The sets and costumes of this film leave me breathless. I can't get over the lavish locations...places that actually exist that I have never heard of. One of the reasons I love foreign films is for the knowledge, history and culture, that would be unknown in the western world were it not for these films. The acting was wonderful, the actors, WOW, so beautiful. How can the western world be unaware of Kivanç Tatlitug? The historical storyline was interesting and, again, unknown to me. I spent some time researching the time period and locations of the film. I can't speak to much of the series because I am only on episode #4 but I am compelled to write. At this moment, the scene is of Kurt Seyit and Sura sitting on a couch before a fireplace as they prepare for him to leave for the front. I can't wait to see more.
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karen-loethen8 January 2017
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robertaude16 January 2017I loved the show and could not stop watching it. It had me in tears, happy, then OMG shocked. The ending killed my hopes, but it was realistic after all that happened between Seyit and Sura. I don't speak Turkish, but after watching 46 episodes I understood main words.I love history and the costumes. Even today a hundred years later I have seen families reject people because that is not their pick of a spouse to represent family values. If anyone has turmoil like this movie shows, one would appreciate what normal is. This was astounding to me of strength, respect, love, passion, honesty, and heart felt feelings. I encourage to make more to see what happens during WWII while Sura is in France.
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lalqallaf22 September 2015overall, the acting the story was ruthlessly realistic and strong, just like the main actor (Seyit). The series played with emotions from happy to sad to extremely shocked it just is truly amazing! It's very rare when a woman loves and appreciates another woman character when she loves the male main character a lot but she is so strong and shows how strong a woman's love it, and how medal through all the hard times with hope and trust.the ending was more realistic than i would have liked it to be. there are also side loves stories that you will love too. Moreover, it portrays what jealousy wit money and connections can do and how it can control someone's life and ruin it. The evil guy (-----) is truly dirty to the core. With this series expect the unexpected!!
Anyways, you will enjoy it, love, and cry a lot (happy and sad tears) ! -
So I have just completed the whole series of this amazing story.
My first time to ever sit through a subtitled TV series (46 episodes) but my gosh what a journey it took me on. From that first episode of the ball, it was like a Cinderella setting, the scenes are beautifully set.
At first I must admit I kept saying 'ahhh I wish this was made in English' but you know what I agree with another reviewer in that I believe it would have taken away the essence and passion of how the actors tell the story in their own language and I even started picking up words just learning from this series.
Also my gosh how lovely is the main male character, Hello.... who is this Kivanc Tatlitug and Why don't we know more of him in the western world?
This is why I'm so glad I stumbled across this show on Netflix because it taught me to venture out more and watch more non speaking English movies. All the characters and actors/actresses that played in it did an amazing job. There are a few slow moments in some scenes so You may find you want to fast forward and just to get to the juicy nitty gritty bits but try not to if you can. If you're like me you will go through emotions of frustration, laughter, tears, happiness, sadness. A true love story that goes through so many hurdles and obstacles, jealousy, revenge.
The supporting roles also offer individual depth of again love, patience, family honor, traditions and respect. Money, status and power shows how it can ruin lives but let's not forget the character that ties this altogether....the absolute evil and nasty Petro. As a viewer I must say Bravo to that actor because boy he made me hate him. He portrayed conniving to another level, such a good actor.
I won't spoil the ending but I'm still not sure if I'm happy or sad with how it all played out....I'd say the ending is more realistic however it'll be interesting to know if this ending (as new characters are brought in) was to boost TV ratings as I found the layout and direction towards the end episodes drastically changed.
I'm already researching on the true story of Seyit and Sura just to find out what really did happen between them. Overall, I Hope those watching it enjoy this captivating story and appreciate how beautifully it was made. -
spirit916 January 2017I don't know when I have enjoyed a series so much. The story had me researching the war during 1917 and the details surrounding that war. There were a number of different characters in the story who all added great variety and elements of emotion. I never get tired of films like this one. It amazes me how rich history is with stories like these of people who lived thru the horrors of war and tyranny. Stories of their struggles, victories and how they just survived it all. So much detail went into the story that helped you really see each character and their lives. I wasn't disappointed with any part of the series and watched every part of it to the end. Sorry to actually get to the end. Could have gone on...where is Season 2?
