The Water Diviner (2014) User Reviews (246)

A moving and sensitive picture about an Australian father who attempts to find his sons , being Russell Crowe's directorial debut.

[ma-cortes · 8/10 · 13 February 2018]

After the Battle of Gallipoli, in 1915, an Aussie farmer called Connor (Russell Crowe), travels to Turkey after the Battle of Gallipoli to attempt locate his three sons , allegedly missing in action . At a hotel he meets a beautiful widow (Olga Kurylenko who learned Turkish for her character), and later on he tries to find out a way in arrive to Gallipoli , where reportedly died his children . As he must travel across the war-torn landscape with the help of a British Lt Colonel called Hughes (Jai Courtney) and a Turkish Officer (Erdogan) . Meanwhile , there takes place the Greek-Turkish war and the invasion of Smirna by the Greeks . As it is set during the Turkish War of Independence, in revolutionary days during fall of the Ottoman Empire . The War resulted the defeat of Greece in Western Turkey (Greco-Turkish war), on the East, Armenian state and Britain, France and Georgia.

This is a family story in which is treated thought-provoking issues with a tough man holding onto hope, fighting for a desire , and bringing to life a promise . Australian Russell Crowe gives an acceptable actiing as the Aussie father who goes out to find his 3 missing sons and while staying at a hotel in Istanbul, he falls in love with a gorgeous widow. The charming Olga Kurylenko is good as the attractive widow mistreated by his brother-in-law who wants to marry her . Support cast is pretty well , such as Jai Courtney , Isabel Lucas and Jacqueline McKenzie who also starred with Crowe in the 1992 hit Romper Stomper . And some fine Turks actors as Cem Yilmaz and Yilmaz Erdogan who are both comedy actors in Turkey . It displays a colorful and evocative cinematography by Oscar-winning cameraman Andrew Lesnie , being his final movie . Sensitive as well as thrilling musical score by David Hirschfelder , helped by Lisa Gerard .The motion picture was stunningly acted/produced/directed by Russell Crowe .

The picture gives an interesting portrayal about the bloody campaign and battle of Gallipoli . There happened the following : The Gallipoli Campaign, also known as the Dardanelles Campaign, the Battle of Gallipoli, or the Battle of Çanakkale , was a campaign of the First World War that took place on the Gallipoli peninsula (Gelibolu in modern Turkey) in the Ottoman Empire between 17 February 1915 and 9 January 1916. The peninsula forms the northern bank of the Dardanelles, a strait that provided a sea route to the Russian Empire, one of the Allied powers during the war. Intending to secure it, Russia's allies, Britain and France, launched a naval attack followed by an amphibious landing on the peninsula, with the aim of capturing the Ottoman capital of Constantinople (modern Istanbul).The naval attack was repelled and after eight months' fighting, with many casualties on both sides, the land campaign was abandoned and the invasion force was withdrawn to Egypt.The campaign was the only major Ottoman victory of the war. In Turkey, it is regarded as a defining moment in the nation's history, a final surge in the defence of the motherland as the Ottoman Empire crumbled. The campaign is often considered to be the beginning of Australian and New Zealand national consciousness; 25 April, the anniversary of the landings, is known as "Anzac Day", the most significant commemoration of military casualties and veterans in the two countries, surpassing Remembrance Day , Armistice Day .The struggle formed the basis for the Turkish War of Independence and the declaration of the Republic of Turkey eight years later, with Mustafa Kemal (Kemal Atatürk) as President, who rose to prominence as a commander at Gallipoli. Mustafa Kemal, Attaturk commanded the Turkish national movement in the war of independence. His successful military campaigns led to liberation of the country and to the establishing of Turkey. He transformed the former Ottoman Empire into a democratic, modern, secular nation-state , his reforms are referred as Kemalism. Ankara became the new capital and Kemal abolished the Caliphate and Sultanate. .

Exquisitely-Acted and Heart-wrenchingly Sentimental,

[prospectus_capricornium · 8/10 · 18 July 2015]

Right from the beginning, Russel Crowe's directorial debut, THE WATER DIVINER, is already sweeping with unfathomable amount of emotions, gathering affection the moment it flashes grim representations of war and what follows at its heels. From there, it treads through compassionate subjects of ambitious scale, stumbling upon its own entanglements at times, but gets saved by towering affectionate performances from its actors.

The film follows the story of miraculous farmer (he knows where to find water underneath the arid earth) Joshua Connor (Crowe), whose three sons were sent to the war in Turkey. Years later and none of them has ever come home. His wife mourns over their presumed death, and succumbs to fatal depression. Swearing at his wife's grave to bring their sons' remains home, Connor voyages to Turkey, not even knowing what exactly to expect and see.

There is much to admire in Crowe for helming such historical romance, teeming with bold themes about love, family, and war. His directorial inexperience screams with some odd choices he made, like the forced romance between Connor and Olga Kurylenko's widow character, and the mostly ill-woven narrative his screenwriters knitted, but the sentimental performances of his actors and himself, are overwhelming enough to make up for the narrative inconsistencies. These solid heart-shattering performances summon the affection they truly deserve, and make the film, amid of its script's evident flaws, able to relay its sincere intentions, to the audience. Also a key factor for its effective delivery, is an exquisite cinematography that is able to capture the dreadfulness of the war, the sorrow of a grieving and longing father, and the breathtaking sceneries of countryside Australia, assuming incredibly toned palettes that shifts along the landscapes of the story.

