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The Water Diviner

The Water Diviner

Movie · 2014 · 8 people

The Water Diviner (released in Turkey as Son Umut) is Russell Crowe's first film as director, and he also takes the lead. This 2014 drama and war film is an Australian, Turkish and American co-production running 111 minutes. Andrew Anastasios and Andrew Knight wrote the script, loosely based on a book of the same name by Anastasios and Meaghan Wilson-Anastasios. Its world premiere was at the State Theatre in Sydney on 2 December 2014, it opened on 26 December, and it won Best Film at the 4th AACTA Awards.

The story opens in 1919, just after the First World War. Australian farmer Joshua Connor (Crowe) has heard nothing more of his three sons, sent to the Gallipoli campaign, and travels to Turkey to learn their fate. His search runs from Istanbul to Gallipoli, with the Turkish officers Hasan and Cemal as his greatest allies. Crowe is joined by Olga Kurylenko, Jai Courtney, Isabel Lucas and Jacqueline McKenzie, plus Cem Yılmaz and Yılmaz Erdoğan, who took the AACTA for Best Supporting Actor.

Besides Australia's war trauma, the film looks at Turkey after the Ottoman Empire's dissolution; it was shot in Australia and Turkey. Armenian and Greek diaspora communities criticised it, arguing that it is silent on the genocide of Christians.

DirectorRussell Crowe

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Cast

Canan Ergüder Canan Ergüder Actor · 49 years old Cem Yılmaz Cem Yılmaz Actor · 53 years old Deniz Akdeniz Deniz Akdeniz Actor · 36 years old Megan Gale Megan Gale Actor · 51 years old Özcan Özdemir Özcan Özdemir Actor · 39 years old Russell Crowe Russell Crowe Actor · 62 years old Salih Kalyon Salih Kalyon Actor · 80 years old Yılmaz Erdoğan Yılmaz Erdoğan Actor · 58 years old

Titles sharing this cast

Through different eyes

History & Society Lens Asks about the period, the social background and what the work reflects.

The film looks at 1919, just after the First World War, from a place that tries to hold both sides of the war in view. An Australian father with no news of the three sons he sent to Gallipoli, standing side by side with Turkish officers, rests on the idea of closeness after enmity. Showing Turkey after the Ottoman Empire's dissolution, alongside Australia's war trauma, is a real plus. Still, it is worth remembering that the script is loosely based on a book and that a drama selects and arranges history to suit its own needs. The criticism voiced by Armenian and Greek diaspora communities is also a reminder of how sensitive any portrayal of this period is.

Cinephile Looks at script, editing and directing choices; keeps a distance from formula films.

Russell Crowe's first film as director uses its considerable production resources to build a classic epic drama. The search from Istanbul to Gallipoli gives the story a clear spine, and the film never falls apart over its 111 minutes. But with Crowe both behind and in front of the camera, the point of view is locked too tightly onto a single hero; the supporting characters sometimes stay merely functional, and some emotional beats are underlined more heavily than needed. Seeing Cem Yılmaz and Yılmaz Erdoğan in the cast is a draw of its own for Turkish viewers, and Erdoğan's AACTA for Best Supporting Actor is well earned. A safe but careful debut.

Family Viewer Asks whether the whole household can watch it; cares about humour and heart.

It is a war film, but at heart it is about a father searching for his sons, so its emotional side is very strong. Because it deals with Gallipoli and its losses, though, expect heavy and sad scenes. It is not for young children; it works better with young teens and older, watched together with a conversation about the history. Seeing Cem Yılmaz and Yılmaz Erdoğan will win over the grandparents too.

These are not reader reviews: they are short editorial takes written from different viewer perspectives with AI assistance. Reader reviews are below.

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