The Promise (B- or 2.5/4 stars)
'The Promise' (directed by Terry George, Hotel Rwanda) starts as an old-fashioned romantic drama set during the final yrs. of the Ottoman Empire, but changes into something much heavier ... a dark exploration of the Armenian genocide that most of the world doesn't even know about; even Hitler once said, "Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?" (despite some 1.5 million deaths, it remains a footnote in history books today). This historical epic begins in 1914 on the eve of WWI as Mikael Boghosian (Oscar Isaac), a smart, young Armenian apothecary in a small Turkish village, is betrothed a local girl so he can use her dowry (4,000 gold coins) to attend med school in Constantinople, 'promising' to marry her once he's a doctor.
In beautiful Constantinople, naive Mikael moves in with his father's cousin & meets ebullient, Paris-educated Ana (Charlotte Le Bon). Ana lives with an indignant American journalist, Chris Myers (Christian Bale), so, no doubt that an ill-fated romantic triangle unfolds. When anti-Armenian violence erupts {Turks & Germans were allies}, Mikael is sent to a labor camp. After managing to escape, he gets back to his war-ravaged village, reluctantly marries his fiancée; then hides in the mountains. Meanwhile, Chris is chronicling the harsh atrocities inflicted upon the Armenians, sending info to foreign newspapers via the Associated Press, & helping escort Armenian orphans to safety. The contrived romantic subplot goes on the backburner while the Armenian genocide takes the forefront; and never concedes.
I'm conflicted about my feelings towards 'The Promise'; which was financed by late Armenian entrepreneur Kirk Kerkorian. On one hand, I appreciate that this epic was even made. No film has ever before tackled these atrocities. It is a story that needed to be heard. My issue with the film, however, is that while I was enjoying the 1st half of this film on a surface level (Old Hollywood romantic epic, nice acting, beautiful visuals), I did not come to deeply care enough about the characters so that when the atrocities strike in the grim, dire 2nd half of the film, I was not moved as much as I should have been. The genocide devastated me. But the characters were not rich enough or explored enough for me to care about THEM while the massacres were happening to everyone else. The emotional impact was diluted.
In 2004, Terry George wrote/directed Hotel Rwanda. So he knows how to convey the anguish of mass tragedies. Unfortunately, while this film has strengths, it doesn't reach its full 'promise' due to some weak screenwriting. With a cast that includes actors like Christian Bale (solid, but underused), Oscar Isaac (stellar, good accent), Charlotte Le Bon (lovely), acclaimed Iranian actress, Shohreh Aghdashloo (who plays Mikael's mom), not to mention James Cromwell & Jean Reno, I had hoped that this film would bowl me over. Instead, this light shown on this important slice of history is dimmed.
Why I'm giving this film a pass is because of the historical heft that it contains. I like the actors. And I'm a sucker for Old Hollywood-type epics. 'The Promise' boasts impeccable production values (sets, costumes). The locales are intoxicating). And Gabriel Yared's orchestral score channels John Barry or Maurice Jarre, in places. But the broadly-drawn love triangle + the blunt, wartime genocide combo creates a narrative imbalance that is difficult to overcome. Also, on a sheer elemental level, the mass exterminations/barbarism/sense of loss that I felt is difficult to shake; that's the POINT, but I still felt so crumby leaving the theater. Still, while not easy to watch, 'The Promise' is a solemn cautionary tale for today & demonstrates how war can make people rise to the occasion in the face of adversity.
In beautiful Constantinople, naive Mikael moves in with his father's cousin & meets ebullient, Paris-educated Ana (Charlotte Le Bon). Ana lives with an indignant American journalist, Chris Myers (Christian Bale), so, no doubt that an ill-fated romantic triangle unfolds. When anti-Armenian violence erupts {Turks & Germans were allies}, Mikael is sent to a labor camp. After managing to escape, he gets back to his war-ravaged village, reluctantly marries his fiancée; then hides in the mountains. Meanwhile, Chris is chronicling the harsh atrocities inflicted upon the Armenians, sending info to foreign newspapers via the Associated Press, & helping escort Armenian orphans to safety. The contrived romantic subplot goes on the backburner while the Armenian genocide takes the forefront; and never concedes.
I'm conflicted about my feelings towards 'The Promise'; which was financed by late Armenian entrepreneur Kirk Kerkorian. On one hand, I appreciate that this epic was even made. No film has ever before tackled these atrocities. It is a story that needed to be heard. My issue with the film, however, is that while I was enjoying the 1st half of this film on a surface level (Old Hollywood romantic epic, nice acting, beautiful visuals), I did not come to deeply care enough about the characters so that when the atrocities strike in the grim, dire 2nd half of the film, I was not moved as much as I should have been. The genocide devastated me. But the characters were not rich enough or explored enough for me to care about THEM while the massacres were happening to everyone else. The emotional impact was diluted.
In 2004, Terry George wrote/directed Hotel Rwanda. So he knows how to convey the anguish of mass tragedies. Unfortunately, while this film has strengths, it doesn't reach its full 'promise' due to some weak screenwriting. With a cast that includes actors like Christian Bale (solid, but underused), Oscar Isaac (stellar, good accent), Charlotte Le Bon (lovely), acclaimed Iranian actress, Shohreh Aghdashloo (who plays Mikael's mom), not to mention James Cromwell & Jean Reno, I had hoped that this film would bowl me over. Instead, this light shown on this important slice of history is dimmed.
Why I'm giving this film a pass is because of the historical heft that it contains. I like the actors. And I'm a sucker for Old Hollywood-type epics. 'The Promise' boasts impeccable production values (sets, costumes). The locales are intoxicating). And Gabriel Yared's orchestral score channels John Barry or Maurice Jarre, in places. But the broadly-drawn love triangle + the blunt, wartime genocide combo creates a narrative imbalance that is difficult to overcome. Also, on a sheer elemental level, the mass exterminations/barbarism/sense of loss that I felt is difficult to shake; that's the POINT, but I still felt so crumby leaving the theater. Still, while not easy to watch, 'The Promise' is a solemn cautionary tale for today & demonstrates how war can make people rise to the occasion in the face of adversity.