This movie could have been perfect with an excellently-written script, but considering it's just Crowe's first directorial assignment, I'd say this is one hell of an epic job. Sincere, heart-wrenching, and beautifully-acted, THE WATER DIVINER, packs an incredible wallop of searing emotions, sending the most striking of sentiments, despite the faults in its storytelling.

Reasonably promising premise which ultimately falls short

[crocolm · 6/10 · 18 April 2015]

Set in 1919 The Water Diviner tells the story of an Australian father of three young men all of whom have enlisted with the ANZAC's in the Gallipoli campaign in World War 1. Subsequent to the battle in which the Allied forces were defeated all three have failed to return home and are now presumed dead. Joshua Connor (Russell Crowe) their father, a Victorian Outback farmer with a gift for divining water makes a promise to his wife to bring them home and heads off on a quest to Gallipoli to find them.

This is the reasonably promising premise laid out in the first 20 minutes of the film. I didn't envisage a swash-buckle fest at this stage; nor is it true to say it becomes this, but the film does veer in that direction once or twice over the ensuing hour and thirty minutes. It seems like a betrayal of the seriousness of the subject matter because of this.

The Water Diviner is relatively entertaining but it falls short of what I was hoping for and I think this is because it neither all-out delivers as a full on ravages of war redemption story or as an all- out high-spirited adventure. Having said that some of the battle- scenes (shot in flashback) are unflinching and are probably the best scenes in the film.

The cinematography is beautiful to the eye but the end effect here is that it feels too sanitised at times. There are other things that rankle as well- a burgeoning love story which comes over as too shoe-horned and heavy handed for my liking and in my view steals the central story of its import. There are two scenes in particular where the viewer is required to make the jump from believing in the power of the diviners hand to believing in altogether more mystical powers or insights divined by the same hand (also to do with powers of location). Another thing to watch out for; the film plays host to a stock character or two- witness the very officious English officer who speaks in stereotypical clipped tones, previously seen in countless other films.

Amazing! Kudos to Russell Crowe

[warthogjump · 17 December 2014]

I was persistent enough to get tickets to the special Village Cinemas Screening of this great film in Australia.

The plot is very novel and interesting - focusing on the aftermath of the Gallipoli/Anzac War and one father's (Russell Crowe) determination to track down each one of his presumably deceased three sons - all who served as Australian soldiers in the war - in order to bury all of them "at home." Definitely a unique plot.

The film is essentially a mix of epic Hollywood elements and an accurate, respectable portrayal of both the Turkish army and culture. The latter is largely why this film succeeds - because it doesn't judge, but rather it observes the practices of the Turkish people. This element combined with some powerful Hollywood emotional scenes make for a very enjoyable and extraordinary viewing experience.

In some scenes, the Australian soldiers express regret in relation to the Gallipoli War - why were we there? what did we achieve? what did we aim to achieve? These questions are very important because the only outcome achieved from the invasion was the death of countless Australian and Turkish soldiers. Ironically, this may be the main critique by media and other reviewers - because Russell Crowe will be wrongly hated for using film to communicate to the audience how futile the Gallipoli War was, how thousands of lives were lost and families destroyed all in the name of nothing.

The most intriguing and amazing aspect of the entire film is the close friendship between the Turkish and Australian soldiers after the war - there are even multiple comments in what appear to be in jest of this bond - however, to say the least, it is a great exemplification of the humaneness and genuineness of all soldiers who fought in the war. The similarities between soldiers on both sides of each army is so unsettling it is almost uncanny - the most obvious being the Turkish Major Hasan's (played by a very convincing and excellent Yilmaz Erdogan) decision to help Crowe (Mr Conner) in his search for his sons. Hasan is a father just like Conner - he can share the pain and heartbreak of losing children and simply not knowing their precise fate.

The Turkish army is manifested to be a group of very respectable people merely defending their home land and for this I praise Crowe the most - there was no bad guy, there was no evil, there was just useless and pointless killings and this epiphany is (unfortunately) recognised only after the war was over. Ultimately, we were all friends, we could all get along, but it took thousands of soldiers lives just to realise this.

Russell Crowe was very smart as both Director and Actor in this film. There are multiple scenes in which Crowe appears to very ignorant of Turkish ideas, customs and behaviour. However, it is very clear that Crowe has extensively studied Turkish culture as he could not have made this film so meticulous otherwise.

I give the Water Diviner a solid 9.5/10 - just short of a masterpiece. The only thing Crowe could have added is a touch more character development and depth. Not to say that it was not sufficient, because it most certainly was, but if he just took that extra step he may very well have created a flawless flick - or maybe I'm just nitpicking!

Well-intentioned but clumsy

[grantss · 6/10 · 14 December 2015]

Well-intentioned but clumsy.

It is 1919 and, after his wife's death, an Australian man, Connor (played by Russell Crowe), goes to Turkey to find the graves and remains of the three sons he lost at Gallipoli in World War 1.

The movie is a bit of a hit-and-miss affair. The search for his sons (which turns out to be much more complicated than anticipated) is quite an emotional journey. Along the way we see how they died, and experience the wastefulness and futility of war. We also see the war from the eyes of Turkish people, who also lost many loved ones in the war, often to Australians.

