, their history and most importantly - their nationality as such. On the screen we just see some people who kill someone, not knowing why, for what and how. Viewers who do not know history will simply not be able to understand what is happening, who will only have to accept the unknown and just watch what is happening.
I was not particularly impressed with the final picture either. The most significant scene in the film was perceived as an ordinary passage without any emotions. The director’s failure cost the director and his picture dearly. With a large budget, fees are very modest and insignificant.
But, summing up, I still believe that this film can and should be watched by everyone, since the story affects the fate of not only the main characters. Here is the fate of a whole people and the true heroism of ordinary people who were able to escape and resist the brutal oppressors.
Genocide is the most terrible human phenomenon that affected more than one people in the XX century. We know a lot of movies about Jewish genocide: a pleiad of great works from Schindler’s List to The Black Book and even Inglourious Bastards. But the Armenian genocide is rarely mentioned in movies, because Turkey has not yet recognized these actions as genocide. I will immediately say a huge thank you to Terry George for taking up the film, for the idea itself, and treating it very carefully.
Unfortunately, the film did not show high rates in the world box office, and a truly ugly story with the campaign on the Internet, when the film began to write negative reviews, and completely derailed it. In any case, I would like to say to the audience: don’t listen to anyone, don’t read reviews (especially from Turkish websites), just watch this film. Look, you won't regret it.
A young man from a small Armenian village dreams of becoming a doctor. He is smart, decent, devoted to his family, and dreams of opening a clinic. Michael travels to Constantinople to begin his medical studies. And there he meets a girl Ana, whom he falls in love with, despite the presence of a bride in his native village. Ana also has an American journalist named Chris. The love triangle is just the beginning of the story, then everything gets worse. The Ottoman Empire begins to exterminate the Armenian people on a huge scale. Michael has a road full of fear, pain and loss.
This film is built not only on the story itself, but also on a great script and acting. The film looks in one breath, two hours pass completely unnoticed, and the story does not let go for a long time. My hands are still getting goosebumps and my fingers are getting past the keys on the keyboard.
Acting astonished Oscar Isaac and Christian Bale. Their tandem, which is built first on jealousy and confrontation by the end of the film becomes very different. They are no longer rivals, but partners who have gone through a difficult journey together and are united by a common tragedy. Their play adds to the film even more authenticity, and the state “will not let go until the end.”
My review and summary: I highly recommend the movie. And I put it in line with films that I don’t want to talk about. You need to watch them, and then long and silently think over what you saw.
P.S. I remember a story about the situation and my perception of it. I studied next to an Armenian church in my city. The church has always attracted me: it is new, very beautiful, with its own garden, carefully cared for by the priest’s wife. And not so long ago on it appeared a stretch with the inscription "Thank you for recognizing the genocide of 1915-1916". I guess that says it all. Appreciate life. Value your people and appreciate your family. The love for our country begins with this.
The first is the cast, first of all - Christian Bale and Oscar Isaac. Both are very talented masters of their craft.
The second is the historical era in which the plot of the film takes us, it was very interesting to see how they will show Constantinople and Turkey during the Ottoman Empire.
The plot tells the story of a young Armenian boy who has a dream in life - to become a doctor, and he does everything to make his dream come true. Betrothed to a wealthy bride, from a small town in southern Turkey, he arrives in Constantinople and enters the medical academy. And here he meets his true love, which is destined to experience hard times, as Turkey begins mass persecution of Armenians, their deportation and extermination. The film shows us the acts of genocide of the Armenian people during the Ottoman Empire. A lot has already been shot on the topic of genocide, and this film was not without cinematic repetitions, but despite all this, it is interesting to watch, it is interesting to watch the plot.
The main dignity of the film is the camera work. Probably, the picture of this film is my biggest impression of it, stunning views of mountains, sea and city. Another plus I would attribute a great acting job Oscar Isaac. He managed to become a real Armenian in my eyes, so successfully he embodied the image. Christian Bale, who played the role of an American journalist covering events in Turkey, does not look so convincing. Charlotte Le Bon As the main character, I was completely disappointed, her acting is the weakest acting work.
The film also has flaws, mostly related to the script. The first disadvantage is that the films created put the love triangle in the foreground, and the rest of the historical plot in the background. It turned out Hollywood history against the background of historical events. Because of this, the film, in my opinion, from the point of view of script and direction, loses a lot, both historical and dramatic depth.
The second disadvantage of the film is the excessive positivity of the plot and the heroes of the story. The film is made in the spirit of patriotism and love for the Armenian people, but because of this it clearly lacks realism. All the main characters of the film are all positive characters who commit only heroic deeds. Many vivid examples of the feat; the film lacks examples of betrayal and negative characters, which only gives a fabulous plot. The film lacks tragedy, and not even the very display of all the atrocities and cruelty, but rather their reflection in the characters of the characters through emotional expressiveness - what a person experiences, through what tortures he goes through.
In conclusion, I want to say thank you to the director for the film, for the fact that these topics raise, this is important.
7 out of 10
In the early 20th century, the Ottoman government unleashed genocide against Armenian minorities. The tragedy, which is still debated, is too important to ignore and has rarely been brought up in cinema. British director Terry George took into account the mistakes of his other film about the genocide - "Hotel Rwanda" and paid serious attention to both important historical events and exciting love intrigue.
