Captivating movie !

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

This movie is ok, the plot is actually quite good and well filmed and directed. If only the production would have spent a bit more money on decent actors! Did they actually audition for this? They are so bad

Beautiful romantic movie set against the backdrop of World War I. I don't know why many people are saying it as historically inaccurate etc etc. I mean, the movie never claims to be based on history or historically accurate. It is a love story between an American nurse and an Ottoman Army officer, only the timing of their affair also coincides with World War I. Maybe because I am neither American nor Turkish, so I watched it as neutral. Watch it as a neutral. Think of love story not World War I or history. It is not a lesson in history. Watch it for the story, for the locations. Beautiful scenery, exotic locations, don't know where it is filmed, maybe Turkey. You will fall in love the landscape. The lead characters play their part very well. Michiel Huisman is coming up very well. Hera Hilmar looks beautiful. They are good, but they are not big names at the moment and this movie needed some big names to be more recognized. If it was made in 60's, someone like Omar Sharief could have played the Ottoman Lieutenant and today it would have been regarded as a classic. Maybe if they become big names in future, maybe, the movie will have more appreciation. Ending, I think they messed that part. I mean there was no need for Ismail Veli to die. He is the main lead of the movie, the movie is named after him and he also has the girl. The guy deserved to live at the end of the movie. They shouldn't have made it a tragedy. Maybe current times or generation is not that much into tragedies.Also, pace is fast for a romantic movie. I mean, they should have taken some more time into character development or cultivated the romance between Hera Hilmar and Michiel Huisman. Such movies tend to be a bit slow and long and it also works for them very well. Still a beautiful movie to watch.

I had this film come to my attention via Netflix. I'd shown an interest in all things Turkish having been an affectionate traveller there and enjoying the diverse people - most of whom (I met) adore the secular anti-Ottoman Kemal Ataturk's legacy, Many of my country-persons feel similarly since what we know as the ANZAC invasion (under Britain) in 1915. That is another story. . I viewed the film in a non-nerdy fashions, loved it as I happened to anticipate a bit of escapism and romanticism. The leading man and the 'triangle' love-story helped this! To my dismay many of the reviews latch immediately onto contemporary political points-scoring. I don't know why this engaging relationship in a scenically beautiful film can't be accepted for what it is. It is in the same genre as countless other 'good man in amongst awful war priorities and complexities' Casablanca, From Here to Eternity, numerous Brit films let alone US's frequent stereotyped heroics and Australia's Gallipoli.. A local 'hero' is permissible surely? Someone who is initially obedient but comes fo question his inherited professional career. How does that thread make this film an anti-Armenian propaganda piece?And to dump the actress for her 'appalling American accent". Really? Her gentle voice-over added to the narrative - for me.Overall I've found in my choices of Islam-based films that the innate 'let the woman choose' aspect of the passion such as the leads shared works fine in a piece of fiction. I replayed this to catch another look at the heavily criticised aspects. I stand by my first enjoyment!

I am amazed that this movie could deal with the background of the Ottoman Turkish genocide of the Armenians in eastern Anatolia without ever coming to grips with what really happened. The movie deals with the early days of WWI in Anatolia, with a large Armenian population which is clearly headed for death and also a Kurdish population in the service of the Ottoman government which is never mentioned. The real culprits here are the Russians, described as brutal savages and Cosacks (which they were but that is a partial view) and some of the Turks, but not of course the Ottoman lieutenant whose allegiance wavers between his nationalism and his love for an American nurse. Love wins out, as does death and genocide.I am wondering if Armenians in America and elsewhere are complaining about a movie which is somewhat pro-Turkish and not at all sympathetic really to the Armenian cause. This is a complicated subject and both sides, Armenians and Turks, are guilty of much but the victims were largely Armenians and they get most of the sympathy in real life, except for those countries trying to make nice with the Turks. But the movie prefers a romance to historic truth. That can be OK but surely not for everyone.The movie manages neutrality between victims and murderers but the romance helps you to ignore this, if you are not of Armenian heritage.