On the other hand, many of the scenes don't seem written or staged well, giving the movie a rickety sort of feel. The whole romance angle seems out of place too.

Overall, a decent and watchable attempt by Russell Crowe on his directorial debut. A bit more tightness in the script and polish in direction and this would have been a great movie.

"Because he's the only father who came looking."

[classicsoncall · 7/10 · 13 May 2019]

The story has only a tenuous connection to the title of the movie. Russell Crowe's character, Joshua Connor, who used his divining ability to locate water wells on his farmland, somehow translates this ability to locating the remains of his three sons missing in battle at Gallipoli, Turkey in 1915 during World War I. I'm not sure if that was the best way to demonstrate his resolve in finding his sons, all presumed to have died during that campaign. The film could have been made without the 'water diviner' connection, as the presence of Major Hasan (Yilmaz Erdogan) was instrumental in locating the exact battlefield where the casualties took place. The mystical visions Connor experienced at the battle site, now a vast graveyard, were too conveniently effective to establish where his sons were buried, not to mention the overwhelming odds of finding the dog tags of two of the dead sons by his Aussie hosts.

What's effective in the film, as mentioned earlier, is Joshua Connor's resolve to locate his sons as a final promise granted to his wife. Her death is perhaps meant to be purposely ambiguous, as it's called an accident by Joshua, though my thoughts immediately went to suicide in despondency over the family she lost. Which would only be exacerbated if her husband were not to return from his dauntless task. The story also effectively demonstrates how former enemies, Turks and Aussies, could set aside their differences from the war to pay respects to the fallen at Gallipoli. In particular, Joshua, who was not a soldier, was able to suppress his initial hatred for Major Hasan to eventually prove himself a valuable ally.

The hint of a potential romance between Joshua and the Turkish hotel owner Ayshe (Olga Kurylenko) wasn't as distracting from the principal story as it might have been. Again, initial impressions served to foster a dislike for each other, with the presence of Ayshe's son (Dylan Georgiades) a mitigating factor. The film doesn't seek closure on their relationship, though one can probably read between the lines well enough. Joshua's discovery of his remaining son (Ryan Corr) who survived the Battle of Gallipoli was handled with some suspension of disbelief, while his confession of battle field circumstances regarding the death of brother Ed the most heart wrenching aspect of the movie.

The Water Diviner Discovers a Flaw in Australia's National Myth

[raiderhayseed · 7/10 · 11 January 2015]

"The Water Diviner", Russell Crowe's first attempt at directing a film, opened the day after Christmas and within a week, Australian cinema goers made it the biggest grossing Australian film for 2014. Money talks, and the critics are grudgingly acknowledging its success. (It was popular in Turkey too) But their praise is muted.For example…The Water Diviner is far from perfect… Its main failing is that it tries to be too many things …it feels like you've watched three or four different movies.

I beg to differ. To me it seemed like the film was propagating a very simple yet radical view of Australian history. It's one that I have been thinking about for some time. It is a view whose expression will mark one out as mad, bad and dangerous to know. Unless, of course, you can wrap it up in a rattling good yarn, as Crowe and his writers have succeeded in doing admirably.

So I will start by mentioning my maternal grandfather. He fought in the first World War, in Europe rather than Turkey, before being wounded, sent home and conceiving my mother before the armistice had been declared.

My mother said he, like so many of his fellow soldiers, refused to talk about his war experiences.

Albert Facey, a survivor of the Gallipoli expedition and author of "A Fortunate Life", a best selling memoir, was rather more forthcoming about his experiences. However, when talking about his fellow Australians who were not there, he said (287), "Some men who did not go got a rough time, but we never said anything to them because we thought they had some brains. I would have stayed behind if I had known"

My grandfather had a few of things in common with Albert Facey. They were both wounded in the first world war, they both had their first encounters with the girls they would marry in the tea rooms in Boans, Perth's biggest department store and both of them outlived their wives.

The film opens with the Turkish army, advancing against the armies that have invaded their country only to discover that they have retreated after a bloody war that has achieved nothing other than to hasten the already inevitable decline of the Ottoman Empire. The post war Greek incursions into Turkey to take chunks of its territory for themselves forms the backdrop to the film.

So why were the Australians invading a country that was no threat to them in 1915?

There is a disturbing answer to that question.

When Connor (Russell Crowe) intervenes in a fight between the film's charismatic love interest, Ayshe (Olga Kurylenko) and her brother, she remonstrates with him, saying that Australians involve themselves in other peoples wars for no good reason. Connor does it again, taking the side of the Turkish commander whose actions led to the death of his sons, against the invading Greek armed forces.

There is a great deal of cant, masquerading as history, taught to Australian school children, about Australia becoming a nation of the shores of Gallipoli.

The real reason the Australians were there was an ill-founded belief that the military might of the British Empire had to be defended at all costs, because Australia's very existence depended on that remaining the case. During World War II, when it became clear that this was no longer the case, Australia found a new master to serve - the USA. The nonsensical and disastrous post war military adventures of the USA, have all been aided and abetted, small part, with Australian troops. Or as Ayshe said, Australians involving themselves in other peoples wars for no good reason

During World War II, the Australian prime minister turned back the boats that were transporting Australian soldiers at the whim of the British prime minister (who had been the architect of the Gallipoli landing) to some foreign theatre of war, and brought them back to thwart the previously unstoppable Japanese army's southward progress through New Guinea. That should have been the cause for national myth building and solemn remembrance. That should have been the genesis of a proud and militarily self reliant Australian nation.