“The Promise” was filmed, by and large, with the money of the late American billionaire of Armenian origin Kirk Kerkorian. Kerkorian provided money for the film on one condition: The Promise will be filmed in such a way that it can reach the largest possible audience. And the Promise succeeded. All of the atrocities mentioned or depicted in the film did take place or refer to some real historical event, such as the climactic escape to freedom. At the same time, the script does not slide due to various exaggerations into “black”, which sometimes takes place in such films.
Attempts to please all viewers gave birth to the desire to add just a little, which inevitably affected the quality of the narrative. The main problem of the film is how the romantic relationship unfolds and the love triangle itself looks. In this case, it should be a kind of glue that connects certain historical events, use romance and tragedy to destroy the world of the protagonist or give him hope (see ' Titanic'). Here the love line came out too rough and this, unfortunately, is very noticeable. Some aspects of the further development of the characters’ relationships are obvious, while others are simply unnecessary – if you throw them out, the plot will not suffer. In the context of such an important film, it is still necessary to observe the measure, especially since the script is oversaturated with events.
If we look at The Promise from a technical point of view, it is certainly an epic picture. Pre-war Istanbul is well documented. The image of Constantinople at the beginning of the film and after the start of the bloodshed is in stark contrast. Since the story leads to imprisonment, the captive scenes are perfectly executed here; they must be the best in the whole film. And in the “Promise” was applied an interesting approach: the color palette corresponds to the feelings of the main characters and the mood of the country. At the very beginning, everything in the capital is shown in bright colors, and then in the villages and wastelands the colors fade and become darker.
Acting. Oscar Isaac has always been a versatile and capable actor. Here he has a great modest and gallant character, whose trials and desperate struggle for survival are well conveyed. Although Oscar Isaac is the protagonist of this drama, he is not always in the center of the narrative, although the film would benefit (see 'Pianist'). Christian Bale played great, as always, and gives the film seriousness. But with female characters sometimes came out misses. As it seemed to me, the heroine Charlotte Le Bon did not have the spectrum of emotions characteristic of love feelings, neither to the character of Isaac nor to the character of Bale. Also, I believe that the film is not enough sensual context, where her character was able to reveal completely.
As a result, “The Promise” came out as an old-fashioned and melodramatic film and one cannot help but argue about Terry George’s safe approach to covering events. And given that the historical background of the film is extremely important and it took Hollywood almost a hundred years to release the first mass film about it, one can forgive one or another flabby shortcomings. Unfortunately, with a budget of $ 90 million, the Promise grossed only $ 8 million at the American box office. In response to accusations of box office failure, the studio noted that the main purpose of the film was to draw attention to the story, not to make money. If so, then they succeeded, because they turned out not a love story for centuries, but a completely realistic novel against the background of one of the most unpleasant events in modern history.
I didn’t expect much from the film because even before it was released, I was suddenly faced with a number of critical reviews from competent people. However, having decided, after all, to see this film, I was rather even pleasantly surprised by the quality of shooting and production. On the other hand, if a budget of almost one hundred million greens were different, one could state the presence of illiterate management, it would be like a football club trying to quickly become famous buying a number of eminent players for fabulous money and completely ignoring the development of the academy and infrastructure. Still, what a sin to hide, the presence of such actors just attracts to view. Your humble servant is not only a fan of the work of Bale, Isaac, Le Bon, as well as recognized masters who played episodic roles - Jean Reno and James Cromwell, but also very interested in the singing talent of Isaac's Oscar, although in this film he did not sing although, in my humble opinion, he played very well. During my life I have seen a lot of films about the Armenian Genocide, and some of them are very impressive, but not one film with a similar theme I did not like as “Pianist” Roman Polanski, perhaps I loved that film also because there is not the last role assigned to the music of my favorite composer Frederic Chopin. And this film is really good, but I'm afraid that nothing more...
8 out of 10
Historical drama. And the topic that it touches is more relevant than ever - the genocide of people just because of their belonging to a certain people. In this case, we are talking about the Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire in 1915. Why is this topic relevant – because now there is a similar genocide of the Russian people on the territory of a neighboring state, although the means have changed a little, but it is still genocide. However, I was distracted, I'm sorry, just hit a nerve, let's go back to the movie. I would like to mention the advantages of this picture:
1. A love triangle against the background of terrible events - yes, it is already a cliché and a hackneyed reception, but here it looks very organic. After all, the filmmakers chose the slogan & #39; Empires are dying. Love is Immortal'
2. The emphasis of the creators on drama - very boldly and honestly shown terrible things - shootings, looting, fanatical Turks and everything else. The characters of the characters are well revealed, their motives are clear, you sympathize with them.
3. Excellent choice of music - each melody plays exactly where it is needed, there are no excesses.
I will also mention a few drawbacks that caught my eye:
1. Breaking the chronology - just the film starts in 1914, when it was still relatively calm, and then comes the moment with the terrible things, even though it all started in 1915. Maybe just inattention, or a mistake in installation. Then the timekeeping was restored. I just wanted to make a mistake.
2. The illogicalness of one moment in the last quarter of the film - or rather it was just nonsense, you will understand what I'm talking about when you look.
