A romantic triangle played out against the background of war and upheaval. No, not "Dr. Zhivago," not "Gone with the Wind," not "Casablanca," although such lofty aspirations are there in director Terry George's "The Promise." Mikhael Boghosian, a young Armenian, leaves his family and his betrothed to pursue medical studies in Constantinople. There, he meets the lovely Ana Khesarian, who is involved with American journalist Chris Myers. The ensuing entanglements, improbable hair-breath escapes, and impossible coincidences occur while Turkey is enmeshed in the first world war and enforcing the "resettlement" of its Armenian population.
The Armenian genocide and Turkey's denial are well known, and "The Promise" has a strong political agenda. However, agendas are not entertainment, and the film succeeds or fails on the credibility of its characters and situations. Despite the film's major assets, the central romance is clichéd; well-bred young woman torn between an idealistic crusader and a passionate healer. Throw in Armenian orphans singing "Alouette," pistols that click but don't fire at critical moments, and a watery scene torn from "Titanic," then mix with lingering overwrought reunions, tender words and kisses while hell-fire rains, and movie buffs will chuckle as they recall each film being plagiarized.
However, large-scale crowd scenes, skirmishes between Turkish troops and Armenian refugees, and arduous treks through rugged mountains take place against striking locations in Malta and Portugal and are backed by Gabriel Yared's fine score. The huge production budget is evident on screen, and the cast is strong as well. Oscar Isaac as Mikhael is especially good as the Dr. Zhivago character; torn between a promise to his mother and fiancée and a passion for Ana, Isaac holds the film together as dedicated healer, passionate lover, and Armenian patriot. Charlotte Le Bon as Ana, however, is perhaps too prim and ladylike to survive the rigorous treks her character faces; while she is fine in the early drawing room scenes in Constantinople, her romance with Mikhael seems to blossom overnight and her ordeal as a fugitive would have quickly killed a woman of her fragile nature. The third member of the triangle, Christian Bale, gives a solid performance as Myers, although the part demands little of his talent.
Whatever the film's flaws and excessive length, "The Promise" does throw light on an historical event that has been suppressed and denied. The movie can be termed a missed opportunity; a "must see" film would have drawn audiences to the romance and educated them to the history. As the film stands, only those already familiar with the history will likely be interested; the romance is an overly familiar yawn.
The Armenian genocide and Turkey's denial are well known, and "The Promise" has a strong political agenda. However, agendas are not entertainment, and the film succeeds or fails on the credibility of its characters and situations. Despite the film's major assets, the central romance is clichéd; well-bred young woman torn between an idealistic crusader and a passionate healer. Throw in Armenian orphans singing "Alouette," pistols that click but don't fire at critical moments, and a watery scene torn from "Titanic," then mix with lingering overwrought reunions, tender words and kisses while hell-fire rains, and movie buffs will chuckle as they recall each film being plagiarized.
However, large-scale crowd scenes, skirmishes between Turkish troops and Armenian refugees, and arduous treks through rugged mountains take place against striking locations in Malta and Portugal and are backed by Gabriel Yared's fine score. The huge production budget is evident on screen, and the cast is strong as well. Oscar Isaac as Mikhael is especially good as the Dr. Zhivago character; torn between a promise to his mother and fiancée and a passion for Ana, Isaac holds the film together as dedicated healer, passionate lover, and Armenian patriot. Charlotte Le Bon as Ana, however, is perhaps too prim and ladylike to survive the rigorous treks her character faces; while she is fine in the early drawing room scenes in Constantinople, her romance with Mikhael seems to blossom overnight and her ordeal as a fugitive would have quickly killed a woman of her fragile nature. The third member of the triangle, Christian Bale, gives a solid performance as Myers, although the part demands little of his talent.
Whatever the film's flaws and excessive length, "The Promise" does throw light on an historical event that has been suppressed and denied. The movie can be termed a missed opportunity; a "must see" film would have drawn audiences to the romance and educated them to the history. As the film stands, only those already familiar with the history will likely be interested; the romance is an overly familiar yawn.