Canberra Times editor at large, Jack Waterford, wrote about an Australian senior Defence Department bureaucrat seconded to work at the US Pentagon. He jokingly asked the Americans with whom he was working what they thought of Australia. After the platitudes such as "old friends, steady and reliable allies, close companions who have stood along side us in tough times, etc", he asked them what they really thought. There was a silence, then one of them said, "we think you are an easy lay".(26 July 2014)

That is the kind of relationship a pimp has with his whores.

I have been critical of the way in which the nation state of Israel has conducted itself since 1967, but it has to be admitted that they have developed a proud and militarily self reliant national mythology in a way that Australia has failed to do.

So, far from trying to be too many things, The Water Diviner, has made a bold statement about the craven lack of self reliance that has infected the Australian national spirit. And it has done that in a way that has had Australians flocking to the cinemas to enjoy a rattling good yarn. That's something of a coup for Crowe and his collaborators to have pulled off, if you give any credence to my take on film.

Cross-Cultural Jewel, Incredibly Powerful Message

[vinifrss · 10/10 · 13 January 2015]

First of all, I am neither Australian nor Turkish. I'm from Rio, as far away as it can get from either country - not only in terms of geography, but also, and most importantly, in culture. I enjoyed "The Water Diviner" enormously nonetheless (watched it in Mediterranean Turkey on a trip), for this jewel of a movie is built upon universal themes of common appeal to our shared humankind.

This is the first film from an English-speaking country with a huge budget and world-famous actors that thoroughly succeeds in overcoming jingoism and achieving a perfectly harmonious, cross- culture balance of fairness that I have ever watched in my entire life.

The story has an amazing soul, a mesmerizing spiritual power, and a refreshing perspective on History. As a scholar of History, I'd say it treats a noble Turkish nation victim of absolutely unprovoked aggression from all sides during World War I with long-overdue justice after a 100 years, while retaining the dignity of ANZAC soldiers who fought with great bravery and loyalty for a dubious British cause.

"The Water Diviner" is not only a cinematographic masterpiece of rare beauty. It is a powerful statement of tolerance, a testimony of endless hope and love.

Good movie, beautiful scenery but could have been historically more complete

[dugongsZ · 7/10 · 7 April 2015]

Great movie although Russell does not look old enough to have adult sons. The water diviner title is also rather weak and not really anything to do with the story as far as I can tell.

What is good is the scenery in Turkey is stunning. Its a beautiful country and this movies does it justice. The story as well is entertaining and well told. Russell has done a good job with such serious and heavy going subject matter.

Movie goes out of its way to acknowledge and show the Turkish side. Full credit for that especially coming from Australia which often brushes over this. Sadly failed to acknowledge the other allies that were fighting alongside the Anzacs which suffered terrible casualties as well. I appreciate this was about the Anzacs but it made out as though they were the only ones involved so an opportunity missed to truly educate everyone as to exactly what happened. The token British toff thrown in to rub salt into the wound of the thousands of British, french, canadians, kiwis etc that died in the campaign as well.

The overall casualties were shown at the end but no mention that they were not all Anzacs. I appreciate its Hollywood and historical accuracy is not their strong point. But given the outstanding efforts made to show the Turkish side fairly I think this was poor. Likewise the nationalist uprising taking place in Istanbul was not really explained very well and little mention of Ataturk.

Otherwise entertaining. Enjoyed it and recommend.

Just a really terrific movie. Great job, Russell Crowe.

[mailes22 · 9/10 · 26 December 2014]

Not going to give it 10 out of 10 stars, because you should always save your 10. However, this movie is close to perfect. Very loosely based on what might have been a true story (a war record that mentioned that 'only one father came looking for his sons' at Gallipoli after the war). Really well acted. The war scenes conveyed some of the horror without being gratuitous in the violence or gore. There was some shown, but only briefly, and really just enough to set the scenes. The movie is well- paced, well edited and doesn't drag. The lead actors (including the young Turkish boy) were all perfectly cast. At the start of the 100th anniversary year of the Gallipoli landings, this is a story that was well worth telling. Great job, Russell Crowe.

Definitely not a very impressive directorial debut for Crowe.

[Hellmant · 6/10 · 8 October 2015]

'THE WATER DIVINER': Three Stars (Out of Five)

Russell Crowe makes his directorial debut, with this war drama film; about a farmer searching for his missing sons, who never returned home from the Battle of Gallipoli, four years earlier. Crowe also stars in the movie, as the farmer, and it costars Olga Kurylenko, Yilmaz Erdogan, Cem Yilmaz, Dylan Georgiades, Ryan Corr (of 'WOLF CREEK 2' fame), Jaqueline McKenzie and Jai Courtney. It was written by Andrew Anastasios and Andrew Knight; and it's based on the book, of the same name, by Anastasios and his wife, Dr. Meaghan Wilson-Anastasios. I found it to be pretty slow-paced, and clichéd (at times), but it comes to a pretty rewarding conclusion; that almost redeems the rest of the film.