3. The appearance of one actor who does not fit into this picture at all. Why? I don't understand.
A bit about the main characters:
1. Mikael Bogosyan, played by Oscar Isaac, is a young Armenian boy from an old village who decided to become a professional doctor and therefore went to Constantinople, and there he already finds himself in this cruel world. The Oscars are 100% in character. Amazingly, the Guatemalan actor played the role of an Armenian. His hero had many trials, and yet they only tempered his character. I was really worried about him, and Oscar was a standing ovation.
2. Chris Meyers, played by Christian Bale, is a reporter and war correspondent for an American newspaper. It was through his work that people around the world learned about this heinous crime. Immediately I remembered another American reporter who told the world about the extermination of the local population in the Balkan Peninsula by the bashibuzuki. An honest and objective reporter. Bale is playing well this time.
3. Anna played by Charlotte Le Bon is an Armenian artist, a friend of Chris, in love with Mikael. Her fate is perhaps the most interesting, and at the same time the most. .. In a word, life is cruel and unpredictable. Charlotte's doing great.
Thank you to the creators for such an honest and sensitive film. It is a pity that Turkey has not yet recognized this monstrous atrocity, although they have paid for something, although this is another conversation. All lovers of high-quality historical cinema - definitely for viewing.
8 out of 10
The Armenian Genocide of 1915 is a terrible event, but not universally recognized, and therefore causes a lot of controversy and disagreement.
“The Promise” was advertised abroad by almost half of the magnificent Hollywood gang: here you and George Clooney, and Sylvester Stallone, and even the notorious Kim Kardashian, promising at all costs to remember the genocide that once happened. Willy-nilly, having bought on loud advertising or on equally loud names of actors, the future viewer believed in the potential inherent in the film; in the fact that the Promise will be strong, resonant, and perhaps even scandalous.
Trusted me, too. But it wasn't.
Before talking about completely disappointing moments, it is worth noting that the pluses in the film were painted with a greasy red pen, indisputable pluses:
The first thing that pleased me was the picture. At the beginning of the film, without paying attention to the plot, you can notice a huge number of scenes, succeeding each other, well staged, with magnificent scenery, many details on which you want to hold your eye. The space in many scenes is filled to the limit with various intricate trinkets: Turkish kettles, lace patterned napkins - all this in the film creates a filled space where it is required. I was pleased with the Hollywood scale filmed landscapes, and well-designed elements of clothing of the heroes.
The second plus is the acting. Yes, Oscar Isaac, Christian Bale, and even Jean Reno, who had time to light up for a few seconds, fully justified themselves. Despite the rather banal plot, the game of actors catches. You believe them unconditionally, empathize with their suffering and rejoice in their happiness.
The last plus is the musical accompaniment - the Armenian duduk and church chants that appear in some scenes added a very original color to the film.
Now for the downsides.
Probably, it is not necessary to write much about the primitiveness of the plot or about the fact that it is, roughly speaking, to the brain of the bones of “Holywood” with, as if under a piggyback, directorial and cameraman techniques written off from other similar films. And it is worth dwelling on, specifically, the topic of genocide.
She is not in the film as such. No, of course, against the background of the unfolding love story, somewhere in the backyard, there are some showdowns, something global, but the average person is completely incomprehensible. Personally, as a person who is only remotely familiar with the topic of the Armenian Genocide, I could not learn anything new for myself. Why did it happen, was it genocide and not something else? The director does not give firm, unambiguous answers to these questions. A few shots of Armenians hanging/driving in closed cars do not clarify the situation in any way, but only completely confuse and confuse. Footage unexpectedly appeared after the denouement of the film, telling in a completely documentary manner about the genocide, finally knocked out of rut. What was the message behind the film? If you show the horrors and authenticity of the Armenian genocide, the director frankly failed at all.
To summarize: If you want to have a good time, watching a quality Hollywood passerby – “Promise” will suit you. But nothing more.
Before going to the film, there were doubts. Low ratings, both from critics and viewers. But since Christian Bale starred there, I decided to visit this movie. I myself am not a fan of historical films, so I can hardly write a more or less objective assessment.
I am familiar with the history of the Armenian Genocide very superficially, I have never gone into details, I know almost nothing. Therefore, I cannot assess the reliability.
The action of the picture takes place in 1914. The First World War is gaining momentum. The great Ottoman Empire is collapsing and Constantinople is plunging into chaos. Medical student Mikael Bogosyan is passing through the city. He intends to develop modern medicine in his home village in southern Turkey, where Turkish Muslims and Armenian Christians have lived peacefully side by side for centuries. Photojournalist Chris Myers brought to Constantinople not so much the work as a fiery feeling for the Armenian artist Ana. Michael is also fascinated by Ana. But here begins the oppression of national minorities in the Ottoman Empire. As you can see from the description, there are two storylines in the film. The first is about specific people, about their relationships, about a love triangle, plans for life and so on. And the second, more global, is about the events taking place in the Ottoman Empire, and how these events affect the main characters of the film. As it seemed when watching, the weakest point in the film is the plot. I think this is due to the fact that the director tried to combine both melodrama and historical film in the film. Despite the decent timing, somehow failed to fully reveal both sides of the film. As a result, the characters turned out to be poorly worked out, and at least I did not have compassion for them when watching them. The historical part is also not very deep and is shown very clumped. But despite the weak plot, the film does not look bad.
It is moderately dynamic, with a good visual component. The picture is at a very high level. It's very naturalistic. Military action is shown quite realistically, plus, good camera work, there is something to cling to. Also, the music didn't fail. From a technical point of view, the film is quite good.