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lostinspace1119 February 2017I wholeheartedly appreciated this series. What a wonderful, refreshing contrast to Hollywood. It's a love story, but so much more, its a story about war, deep family connections, deception, oppression, unrequited love, also the deep emotional attachment to another person but how the gears can misaligned and the relationship stops working no matter how hard you try. It was brutally realistic and I am emotionally drained after watching the whole series in a week. I was watching it on my phone during breaks at work and anytime I had a few min. The characters were so perfectly cast and beautiful I was hooked in the first episode. It was great that the villain was as handsome as the rest of the cast. As painful as the ending was it couldn't go any other way. That's life. This was my 3rd Turkish series and I love the work they do. No graphic sex scenes not a lot of violence, just very well done. Can we have more please?
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stahlsrus27 January 2017This begins as the Russian version of "Downton Abbey" with incredible sets and costumes from Russia in 1917. I was mesmerized with the furniture, the homes and their exquisite craftsmanship and the dresses.
In the 46 episodes on Netflix (two seasons with a season finale I found satisfying), the setting moves from Petrograd to Crimea to Istanbul, so the Downton Abbey feeling evolves to forests, fields and rivers and finally to the bustling city of Pera outside of Istanbul culminating in 1923.
Seyit the Wolf Eminof is a high-ranking officer in the czar's army and comes to Petrograd before going to the front lines of battle. While there, he meets a young Russian nobleman's daughter at her first ball. I did not find the love story of Seyit the Wolf and Sura to be interesting. Their love at first sight relationship moves to shallow soul mates where Seyit rarely shares his actions and feelings with Sura other than "You are my breath. You are my life." Meh. It was as boring as the monotonous soundtrack of this show.
I found myself far more interested in the secondary characters, friends and family of the perpetually separated and arguing couple. Loyal friends, well-meaning siblings and surrogate family rounded out the characters in ways that kept me watching.
The villain, Petro, is by far one of the most dastardly I've seen in any show, and he was exceptionally annoying as he was the rival for Sura's affections. I was surprised as he became a sympathetic character later in the show even as he continued in his vicious ways. Several villains - both male and female - kept the story full of twists and turns.
To me the show picked up steam when a new family was introduced to the story in what I'm guessing is the season 2 premiere (Netflix has only one season listed, but it's actually two), relatives of the homey family that owned the hotel in Pera where Seyit and Sura lived.
I would guess that the second season romantic conflict and the series finale will be unsatisfying to most people, but I found that I admired Seyit more during the second season. He grew up, made unexpected but mature decisions and became trustworthy. I also enjoyed the paternal relationship he had with a young orphan boy at the hotel. The ending made perfect sense to me although one more show could have wrapped up the stories of the secondary characters with more satisfaction.
This was a fascinating look at places I'm not familiar with during a time with much upheaval and struggle. It was not perfect, but it was entertaining. -
there's more to cinema than Hollywood! what's missing normally, but not in this series: emotion. aesthetics. history. sheer reality. humanity. life.
most films, esp. western, miss a soul and/or meaning. most Hollywood films are cold, violent or shallow fantasies. even if Hollywood does romance, there's somehow aggression involved. rarely real stories. modern western films tend to not be alive!
thank goodness for Netflix, or America would be void of foreign films, which are so damn necessary as alternative to shallow Hollywood, not to mention there's a whole big beautiful interesting exceptional worthy world out there that Americans don't see otherwise. IMDb also needs to get its act together and be more detailed/professional on foreign productions, not focus so much on Hollywood.
this series has 46 episodes in 1 season! ; ) one truly gets involved in the characters, mood. it's one of those series that is hard to get out of. it's almost hard to keep watching, not because it's un-watchable, to the contrary! ; ), but because one dreads what comes next: no series will match its depth/emotion/beauty...
IMDb has several errors in the cast, incl. not naming a main character, Pedro, and putting him way down the list (Birkan Sokullu). there's other omissions/mistakes too. it's incomplete information.
plus IMDb mentions S2 but without any details. will there be a 2nd season?! hope so. but unlikely. so why tease us? ; )
where can one upload images and comment (not just review) on IMDb? -
summerunderthesun13 March 2018I was so excited about this love story in the beginning. I watch the episodes and it made my heart flutter. As time went on I saw how Sura loved Seyit with all her heart she did everything for him and waited for him even when she thouight he was dead. But when his father said what he did about marry a Turkish woman Seyit became less than a man and that ruined the story line. He was following he fathers traditions but still being a wimp. I could not believe he left her for a Turkish woman in the end after all she did for him. I lost total respect for him. He could not face up to that for the woman he loved. After he took her innocence away then he went on to another one. Ruined my thoughts of him. Left a bad taste in my mouth.