The story begins in Australia, in 1919 (four years after the end of World War I). Joshua Connor (Crowe) is a farmer, and water diviner, that's still obsessing over his three missing sons; who never returned home from the Battle of Gallipoli. His wife, Eliza (McKenzie), commits suicide; due to the presumed death of their boys. After the loss of Eliza, as well, Joshua decides to travel to Turkey; and bring back his sons.

The film starts out promising, while setting up it's story (and characters), then it becomes really slow-moving (and dull). The movie really takes a turn for the worse, when a war-widowed love interest is introduced, for Crowe (played by Kurylenko). That's when the film gets really clichéd (and corny). It does come to an exciting, and pretty emotionally charged, conclusion though; that almost makes it all worthwhile. Crowe is good in the lead performance, but his directing skills can definitely use some work. I've also read that the movie is incredibly historically inaccurate, and insulting to some (many it appears, actually). The film is definitely not a very impressive directorial debut for Crowe; to say the least.

Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: https://youtu.be/uU2Z04j5ZzE

The best movie we've seen this year

[skw2001 · 9/10 · 26 December 2014]

The preview did not hint at the complex and gripping tale in store for us, beyond that of a father seeking his sons' fate on the battlefields of Gallipoli. Crowe clearly sought to make a powerful statement about war (my wife was moved to tears during the battlefield scenes) but did not overdo it at the expense of an engaging plot. We left the cinema with a new insight to the Gallipoli story, that being the cost to the Turkish people.

Crowe was very convincing in his role of the grieving, relentless father. Fantastic support role by Yilmaz Ergodan and, although brief, Ryan Corr was very moving.

Don't wait for this to come to DVD, it is best appreciated on the big screen.

To the genius "read some history" fans

[halils6959 · 6/10 · 17 March 2015]

Well, why did I give 6 stars? Cause it was a good film, the flow of the movie was somehow forced, different pieces of the movie could not constitute a whole in my opinion, and it was due to the need to tell as much as possible in a limited amount time. But still acting, the story, scripts were above average. Now, lets talk about haters "read some history" propaganda. I am not gonna say Turks were the complete victims, genocide claims are totally empty and so forth. All of these arguments have some valid points from academic point of view.

Ottoman Empire had harbored many nations; although the word "nation" and what it represents are very newly formed concepts in history (depends on the nationalism movement in 18th history). Moreover, just read and accept this, nationalism is a sociologically constructed human made concept, it has absolutely no biological foundation. And OK, Ottoman Empire had its faults and different practices during its time history, but seriously consider Europe between 1400-1800, just to say "the world is a sphere" was enough to spend you life in jail. So, saying something like "for like years we were crushed and forced into sudden and unexpected practices" does not justify brutish approach and it certainly does not mean Turk cannot be victims after.

OK you know International Institute of Social History; it is an archive on social history and an independent scientific Institute founded in 1935. Read "Turkey. A Modern History" by Erik-Jan Zürcher if you somehow manage to spare your precious time, he was the head of the institute for 15 years. It is one of the most objective approaches you can find for Turkish history. There, apart from everything else (including Genocide claims of Armenians), you would see that the events in gallipoli war was not really that different from what you see in the film. So, instead of ranting on saying things like "I am oh so so angry, cannot write, so angry, cannot see, crap this is, ohh very angry, Greeks and Armenians are the victims always, Turks are always the oppressors always, ohh angry", get out of your high school history books and make real research for once in your incredibly valuable life.

Simple minded and loses its point

[michaelgreek-678-516194 · 5/10 · 22 March 2015]

Good British, good Australians, good Turks and bad Greeks in a simple minded approach of the really turbulent and complicated post WWI period in Asia Minor. War is a crime committed by the ruling classes of societies so they can pursue their own interests sacrificing their own people.

The movie has all the ingredients needed to become a good movie about how people independent of their nationalities can keep their humanity even in brutal periods (like a war) forgive, respect and help each other. But since it chooses to depict only one of the nations involved in this war (the Greeks) as the bad guys it looses completely its point.

And no this didn't bother me as you may think , because I am Greek. I like Turkish people and I see them as a brother nation and it's true that in this specific period they did a defensive war against an encouraged by UK and France Greek imperialism. So I would do the same criticism if any other people was depicted negatively.

Gallipoli reality for both sides

[s-sheen · 21 December 2014]

I managed to get to a pre-screening at Orpheum, Cremorne NSW. Very glad I did as this was a refreshing change to the standard Aussie renditions of the Gallipoli story. The audience burst into applause at the conclusion of the movie me also.

Having the Turkish view of the British and ANZAC invasion makes the film feel balanced as there are two sides to every conflict. The horrors of the campaign are relived by the story and the performances of the main characters are good I do feel the Turkish command got a good rap from this script. The trauma of a father searching for his Sons after 4 years of not knowing.

The Greeks this time getting the spray, but 100 years on I see Greece as a firm ally but politics aside.

Crowe, I actually liked in this movie the casting of the Turkish Mother and her young Son was good the casting of the Turkish Commander better, The British were as obnoxious as the Australians prefer to depict them.

The film at 2 hours I never felt bored or restless and this I suspect is that the story is grasping it has War, Love, Heartache, Compassion and a little Hollywood to ensure appeal to wider non-Australian Turkish audiences.