Acting at a fairly high level. Unfortunately, Christian Bale was not given much playing time in the film. It was the most interesting thing to watch him play. Yes, and the character is very interesting, and is rather deeply worked out, compared to the rest. But again, the other actors did not play well either.
How can we sum up? A film with an average plot, but a good visual and musical component, plus good actors. Is it worth watching? If you are not very interested in the plot, plus you are interested in the events of that period, or you like the cast, then yes, it is worth watching. If you are looking for a deep historical drama, I think you will not be satisfied. But in general, this is not my genre and I cannot evaluate it more objectively.
6 out of 10
The joint tape of Spanish and American filmmakers turned out to be unambiguous. Terry George did a good job, though. The theme of the genocide of the Armenian people in Turkey during the First World War was shown with realism possible for the big screen, without embellishment, but without injuring the audience. From the first shots, the creators managed to show that the national minority was under Great Turkish oppression, the development of the plot, which led to sad consequences, only confirms this. A balance has been found when what is happening is not suddenly, but with a growing effect, from army eviction operations to crowd fanaticism and systematic destruction. The sharp contrast between the violence and the beautiful views of Constantinople, the peaceful life of families and shootings only underscored the horror of what is happening. Against this background, Michael’s studies, his friendship with the Turk, his love for Ana and his duty to Maral tighten a very strong knot that cannot be unraveled, only cut with the blow of a sword. According to the plot, only this blow is bloody and does not bring happiness to anyone. The journalist Chris Myers stands out from the outside, he is not a party to the conflict, but he is a person capable of self-sacrifice and risk for the sake of other people. Ana, who won the heart of Michael, and Maral, who sincerely loves him, look tragic. Chance or rock puts everything in its place, and the sickle gathers a bloody harvest, leaving no room for quiet family happiness for either of them. And again, despite the absence of a large number of bloody scenes, the scale of the tragedy was shown correctly, and it was realized through the lives of ordinary people.
The ambiguity in the whole well-made movie is made by the following points – the love triangle of Mikael – Ana – Chris turned out to be somewhat faded, although the motives of the actions were conveyed to the viewer. And of course, the ending at the end of the film – of course, tragedies and happen just as everyday, but for me there was some understatement in the character of Ana.
The actors looked very good – Oscar Isaac (Michael), Christian Bale (Myers) coped with male roles, and Charlotte Le Bon (Ana) and Angela Sarafian (Maral) were able to show bright female images. The Turkish actors also looked good. Everyone managed to bring to the tape a little lively, human participation, which conveyed to the viewer love against the background of tragedy, fearlessness and self-sacrifice in the face of danger, and of course the bitter taste of the losses of dear people.
On the topic of the Armenian Genocide in the Ottoman Empire, I have read several books written during the Soviet Union, which tell in detail about the tragedy that occurred almost 100 years ago, including photos and figures. Of course, it is not known exactly how many Armenians died, especially considering that the genocide was not an event of one day and was stretched in time, as well as the Assyrians, Greeks, and the Turks themselves who helped the Armenians or sheltered them. But what is known for certain is the mass murder, the looting and ruining of their property, the purposeful destruction of an entire nation, etc.
I first learned about the genocide from my father, and he learned about it firsthand — as a child, when his neighbors were several families, either personally survivors of the genocide or the offspring of those people — his Georgian village was only a few kilometers from modern Turkey. Recently I came across his diaries, where he tells the story of his family and writes, among other things, that Armenians who fled from Turkey got to Georgia, Russia, Kazakhstan, someone, if he could, managed to escape to Europe and America, but none of those with whom he was acquainted could forget the tragic events, they were often remembered at evening feasts, this was discussed in schools, etc.
My father, as a true Armenian, always spoke with great pain about what had happened, tried to force my brother and I to get acquainted with this story, but we resisted - I was personally frightened by the book of almost 700 pages, which he tried to hand us then. But the time passed, I picked it up myself and read it.
Now there seems to be more information, some archives have been declassified, the topic has often been raised not only by the Armenian media, the public and politicians, but also by the Western community, the Armenian Genocide was in some way reinterpreted by ordinary citizens of these countries, although, unfortunately, it has become, among other things, a topic of political games. And it is especially good that Hollywood decided to make a new film about the Armenian Genocide - you can say anything about the American dream factory, but you can not take away from it what it introduces millions of people in a light form to very many stories, often little familiar to the general public.
In this regard, after reading a few reviews of the audience, I was very surprised that they saw only a love theme in the center, and not a tragedy. I don’t understand what the audience wanted to see in the film called “The Promise”, with a beautiful girl on the poster surrounded by portraits of men with manly faces. I don’t understand why the love story woven into the events of the tragedy is worse than the same great love Scarlett and Rath in Gone with the Wind or the theme of love and betrayal in War and Peace. Gentlemen, read the chronicles, find out how long this genocide lasted - this did not happen in 2-3 days. People fell in love, and broke up, and quarreled, and had sex, and gave birth to children while in the neighboring village they cut tribesmen and hung them on poles - yes, anyway, life went on.
The creators of this film did the right thing that they did not show blood-gut-nightmares in most of the timekeeping, but weaved a love story into the tragedy of the people. The filmmakers did the right thing when they decided not to arrange a tearpler from the tragedy, where nothing is framed, the child over the dying body of his mother and other dead dogs (a stone in an Armenian guy who shot a rarely monstrous film with the letter “Z’ and other films that play on the tears of the audience).