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bethanylapinski7 September 2018I could not stop watching this series! The beginning was so beautiful and really touched my heart. I was so hopeful for Seyit and Sura's love to break through all the tragedy and heartache. Towards the end I lost complete respect for Seyit. He carried the heart of an loyal,beautiful, loving and innocent woman and tore it to pieces in the worst possible way. He constantly expressed his undying love for Sura but his actions showed the opposite. Seyit's priorities never showed love for Sura. She was constantly abandoned, ignored, disrespected, and treated like trash. Seyit was given a beautiful diamond of a woman and broke it to pieces,then shoved horrible rejection into her face. His priority was to be the hero to everyone but Sura, to purposely put himself and Sura into harms way, to boost his ego and pride, to get drunk, to walk away, to serve himself. He never deserved the love of Sura. He didn't put any effort to save their love. She was so loyal and loved him so much. I'll never understand why he chose to quickly marry another woman. No offense to Kurt Seyit's grand daughter who wrote the series. I was SO disappointed with the end of this series. I wouldn't recommend this heartbreaking story to anyone
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It was a very captivating start, with perfect production of art, photography, costume and sure, script, but it lost it's way and deeply broke my heart, and i don't mean only because it's not a happy ending story. I mean, at some point it shows that Valentina is the storyteller although the script seem to only care about Seyit, when takes Sura brutally out of the story. Well, her sister must have know the continuation of her story, ether is happy or not, why would she finish it with Seyigt's new family happiness. It's OK if he's got a messed up personality and wants to fulfill his dad's will by marrying a Turkish woman, but ending with "Seyit Sura and Muka" sentence was a really not funny joke.We loved her, her strength, her persistence and the script just leaves it's public when excludes her of the end. If she shouldn't being there, at least her invisible presence, a remaining, a letter, but it only shows a endless pain for her and a new future for him. I regret to had watched 46 episodes, it tortured me, and it was a pity for such a wonderful production. I just wanted the scriptwriter to know. Hope they can fix it with an extra episode.
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ccavirginia13 February 2017This has to be one of my all time favorite movies. Yes, I continue to watch it as a movie, absolutely love the music, the actors are perfect for their parts. Tears, smiles, laughter, smirks, all the emotions you want in a drama. The camera angles are so different than we normally see with American films and the way they show the love scenes are just beautiful. I have watched all the episodes a dozen times in the past 3 weeks, know the dialogue by heart. It's a beautiful love story. Can't say enough about it...Just love it. I'm a history buff and this introduced a culture that I am not familiar with and spurred my interest in learning more. I have never been a fan of subtitles, but this is the exception.
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sarahmariadimarco17 May 2018Couldn't be more heartbroken with the end for Seyit & Sura. Couldn't believe they kept dragging on their pain when they truly loved each other. I have never seen an ending like this on a tv series. I felt soooooo mad & dissaponted. I would've given it a better review if it wasn't because of the ending. It was so rush & horrible!
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spoiler here....very disappointing...40+ episodes with all that they went through and the over the top love for each other to then have it end with him marrying someone else and having a child and not knowing what happened to Sura! Don't waste your time. The fact that they continued to be duped by the same people over and over and then to let that tear them apart was not believable with everything they went through and their supposed undying love for one another....I'm good with movies not having happy endings but they took forever to develop these characters and then the last 5 had him falling in love with someone else??!! This ending really bothered me.
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llemons5822 February 2017Contains spoilers: I came across Kurt Seyit ve Sura while randomly browsing thru Netflix last week. However, once I see that a show is subtitled, I don't usually stick with it because it limits/immobilizes me from doing anything else during the hours spent watching. But I was hooked at the first episode. Aside from the beauty of the costumes, set design and location (though having been to Turkey, I would have liked to have seen more exterior shots), the soundtrack (with its haunting main theme –which can either grow on you or not), the acting was surprisingly excellent. This series combines a beautiful romantic love story during the turbulence of Russia & Turkey in WWI. It is deeply emotional, gut-wrenching and agonizingly frustrating. I felt sick from the consistent lies, betrayal and murder all resulting out of jealousy/greed/power from (mainly) the male lead's best friend Petro. I'm sure the story line was embellished to add depth to the series, but did the Petro character really, really get away with so much unspeakable betrayal all of those years? The fact that one person could cause the demise of these two people was agonizing. I was so emotionally distraught over his consistent deceptions, that by midway, I had to walk away from it (but not for long ).