I rate this highly in the movies I have seen 2014...

Crowe's solid directorial debut

[vistheindian · 7/10 · 19 April 2015]

Quickie Review:

After the death of his three sons in the WWI Battle of Gallipoli, devastated by the loss Connor's (Russell Crowe) wife takes her own life. To fulfill her last wish, Connor travels to Turkey to return their sons' bodies back to Australia, their home. The Water Diviner is both well-acted and filmed. The movie fully develops its character while fairly showing the perspectives from both sides affected by the war. It is not without flaws in that it occasionally adds melodrama to the war drama. Still as a whole this is a solid directorial debut by Russell Crowe.

Full Review:

To be honest, I wasn't really sure what to expect from this movie. I rarely heard people talk about it and I only found out this movie even existed about a month or so ago. Nevertheless, I went in curious to see what Russell Crowe delivers as a director and mostly I liked what he achieved.

The performances in The Water Diviner are really good. That's not surprising from the talented Russell Crowe but Olga Kurylenko did some of her best work here as well. I always thought Kurylenko was a serviceable actress but in this movie she actually shows some range. Asides from the performances, I appreciated the different perspectives that were shown from the people involved in the war. War dramas can at times fall into the trap of painting the different sides black or white. Fortunately The Water Diviner recognizes and presents the fact that both sides have their guilty executioners and innocent victims just caught in the middle of a senseless war. So the delicate handling of such a subject matter should be commended. Also the cinematography of the movie was quite impressive, capturing the life and landscape of the early 1900s Turkey.

What hindered the movie from being great for me were the moments where the movie got a bit too melodramatic. I can't say much without revealing some of the plot points but these were scenes that clearly Crowe wanted the audience to be emotionally affected. However, the scenes are repeated so often or prolonged for so long that they started to lose their effect on me and felt like I was being begged to shed a tear. On top of that, all too often there are so many coincidences, the movie almost becomes a fantasy rather than a serious war drama. These series of coincidences solve many of the problems that Crowe's character faced, wrapping up in a nice little bow. It diminishes any sense of struggle and as a result I ended up being less invested whenever the characters were in danger.

All in all The Water Diviner is a good movie. I just wish the movie wasn't pandering to our emotions and instead let the story unfold more organically. Nevertheless, considering this is the first feature length film as a director for Russell Crowe I am interested to see what he takes on next.

Check out more on my movie review blog The Stub Collector: http://thestubcollector.wordpress.com/

Film Diviner: Crowe's Directorial Debut Proves to Be An Extremely Successful One

[YoungCriticMovies · 6/10 · 20 April 2015]

Russell Crowe can direct. The Australian actor has transformed himself in one of Hollywood's best, after consecutive roles for which he was Oscar nominated in The Insider, Gladiator, and A Beautiful Mind (he won for Gladiator). He's continued to cement himself as a quality actor with more recent roles in films such as Cinderella Man, Noah, and most recently The Water Diviner. With The Water Diviner Russell Crowe took on the extra role of directing, for the first time. With Crowe's leadership The Water Diviner turns out to be a quality, greatly paced, and very entertaining film.

The Water Diviner is inspired by actual events. It tells the story of an Australian farmer named Connor (Russell Crowe), who lives with his wife Eliza (Jacqueline McKenize). The couple lives in an extremely dry part of the 1919 Australia, (Region of Victoria) where it rains every so many years. In order to survive and maintain his crops, Connor resorts to a divine ritual that helps him locate underground pockets of water, which he later transforms into wells. At night we see Eliza persuade Connor to "read to the kids" after Crowe finishes a chapter of Arabian Nights the camera pans to three empty beds. We soon learn that Connor's three children volunteered to fight for the British in World War I, but they never came back. The last that Connor had heard of them was from the bloody battle of Gallipoli in Turkey; the army had given them up for dead. However, after a drastic turn of events in Australia, Connor decides to go to Turkey to look for his sons.

What surprised me most was the incredible balance that the film had, it doesn't rely on one facet to carry out its story: the acting was great, the script was witty, and the length and pace were perfect. A first time director is expected to fall on a cheesy and "safer" route; inexperienced directors also tend to make longer movies to "have more to show." Crowe, however, managed to put together a great team that stayed true to Crowe's and their cinematic beliefs.

The acting is exceptional. What I most appreciated about it was that it came from lesser- known actors. Apart from Russell Crowe, the rest of the cast was comprised mainly of Turkish and Australian actors, amongst which Cem Yilmaz and Yilmaz Erdogan shine out by playing Turkish military officials. We also have notable performances from Jai Courtney, who adds a bit of star power (is known for Divergent, Jack Reacher, A Good Day to Die Hard, and is in the upcoming Terminator: Genysis) but plays a more minor role, and a fantastic Olga Kurylenko (known for Oblivion) who holds her ground against Crowe with a challenging role of a hotel owner who believes her husband (who was also in Gallipoli) is still alive. The actors give each other space, and Crowe resists hogging the screen, this gives the cast and the film the great balance mentioned before.