Now, having calmed down a bit, I'll move on to the actors. In short, it is amazingly beautiful almost all without exception. They don’t flirt with the audience, they don’t wring their hands theatrically... they just live in this story, they hide, escape, lie, protest, suffer, love, disappoint and get frustrated. Perhaps most of all, I like Bale. The fact that he is a real actor, not just a Batman costume, he proved a long time ago, but here in the film he is somehow specially good. He has the most controversial character and, personally, I doubted to the end how he would act - whether he would take revenge, whether he would betray a Turkish official, whether he would strangle his mistress, etc.
I will also mention Oscar Isaac. To be honest, it was difficult for me to believe in the non-Armenian roots of this actor. Well, that's honest! And only when he reads his speech in Armenian, it becomes clear that it costs him a lot of work, he pronounces Armenian words hard. The more interesting it was to come home quickly to find out who his parents were.
I liked the central female character the least, although I have no complaints directly to the actress. But the heroine, let’s say softly, a strange girl, some of her actions are controversial and inexplicable, but at the same time, the finale of her character was the most unexpected of all.
Also, I cannot but note everything else around them - a wonderful hero performed by Marwan Kenzari, about whom you also do not know what to think until the last minute, a small role of James Cromwell, who played the categorical and majestic US Ambassador to Turkey, the submissive and humble heroine Angela Sarafyan, the majestic Mount Musa Dag, the dedication of the French, the many kilometers of death caravans in the desert, the creepy train on the roof of which the hero Isaac rides. Much of this film is both beautiful and scary.
Anyway, I really liked the movie. Small claims on the actions of the characters did not spoil the picture as a whole, the presentation of material and the history of the central characters hooked, I recommend to all friends interested in world history.
P.S. Not a claim to the film, but perhaps a regret that the filmmakers did not include in the narrative how some Germans protested against the actions of Turkey, how they condemned the genocide, how German doctors tried to prevent the experiments that were shamelessly staged by Turkish doctors on Armenians, how the Germans wrote reports, distributed photos, and how fate “smiled” crookedly, organizing genocide, experiments and a huge war by the Germans themselves.
It would seem that the theme presented in the picture, the theme that tells about the genocide of the Armenian people, about the tragedy of people, should cause sympathy. Of course, what happened in the Ottoman Empire in 1915 is inhuman and the story of these people must be told.
However, the film “Promise” does not help the viewer to immerse himself in that time and begin to empathize with what is happening. He is not able to arouse interest in his inner story, the love triangle of his characters, let alone the tragedy of an entire nation.
In the center of the story is a young medical student Mikael, played by the magnificent actor Oscar Isaac. Michael falls in love with Anna (Charlotte le Bon) and thereby becomes a rival to her man Chris (Christian Bale).
Surprisingly, Michael, placed in the center of the plot is absolutely uninteresting character. Moreover, he does not develop in any way, he does not make any decisions, he does not take any actions. Moreover, all the logic in the film and empathy for the main character ends when he makes love at a completely inappropriate time for this. At this point, the viewer seems to be ripped out of something real in history, and he ceases to believe what he sees.
Despite the terrible events that surround Michael and his people, he takes no steps to fight. The writer suggests the characters absolutely stupid and illogical decisions in the circumstances in which they find themselves.
The only character you can relate to is Chris. This person does actions, his character is visible, even in small things. For example, he promised Anna to stop drinking, and one scene shows him drinking only water. Even at the end of the movie, it’s just him. You realize that something tragic happened only after the reaction of Christian Bale's character.
Oscar Isaac is able to pull out any film, but here it seems that he did not find the opportunity to do it. There are several scenes that seem to be knocked out of his overall performance. These are scenes where his character has some motivation. For example, to survive or to help people. But even there, it's more of a game built on physics, on movement. Isaac certainly tries and really plays, he does his best, but the character is very weak and does not develop. This is probably Isaac's worst role, precisely because of the character of his character, or rather because of his absence. It seems that Mikael is about to do something, but this does not happen.
The only character in which there is any change is Emre, Michael's friend. A person who led an irresponsible lifestyle and tried to avoid all kinds of problems, in the end chooses humanity and help friends.
The main problem of the film, of course, in the script. Even the Armenian Genocide is described in a rather strange way. The genocide is just beginning, no preconditions or history of Armenian life in the empire before the war are shown. It seems that the director and screenwriter were rather lazy about the whole story, and as a result, a very weak picture. Perhaps the authors decided that the fact of this tragedy speaks for itself, but at the same time forgot that any story should be able to tell well.
5.5 out of 10
I sincerely, with all my heart, believe that we are all equally happy, and sad in different ways. It is very difficult to understand the pain of the Armenian people as they perceive it. It is hard to watch two hours of changing footage showing how brutally abused people. It seems to me that in any serious picture you need to add something light, understandable to everyone around - in the case of ' Promises' is love.
It just so happens that the subject of genocide, the Holocaust and any racism/Nazism is of great interest to me. I am one of those people who purposefully walks and watches such films, because it is from such films that you can distinguish some positive lessons for yourself. It is such films that make us remember simple human values, and the importance and jewellery of this life, which we, living in relatively calm times, so carelessly dispose of. That’s why I’ve watched a lot of movies on the subject. Of course, the films about the first genocide did not pass me by. I saw a lot of movies and this Hollywood, after all, as I thought, was the best.