Though through all of the heartache, I found the portrayal of their love refreshing. It was sweet and innocent. The love scenes were done tastefully. They didn't need to show the actual sex act, so typical in Hollywood, for you to feel the depth of their love or the bond that held them together. The words they used to describe their love for each other is incomparable certainly not how we talk today! But the ending did I want Seyit & Sura to end up together, of course I did. Did I seriously cry, of course I did. Learning that they not only went their separate ways, but after their goodbye, would never see each other again, left me with a desperate longing. But this is a true story, so I appreciated that the ending was kept real, and you do get some satisfaction as well.
The history of WWI during that time, the love, the friendships and loyalties, betrayals and deceptions made this a compelling must see for anyone who enjoys romantic period dramas. My only wish is that the book would be translated to English! -
I found this movie on Netflix by chance Thank you Netflix. It is excellent. I love this move,so captured by the story and especially the main actor Kivanç Tatlitug. He is so handsome and his eyes mesmerize you. Even though I have to watch with closed caption because it is not in English, I cannot stop watching it. I just wish it was in English, although in fact it may lose something. I love these kind of love stories. I wish Kivanc would make some English speaking movies in the U.S. However, I do not like most American movies these days. They are trashy and violent. Not enough true to life wholesome movies that appeal to the romantic. American movies are much too violent, and actors have become so political expressing their political views, I choose not to follow them. They should not bring their personal political rhetoric into the entertainment industry. I will look for more movies like this one.
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dewdrop-9199913 February 2017It's a little difficult for me to keep up with the caption but I was so glad that I did not quit watching. This series will touch you deeply in many different ways especially for those of us who have been on this earth long enough to understand and appreciate everything about this love story. You will fall in love with this young couple who have to overcome so many obstacle to be together and you'll wish that you can help them in some ways. This series is about love and passion without being vulgar. It's about true friendship, understanding and compassion. I had seen "Gone of The Wind", "The Titanic", "The Love Story" and many more but nothing compare to this one. Everything about this series is exquisite. I'm hoping for more of "Kurt Seyit ve Sura" in the future. Please.
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PaulVilla6 September 2017No spoilers. Only a promise. Others can praise all other aspects of this show. But to me, what makes this show transcend...is the ending. It is the bravest thing I have ever seen in a TV series.
There are not too many epic romance series in the world. From what few exist, the trajectory is obvious to all. This is not necessarily a bad thing. We are meant to savour the journey, like an old wine.
You can do all of that on the journey of this series. But in one last episode, you can also consider something poignant, unexpected, and perhaps beautiful. Again, I said no spoilers. Like Kurt Seyit, I will keep my word...as best as this world & fate allow. -
I have long suspected that there were many worthwhile films and series being made in Turkey, but until Netflix introduced a few of them just recently, it hasn't been easy to find a way to view any of them in English. So, it was an unexpected delight to finally have the chance to view one from start to finish.
One of the prime pleasures of viewing international films/series is the opportunity to experience another culture, another time and place. Sadly, so many American productions are set in the same old same old, and even our historic settings often don't seem to avoid sounding and looking contemporary.
Kurt Seyit ve Sura takes place in parts of Russia, the Crimea, Istanbul, and some other parts of today's Turkey, during WWI, the Russian Revolution, and its aftermath of British occupation of Istanbul. I learned quite a bit of history previously unknown to me, and spent some time reading related articles on Wikipedia, etc. The scenery, costumes, etc. were fascinating to me.
Also especially enjoyable in this series was some wonderful acting by Kivanç Tatlitug, Fahriye Evcen, and others who have yet to be notated in the cast list here. Among these are the husband of Güzide, the mother of Murvet, Uncle Ali, and many others.
On the downside, the pacing of this series is very slow, with emotional moments slowed down even further. I'm sure at least 2-3 entire episode- lengths could have easily been pruned from the story. The musical themes which introduce characters and situations are very obvious and annoyingly repetitive. I found myself fast-forwarding at times just to speed up musical interludes.
What I enjoyed least in the series is the character of Sura herself, whom I wanted to strangle frequently.
Possible Spoiler Alert: She begins as a charming and innocent young lady, but never seems to acquire any genuine understanding or wisdom. Why on earth does she continue to blame Seyit for disappearing on their wedding day after she learns that he was kidnapped? What on earth does she expect? Her failure to trust him or extend any forgiveness at all renders her an unlovable character to me, and so I was rooting for Murvet all along, and would have appreciated seeing a lot more of Murvet and a lot less of Sura. It was hard for me to believe in this big romance between Seyit & Sura when Sura seemed such a self-centered and immature character, who constantly rejects Seyit and then blames him for moving on with his life. What does she expect him to do? This part of the drama seemed to drag on endlessly and lend a feeling of anticlimax to the series as a whole.