The script really surprised me. It could have been easy to take this true story and make it extremely cheesy and tacky for the general audiences (like Unbroken did), but the dialogue ended up being extremely smart, daring even to crack a few original jokes. Historically it's also accurate, which gives me a relief since period pieces sometimes sloth over history research. But what worked really well was the unpredictability that the script maintained. At first you start guessing ("oh he's gonna end up with her," or "oh he's going to find his sons and its gonna be all great"), but the script pulls you this way and that so that you end up doubting your predictions and are on the edge of your seat for nearly the whole film. The script also took a bold move in combining a war story with a road story. The film could have messed up the scale and abused one story theme too much, but, again, the film was able to achieve a great balance that ends up being the key to its success. What I especially liked about the script was how it never takes on one biased perspective. It doesn't frame all the English as good and all the Turks as bad. There is a mix of each (just like in real life), and that balance of perspective not only allows for a more believable story, but it also gives proper respect to both historical sides, something not normally seen in Hollywood films.

Overall the film gives us a peek at Russell Crowe's possible directing career. Could he be the next Clint Eastwood? It's a little too early to make such bold predictions but, nonetheless, he's on the right path.

Not quite a masterpiece

[t-pitt-1 · 7/10 · 31 December 2014]

The Water Diviner is a very interesting and beautifully-made film, giving an unusual post-war aspect of the well-known Gallipoli story. The production design, cinematography and acting are all excellent and the story (based on an actual event) is a powerful and moving one. Russell Crowe proves himself to be an able director, and the film is well structured and edited. I agree with other reviewers here that it also offers a sensitive and respectful view of Turkish culture. There is rather a lot of violence, both in the 'present' and in the flashbacks, although I realise that it is difficult to make a movie about war without depicting violence.

But unfortunately the whole film is deeply marred by the schmaltzy, unrealistic and frankly unbelievable 'love story' between the Aussie farmer Connor and an impossibly glamorous Turkish woman at the hotel. For me, this completely ruined an otherwise very good film. Sorry, Russell, but you have caved in to the Hollywood demand for soppy romance at the expense of verisimilitude.

A Great Film from A Great Man

[tillydimech · 9/10 · 28 December 2014]

If this is Russell Crowe's first film I can't wait to see what is to come. The Water Diviner takes you an an impossible, heart warming journey of a father looking for his sons after the tragedy of Gallipoli. What this film does well is captures both sides of the battle, the Turkish and the ANZAC's. It is visually stunning, emotionally charged and does more than most movies to pry open your empathetic side.

The cast are amazing but I think my praise would have to go to Ryan Corr, Yilmaz Erdogen and Olga Kurylenko for three beautiful performances. All three of them aid Crowe's performance in a highly emotional way and create depth and love within the film.

I highly recommend giving this film a go if you appreciate a film with a good story and good talent and I hope it receives the praise and attention it deserves. It is definitely worth the watch.

The Water Diviner

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 12 February 2020]

Russell Crowe made his directorial debut in this heartfelt drama.

Crowe plays Joshua Connor, a farmer and water diviner. A father grieving the loss of his three sons in the battlefield of Gallipoli in World War One, he also subsequently loses his wife.

Connor goes off to Turkey to locate his son's bodies and bring them back to Australia. The British soldiers will not allow Connor to visit the battlefield. However Major Hasan who commanded the Turkish troops and now aiding the locating of missing soldiers helps Connor.

It is a story of a damaged man rediscovering his humanity and something more. Hasan is the former enemy who is more helpful than he needs to be. Turkey is a country at a crossroad in its history facing a post war nationalist uprising led by Ataturk.

Connor also befriends a boy and starts a relationship with his widowed mother Ayshe (Olga Kurylenko) who operates the hotel at Istanbul he is staying in. Ayshe's brother in law is eyeing up marriage but Connor upsets his plans.

Crowe has directed a sensitive poignant drama with a touch of magical realism. It could easily been an overblown ridiculous melodrama which early on it shows signs off. Crowe pulls back and gives it some heart.

A beautiful, heart-wrenching journey to all those that love the art of cinema.

[ipekmine · 9/10 · 27 December 2014]

One does not have to be Turkish or an ANZAC descendant to be interested and touched by this film.. doesn't need to be necessarily interested in history, either. The Water Diviner offers something for everyone who carries a heart and soul. It offers a beautiful yet heart-wrenching journey to all those that love the art of cinema.

If I were asked "what is this movie about?" I'd say it's an epic tale of love and hope, a beautifully crafted story inspired by real life, and a breath-taking masterpiece that makes you forget where you are, or what time/day/year it is. It really is a captivating film. The story itself may sound rather simple to some, but in my opinion it's a spectacular mix of reality and art. Hats off to Andrew Anastasios and Andrew Knight for their great work, the Water Diviner tells a magical tale and reminds us what wars do to people, to families.. and to our humanity. I cannot imagine anyone who won't be touched by this film, touched very deep inside, that is. Whoever that ever loved somebody or lost a beloved one –sibling, parent, child, significant other, or friend, you name it– may have their heart shattered during certain scenes of the Water Diviner.