The fact is that the film itself resembles a slowly flowing life: mine, yours, someone else’s. No, two hours of the film will fly by and you won’t even notice it – it’s not about boring, but about the distinct details that contribute to understanding and awareness of the atmosphere. After ten minutes, you don’t feel like you’re sitting in a movie theater watching everything through a screen; no. You feel like a hero, you are immersed in this film. And that's probably the best thing about a movie: when you're choking ' hyping ' (sorry for the slang) every second. Everything else remains in the background.
Those who look for disadvantages will find them in any movie. In our time, when films are produced in such a huge number, it is impossible to avoid templates. Were they in the movie? Of course, what was the guile? But I thought they were exactly what they needed to lobby for the subject. Unhappy love, a good Turk, saviors and bastards - the average viewer is not able to dig deeper, he looks at the picture. And, as everyone has said, the film is not entertaining in nature, the film tries to convey to people what they have forgotten / or did not know (as it turns out, the main actors before the filming did not know that millions of Armenians, Greeks and Assyrians were killed).
The biggest plus of this movie, of course, is caste. Beautiful and international actor Oscar Isaac (who he was only: Arab, Jew, Greek), adored by millions Christian Bale and Jean Reno, the actress of Armenian origin Angela Sarafian, the French beauty Charlotte Le Bon. Well, finally. After all, looking at such a composition, any viewer will want to go to the movies. It is clear that these people are not able to play poorly (even if they try very hard). In reviews, you often come across the phrase that, they say, Armenians should have been taken on roles, and I am an ardent supporter of the opinion that such a cast will attract more attention.
The film did not show atrocities, but showed injustice. The film showed honesty and dignity, cowardice and cowardice, love and expectation, patriotism and willpower. Beautiful music (unobtrusively sounding delightful duduk), attractive landscapes, good shooting - everything was so in moderation that did not distract from the main goal of this film.
I am a person who has seen a lot of paintings. Midway through my 'sofa critic' I learned to rate the film 'here and now' Quality 'cinema' able to teach something, but not to powder the brain of people, unfortunately, very little. And I have enough proportional combination of such items as: theme, plot, cast and picture, I can fall in love with this film.
It is my sincere hope that the once-suffering Armenian people will finally find their justice and the Turkish willpower to acknowledge the atrocities of their government. Such things should never be repeated, ordinary people should never suffer. Films of this kind should be released more often, because ' training' through the screens of cinemas - for me, the best at the moment.
Will I review it? In a year, maybe again. Do I recommend watching it? Definitely. Will you enjoy the movie? It's up to you.
Knowing which theme will feature in the main storyline of the film, you understand that you will have to sit and watch it with a heavy heart. Unfortunately, this pessimistic attitude was justified. And how can it be different, when you understand that the picture reflects the real events taking place at that time, although it was not able to cover the entire scale of that disaster, only passing hand in hand with the main storyline of the main characters.
Even though the horror of the Armenian Genocide of 1915, which claimed the lives of more than 1.5 million people, the full scale of the actual events was shown only in a few lively scenes, it still made a very strong impression on me and everyone in the room. Scenes showing only a small fraction of the suffering that the Armenian people had to endure were simply stupored by the cruelty of the Turkish people, did not let them come to their senses. But we should take credit for the creators of the film, and be grateful that even the small and not the most cruel (because the film is limited by cruelty) scenes that took place, were able to convey the desperate atmosphere of those times, and made selflessly worry not only for the main characters, but for all Armenians. The storyline of the main characters within this chaotic political tyranny and oppression looked very harmoniously. It didn’t look like a story on the side of these events, it was a story that originated within these events throughout the film.
I was unexpectedly surprised, and glad that the film, which received such a strong political resonance, played actors with world renown, such as Christian Bale, Jean Reno, Oscar Isaac, James Cromwell. Christian Bale played amazingly, especially in scenes where he showed selfless courage and courage in his attitude towards the Turkish authorities, mercilessly covering the true events of the time. It is dangerous even now, let alone at that time, but such events did take place. Although such actions at the time of the prosmtor caused fear for himself, on the other hand, it caused a sense of proud courage based on the uncompromising nature of his principles. With his performance, he evokes respect not only for the role he played, but also for himself as an outstanding actor. It’s like Christian Bale’s dark knight incarnated during the Armenian Genocide to bring justice to the criminals there. No less courageous and delightful I would call the performance of Oscar Isaac, who was not covered by the name of a world journalist, and still, did not give up. All his actions, committed in accordance with truthful storylines, cause deep respect for him, since there was such a thing as renunciation of feelings for the sake of his obligations. Much of the film dealt with issues such as how to do what is right despite everything else, despite the dangers that would follow. In modern cinema, the education of cultural and spiritual qualities and patriotism is a very important aspect, and this is the basis of the idea of creating the film itself.
It is very likely that with a budget of $ 90 million, this film, which does not carry an entertaining character, will hardly be able to pay off, however, it should be assumed that the goal of cinema is not only the commercial success of the project, but also a cultural, educational and information source that can not be neglected, even knowing that it is economically inexpedient. I draw parallels with the film list ' Schindler's List' as the theme of these films is close to each other. These are films that cover real historical events. And while I believe that no film can capture any of the events of the Armenian Genocide or the atrocities of World War 2, it’s always better to do that than to forget about it. After all, the best screenwriter can rightfully be considered a story, which means the film is doomed to recognition. I hope that this kind of film does not end there. After watching the film, I promised myself to write a review of it, and I kept it.