Overall, I'm not sorry for having stuck out the series, and will continue to watch for more Turkish dramas. I also look forward to seeing more of Kivanç Tatlitug and Fahriye Evcen, and others. -
A story of passion, scripted like a soap opera, but, hey, its WW1 and the Russian Revolution rolled into one very tumultuous era of history. Everyone's life was in upheaval. The series, I have read, is pretty close to the way events actually unfolded (more or less). Knowing some of the story's background (as explained by Kurt Seyit's granddaughter who wrote the book, taking 4 years to research) makes it even more exciting and interesting to watch.
Not a Hollywood or Disney ending but both Kurt and Sura (Sandra Nash, Sura's married name in America) went on to have other loves and new families in countries where they could live settled, happy lives - not communist Russia where they would have been persecuted. That's good news, right?
They also had the deep love that they shared in those brief but difficult years as a beautiful memory to carry them forward. Real life is messy. Remember, Sura was only 16 when she met 27 year old Kurt! They were from different backgrounds: Sura a Christian and Russian and Kurt a Turk and Muslim. There were huge pressures on them. Love does not conquer all.
I am glad the author stayed true to the real life story. Sad that in failing health Kurt Seyit eventually committed suicide. I saw in the LA Times that Sura and her daughter were reunited with her mother after 40 years. We forget what the ravages of war can be like and what people in the crossfire lose. -
I like romances with happy endings which is why I don't do Nicholas Sparks. This fell apart at the very end. Alot of time wasted.
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gigidorrejo13 November 2018I can't a person can forget this kind of love...without any nostalgic in his heart. How can you forget...in that way...someone who put your world up down...how can a love like this can died?
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debclarktodd29 December 2017Even with subtitles this was one of the most romantic movies of all time, without being "smutty" reminded me of Dr. Zhivago only better. Would like to see more of movies like this on Netflix
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lpohlma2 April 2017This is the first time I've reviewed anything, ever. I'm actually really nervous. First of all, this series partly blew me away. The acting, scenery, and music were all AMAZING. However, if you are a true, sappy, bordering on ridiculous romantic please, for your on sake, don't watch this. This series truly broke my heart. Maybe I had unrealistic expectations going into it, but it was described as a "love story". Well, I can't say that the ending of any other "love story" has made me want to vomit quite like this one. I'm sure this show is a must see for people that truly hate happy endings. Like I said at the beginning I've never reviewed anything before and I probably wont again, but I felt I needed to throw a warning out into the universe about this show. If I can save one sad little romantic like me...it was worth it.
Oh, and a special thanks to Netflix for stealing so many hours of my life watching this super misleading show. Not getting those back. -
jbuchana-2119916 April 2017To be honest, I've watched just the first three episodes, Many may think it's not enough but it's what I've got.I started watching it because I love historic TV shows/films, but I didn't like it at all. I think my male opinion will be of use for guys who may join the audience. First of all, the production on this show is outstanding, that i must admit. They really spared no expense. We happen to see Imperial Russia in all it's glory right before its fall down: Palaces, aristocracy balls, the Bolshoi (though I know we'll have much less pompous scenarios). The main characters are perfectly depicted. We can certainly see into the depth of their souls and we can sympathize with them (take note, shallow Hollywood) Both costume and music (oh,Tchaikovsky) matches perfectly in every scene. The problem is the story itself. A naive, just presented on society girl and a ridiculously good looking officer fall madly in love with barely no conversation (Cupid's 2nd fastest shot after Marius and Cosettes') and are willing to fight to spend the rest of their lives with a complete stranger. The script could be good too, if it wasn't for that moments when some low budget Nicholas Sparks-ish screenwriter fills the scene with some of the cheesiest dialogues ever made. So prepare for a love story full of obstacles that will try to push these lovers who don't even know each other apart, while listening to great music and crappy love dialogues, in breathtaking settings. But that's not all! We also have an abusive use of eye contact and slow motion dancing scenes, and way too many day dreams and memories where our heroes dance and stare to each other (yes, you've guessed)IN SLOW MOTION. Again. To conclude: this is a great show, but don't forget it's still a Turkish soap opera. Ps: (minor spoiler alert) The guy "saves her beloved from great peril" because he SMELLS THE PERFUME OF HER HAIR. From blocks away. In a Petrograd busy market. That's ridiculous, and if true, creepy as f...