Review of The Water Diviner (2014) by Harry W — 12 Jan 2015

With Russell Crowe directing for the first time as well as headlining the film, The Water Diviner sounded like a strong Australian film.

The Water Diviner is a rather melodramatic film at many times. The intro to the film gives it a less than stellar setup because it puts out a situation which begins as an overly sentimental one without transitioning into it. For the film to just throw viewers straight into the situation without giving them time to adapt, the drama doesn't begin in the best manner. A lot of melodrama starts up The Water Diviner until things settle down and viewers are given some moments to adapt to the mood and understand the situations being presented. From there on, the film improves, and even if the entire tale goes at a slow pace and gets off track occasionally for a few subplots here and there, The Water Diviner turns into a very good film.

As the situation in Gallipoli is considered one of the great tragedies of Australian history, The Water Diviner is important because of how it looks at the situation in a new light. While the film uses flashbacks to illuminate the tragic suffering and loss of innocence that our troops, it also takes a look at the losses suffered by the Turkish. The Water Diviner examines the fact that the situation in Gallipoli was in fact an invasion and the losses for the Turkish were huge. The Water Diviner takes an honest and non-biased look at the situation. As an Australian film it certainly focuses a bit more on one side, but Russell Crowe's courage as a filmmaker implore him to delve into the true tragedy of the situation for both sides as well as depicting the Turkish in a positive light. The Water Diviner could have been one of those films that walked an unsteady line, but Russell Crowe's firm handling of the subject matter makes his directional debut a thoroughly impressive one. The Water Diviner resurrects the tragic tale of Gallipoli and brings it into the 21st century without seeming like it has passed its prime or become dated.

The Water Diviner has a really touching story to it. While it could easily be one which dissolves into ridiculous sentimentality or as the intro suggests, a lot of melodrama, Andrew Anastasios and Andrew Knight have written the story with precision as well as honesty and rich dialogue. The story manages to elevate itself above sentimentality and play off the less relevant plot elements as subplots while remaining focused in its subject matter, dealing with themes of loss, hope and war all together while also serving as a realistic examination of Turkish culture. It is all captured with a strongly dramatic atmosphere enhanced in part by the musical score of the feature which really grasps viewers and in some moments may even leave them in tears. I was on the verge of crying by the end of The Water Diviner, and that was when I realised how well the story turned itself around after progressing slowly for much of the time. I really felt the heartful tug that Russell Crowe was going for, and so it marks a very impressive debut for him as a director in a new step for the Academy Award winner's career.

The other thing that he manages to get right is ensuring that the film feels legitimate. The experience of seeing The Water Diviner comes with the beautiful scenery of its Australian and Turkish landscapes, more predominantly on the latter. This gives the film a big scale and a sense of journey to it which is captured very well. The cinematography in the film is gorgeous and does an excellent job capturing the look of everything, and it gives the film a sense of life, as well as establishing Russell Crowe's eye for strong imagery.

And without failing on a human level, The Water Diviner is a film rich with characters who are all established with powerful acting.

Russell Crowe makes a perfect lead in The Water Diviner. While he starts off as a blank shell of a man he once was, as his character goes through a change in culture and hope, we see him transition well. Russell Crowe gradually brings more and more emotion into his role as the material demands it from him. He consistently steps up to the challenge in The Water Diviner and is able to direct himself through all of the material very well. You can easily sense a hard edge in the character based on the way that Russell Crowe stands with such a strong stature and passion for the material, as well as the way he interacts with the surrounding cast, in particular Olga Kurylenko and Yilman Erdogan.

Olga Kurylenko makes a welcome presence in The Water Diviner. While a character like hers is commonly reduced to little more than the romantic interest of the main character, in The Water Diviner she is given a greater part than average and easily lives up to the challenge. She has a lot of life in her which comes largely from her natural spirit as an actress as well as the way that she handles the role in terms of both character and culture. Olga Kurylenko makes a really sympathetic character in The Water Diviner and adds more sense of meaning to the story.

Yilmaz Erdogan also does a great job. In the role of Major Hasan, Yilmaz Erdogan maintains a strong sense of sophistication and keeps his emotions very well intact. The entire time in the film he approaches the emotional material on a basis which isn't distant but isn't too emotionally damaged by the trauma, meaning that he finds a balance of character. The chemistry that Yilmaz Erdogan shares with Russell Crowe is strong and grows as the film develops and the two face more situations together in an interesting development.

So although The Water Diviner is slow and succumbs to momentary melodrama, it is a thoroughly touching film which deals with serious cultural issues while handling Gallipoli with honesty as well as serving as a strong directional debt from Russell Crowe.