10 out of 10
To begin with, the topic of the Armenian Genocide is one of the most controversial in the world and cinema in particular. The fact is that films with such problems are very difficult to shoot and there are many projects closed for political reasons, so that the creation ' Promise' already heroism (I am talking about the audience cinema, there are several beautiful independent films, few people know them), but this is lyrics, I will go directly to the film.
There are shortcomings, I will not deny. This is primarily a script, I rarely use this term, but it is some kind of "#39; clamped" & #39; modestly lurking next to the terrible events of the XX century. The plot is a gossip of thousands of pieces, here and 'Musa Dag' The shipyard and millions of tragic stories and the crumpled melodramatic torments and atrocities of the Turks and Americans and Jean Reno, war love, peace, friendship, all here. Terry George seems to sculpt from plasticine and of course uses some stamps for an elementary bundle of parts of his work.
But now an excuse. The film is the first made specifically for a wide audience, not for critics, not for profit, it is intended to inform that the Genocide was and should not be repeated. Another point is the cliché, the Americans and the French did help, many were taken out and the money of the victims of the genocide is still in the US banks, but of course it was not as hasty and inconsistent as in the film. It is necessary to understand that the director had a thought in his head - it is necessary to squeeze the maximum number of human dramas and overcomes into the film and somehow tamper with them, since it is not a fact that Trump recognizes the Genocide and such films will be the norm in the future. It takes a lot of time and effort to make a great '. Pianist' and 'Schindler's List'- private, personal stories and without haste, without fear that your picture may not be released at all and be filled with negative reviews before the premiere, bring the work to perfection
A bit about the central actors
Dignities. I may not be objective due to my nationality (sorry), but Oscar Isaac for his game, deserves a Golden Globe (not to mention more), he began to resemble an Armenian only towards the end, but with what dedication and how selflessly he played, it is hard to imagine that the musician from & #39; Inside Llewyn Davis' and a businessman from ' The cruelest year' it's him, just applauding standing up, I didn't expect this.
Christian Bale, what can I say, charisma is blazing. He can say nothing (dialogues are not the strongest side of the film), his look can be safely framed, he got a little screen time, but his task Bale performed impeccably.
Charlotte Le Bon - beautiful, she looked more than confident and very organic, Terry did not require much from her. Le Bon was definitely the highlight of this film.
It’s also worth noting that there were Turks who helped Armenians and I’m glad the film shows that. Operator work does not cause complaints, the cadres of Nature and Constantinople are admired, but Javier is too conservative. Another indisputable advantage is the soundtrack, in my opinion, it is more than worthy and makes the heart beat more often.
' Promise' will not be on par with masterpieces about the Holocaust, he is a pioneer, lame, with a cane in his hand and poor eyesight, but he proved that films about the Armenian Genocide are possible and will evolve every time. This is only the first attempt, but it is also grand and worthy of respect.
P. I am very grateful to Kirk Kirkorian, who before his death sponsored this film and literally gave him life.
9 out of 10
I have been waiting for the premiere of this film for a long time, because many will agree that the director and the cast are already looking forward to something truly brilliant. What can I say? My expectations were actually met, the whole film literally in one breath makes me empathize with the heroes of the story. A romantic tragedy against the backdrop of the most brutal events of history simply cannot leave indifferent a single person who has the heart and ability to perceive the bitterness of not only one person, but a whole people - people who in the most innocent way become victims of the Genocide, based on their religious and national affiliation. I do not want to delve into the historical facts of what is happening, in my opinion, everyone should get acquainted with history and independently form an idea of the essence of what is happening.
As for acting... Christian Bale as an American journalist is simply inimitable, I think it makes no sense to talk about his acting, it is not for me to tell you who this outstanding actor is. Isaac and Bale fully convey the characters of their characters, sometimes causing sincere pity, and at times admiring the strength of spirit of their characters and actions inherent in true heroes.
Of the characters of the film, I would especially like to note the role of a Turkish friend who throughout history, despite the negative influence of his father and the government, sacrificing his own life and understanding the essence of what is happening, in every possible way extends a helping hand to the main characters, which makes it clear that the director wanted to show that among all this folk cruelty there were people who trusted only what they saw with their own eyes and in any situation remained people.
I also want to note the multifaceted nature of the story. It is clear that the purpose of the director was not to emphasize pity and show the characters only as victims of everything that is happening, as well as people who in every way fought for their lives, trying not to give it to circumstances.
10 out of 10
The Armenian Genocide is a global tragedy. This is an indelible stain in the history of the world. To be honest, I don’t give a shit about all the national and political differences between the two countries. I am saddened that millions of people have given their lives for the dubious ideals of this or that government. Words cannot express how much I care for the human race. And such cases in history, once again give me reason to think. Watching the stories of the victims is terrifying. What they went through was an unthinkable sight. To this day, the Turkish government has not acknowledged its crime.