Apart from the story, the characters too felt so "real", and the cast performances were nothing short of what one would expect from such brilliant names. Russell Crowe, as always, seemed to "live" the role, not "just act" it.. and I'm so very glad that Cem Yilmaz has been in such a special project. In an attempt to keep my review as short as possible, and choosing to comment on acting after I see the movie more than once, I won't go into detail of each and every name. But.. I have to say that Ryan Corr's performance was outstanding! He and James Fraser certainly nailed it, causing a flood of tears among the audience –during a certain scene of this duo, I could hear sniffles and see shoulders shaking among the audience.. and I'm not exaggerating one bit. Speaking of the scenes that certainly leave a mark on the viewer, I'd like to say that certain scenes from the battle field were spectacular – both technically and artistically. The scenes are so "real" that they take you from your seat and put you on Lone Pine battlefield , feeling scared.. helpless.. angry.. and questioning what a war is.. and if it's even worth it. And then, there is a specific scene which reflect how a war can make people lose their humanity and surface the ferocity of human nature. As my favorite scene from the epic Noah, the creation scene, reminded us all: "Brother against brother. Nation against nation. Man against the creation. We murdered each other. We broke the world, we did this. Man did this."

The fascinating art is not limited to battle scenes, though. Andrew Lesnie simply works miracles, turning the movie into a feast for the eyes –from the dust storm in Australia to the breath-taking views of Istanbul, the Water Diviner presents top-quality cinematography *thumbs up* Before I wrap up my words on this beautiful piece of art, I'd like to mention two of the many special scenes which may well be extra-touching for the Turkish: i) The scene where Jemal (portrayed by Cem Yilmaz) raises a toast to Mustafa Kemal: During the screening at the Istanbul premiere, the audience responded to this by loud and clear applause, and it certainly will remain an unforgettable scene for many, many Turks. ii) Another special part of the movie that I really loved is the old Turkish folk song Jemal sings –an old song called "hey fifteen year olds", telling the story of 15 year old boys leaving home to join the battle of Gallipoli.

Taken together, the Water Diviner tells a tale of love mingled with adventure, delivers a sea of emotions from grief to hope, and works the magic of cinema, reaching the viewers' heart and mind in a way that crosses all barriers of language, different cultures, politics, and history.

PS: the Water Diviner was rewarded standing ovation, and I believe this was not only because it's a great movie, it was also a heart-felt "thank you" to the director for such an honest story which the Turkish audience isn't used to seeing in foreign films about Turkey and its history.

Kudos and hats off to Russell Crowe & the entire cast and crew. The Water Diviner (Turkish title: Son Umut, i.e. 'the Last Hope') is a spectacular movie, a must-see, a masterpiece.

Kept promises (?)

[kosmasp · 6/10 · 12 June 2016]

Russell Crowe has been directed by many good and qualified directors, so by now he must have picked up on many of things. Which I reckon can be seen in his directorial debut. Would it have been better if he had just concentrated on one thing though? Tough to say, especially because it does not seem to affect his acting in the movie at least. The direction on he other hand ... that's up for discussion, unless you argue it was the script that needed improvements.

Having said all that, the movie is emotional and it does take you on a (literal) journey. It also seems very strong on making a point in showing gray areas in war and laying out blame. To a certain degree that is, because you do get some "bad people" to, which is a shame and not consistent to what the message should be about. Not to mention an overly dramatic ending, that really was unnecessary. Other than that, this was more than a decent film debut

An absolute masterpiece

[eha96727 · 10/10 · 26 December 2014]

Russell Crowe has absolutely outdone himself with this film; it had me entranced from the start. Beautifully shot, amazing casting and the time and effort put into the making of this film really shone through. I feel the costumers deserve an Oscar nomination for this one - everything was spot on which for a period drama is almost impossible:) Flawless casting and great character development leads the viewer through the story; this film will bring out emotions and provoke thought. I loved the perspective of the film; it is an exceptional sensitive retelling of an historical story from both perspectives and I think this is one of the absolute highlights of this film.

See it - you won't be disappointed!Take the tissues though...

I am not a big Russell Crowe fan at all but there was just something about this movie that I really enjoyed and liked.

[cosmo_tiger · 7/10 · 29 June 2015]

"I promised their mother I'd find them and bring them home." Connor (Crowe) spends his days looking for water in the Australian wastelands and waiting for his sons to return from war. After thinking something is wrong his wife begs him to go get them. Connor decides to travel to Turkey after the Battle of Gallipoli ends to find them and bring them home but he finds much more than he expected to. There are some movies that you watch and instantly know you like it. There are some that you watch and instantly know you hate it. Then there are movies like this one. Movies that keep you watching and interested and you like them but aren't exactly sure why. I am not a big Russell Crowe fan at all but there was just something about this movie that I really enjoyed and liked. It is not fast moving or full of action but it was a very good movie that I liked. Coming from a non Russell Crowe fan that is saying something. Overall, a movie that I really liked but cannot really explain why. I give this a B+.

A poor TV movie at best

[dbullock-04658 · 2/10 · 4 April 2015]

Having read some of the recent reviews praising this film I thought I was onto a sure fire winner when walking into the movie theatre.

Seeing as this was Crowe's directorial debut I was hoping that he was going to pull it off and provide a real cinematic belter.

However I was sorely mistaken..

The first 10 minutes didn't disappoint and I'm including the credits. But as Mr Crowe travels to Istanbul on his little adventure it drastically takes a turn for the worse. The acting from then on in from all parties is woeful and the supposed love story is completely pathetic and unbelievable.

I'm not going to go on and on but someone seriously needs to tell Crowe that being in every scene of the film doesn't really help people to warm to him.

But please people save your hard earned cash and waiting till it comes out on telly. There are far far far better films out in the cinema at the moment.