That's my attitude to the story, now I want to move on to the film. Hollywood once again shot the story on a template. It was weak, very weak. “Promise” is clichés, undisclosed characters and a lot of blunders. That is, the story is good, the caste is brilliant. But the rest raised a lot of questions. It’s basically a poorly told story, a bad and banal operator job, and a bunch of templates.
Cinema is when creators tell a story. That's the director's job. Without a good story, the film is almost doomed to failure. This is where they screwed up. If you have such a story, make such a weak film. You really have to try.
Also, the big problem of the film is in the production of frames. It would seem at the dramatic moments of death, you must feel sorry and kind of have to cry. But this does not happen, because the creators are trying to push pity. They give out crumpled scenes in which you do not know how to behave.
For example, in the same “Green Mile” or in “Saving Private Ryan”, the creators tell the story, go with the flow and believe in it with all their heart. Yes, even in the directorial debut of Russell Crowe, there are more scenes over which you really empathize. Because the creators of good dramatic films believe and care about the story they tell.
Sometimes the characters of “Promise” do not believe in what is happening, but just work their money. And this all greatly affected the quality of the picture. There was some effect of a cheap production, which does not believe itself, but tries to make the audience believe.
Undisclosed characters are another problem in the film. It's like everyone's in place, everybody's working on a script. But there's one thing. These people don't reveal themselves as people. There is a journalist, an artist and a doctor. Show some feelings, experiences and hardships. Everything.
The director does not regard them as ordinary people, instead he slaps labels on them and conducts them as if a doctor should treat, a journalist should write. Personally, I didn’t like that approach. And I didn't believe the story I was told. Especially when the Americans are in the movie, everyone is saved. That cliché is just wild.
I didn’t expect such a weak picture from such a venerable director. Again, a great story that failed to tell itself fully and failed to present it exactly as it was in reality.
For what? Why? What did you think? – these are the first questions that arise after watching the tape. The Armenian Genocide is a terrible event that took place from 1915 to, presumably, 1923. It was during the First World War. This was the genocide of the Turks. It would seem what a powerful, serious and moralistic story can be told about these events. Something like Schindler's List. Yes, to repeat the brilliant film Spielberg will not work, only if you do not call Spielberg and then not the fact. But writer and director Terry Jones put a big bolt on everything. Instead of telling one of the most horrific events of the 20th century, let’s make a love story. Nope! A love story with a love triangle, and genocide is an empty background. Also, let’s make a very confused start. Not to reveal the relationship between two lovers Bale and Le Bon (Sorry, but I do not remember the names of the characters), the main thing is just to put the viewer before the fact that he loves her, and she does not like him (So why are they together? Why didn't she leave him? Why didn’t she leave when she really fell in love? No, she did. No, I didn't. (Reminds me of the Armenian Genocide) We'll crack the reporter from another key. And we'll open it up outside the love line. And the main character, too. And the love between them can not be very stuttered. We said they loved each other, and that was it. Although no, between the main character and the girl a little open. Also, we'll give him a love nuisance from the start. Here we go. There it is. Brilliant. So we're also going to make a secondary line for the reporter to justify him being in action. And then there's more dramas here and there, and there's a little bit of pompous phrases. Here's a little moral. Done. Huh? What? Man, genocide. Right. Well, what I said earlier, we're going to let go of the genocide. Kaef. Well, since we're at war and we've got 90 lemons on the budget, let's give it a fuck. There it is. And drama. So that's it now. We gotta get some top actors. Otherwise, the budget has nowhere to go. Great. Even if the movie is about Armenians, I will take Hollywood actors. (Although in their defense, both are pretty similar to Armenians.) And a cameo of someone. All? Are you out of money? Great! Get to work! That’s how I see the process of writing this movie.
The problem, as you can see from my comments, is not only that the screenwriter and the director put a bolt on the genocide itself, but also what he focused on was crooked. The script, as usual, became the film's Achilles pit. Here you have a problem with motivations, inefficiencies and, at times, problems with logic. All the potential of a complex and moralistic, and just a show story, drains into the toilet. Why? Why? Problems with the script is the main scourge of cinema in principle. I understand. You wanted to tell people about a terrible event, but at the same time, so that they would not get bored. I understand that you wanted to show fear and horror, but at the same time, so that the audience would not run away from the audience. I understand that you wanted to make a moral story about a terrible event, but did not want to be misunderstood. But you didn't. I'm sorry. But here's a surprise.
From all sides, the film is beautiful. Directing is stylish, catchy, but too bright for the horror that happens on the screen. The operator did not bother me at all, which is rare for operators. Smooth and sometimes very beautiful. Some people just want to scream. The actors are naturally flawless. Oscar Isaac convincingly played his part, and to me there is something Armenian in him. He has great chemistry with Charlotte Le Bon. She, by the way, is just as beautiful and squeezes all the juices out of her role. But that's who I'm willing to praise, is Christian Bale. His character from the script point of view can be scolded endlessly. But thanks to Bale the character becomes interesting and versatile. The music was beautiful, with notes of that mountain spirit. And everything else was wonderful. Okay. And all this spoils the script. I did not miss the tape, I empathized with the characters, I was interested in what was happening. But I learned absolutely nothing about the Armenian genocide (though that was the main goal, according to the authors), other than that it was all started by the Turks. I punched my forehead a couple of times with the logic of the characters' actions. But still, I was able to enjoy a beautiful movie with a nasty script. However, I will say to the authors, “Promise not to do that again!”
5 out of 10