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Saturday, July 11, 2015




Russell Crowe’s Directorial Debut in “The Water Diviner” Should Put Him in Place for an Academy Award!
Congratulations to both actor and director, Russell Crowe, on his new film. 
I was perusing Amazon the other day and saw that “The Water Diviner” was an Aussie Film which starred Russell Crowe. On probability alone, I knew I could not go wrong watching the versatile actor of such epic films as “The Gladiator” and “L. A. Confidential.” What stunned me completely was the subject matter of this expansive film about the tragic aftermath of Battle of Gallipoli, Turkey.  This movie was rich with depictions of realistic war scenes between Aussies and Turks; sparing nothing about the brutality of war. Crowe, the Director, took an incredible risk in shooting a film that carefully and respectfully delineated Muslim Turkish customs just before the advent of Mustafa Kamal Ataturk, the Secular Nationalist.

I have rarely seen such a sensitive and compassionate portrayal of combatants in war who then become allies in peace; despite the incredible cultural gap between a Christian [non-practicing ] and a practicing Muslim Turkish Officer [Major Hasan—played brilliantly by Yilmaz Erdogan]. To my delight, I re-discovered a new talent whom I had first seen in the TV Series “Magic City” – Olga Kurylenko [a beautiful Ukranian actress] who plays a Turkish widow with finesse and passion. Most amazing was how Crowe wove the story line so effortlessly through different locations—Aussie Outback; Istanbul and Gallipoli, Turkey—without straining credulity or verisimilitude. One had the feeling that one was there in Turkey at the turn of the century.

Crowe showed the absurdity of war and it’s crass aftermath without getting complicated or sentimental; simply that war is wasteful and meaningless.The film revealed how England had reached its pinnacle of military success around the beginning of the Twentieth Century only to repeat it’s expansionist instincts into oblivion at a cost of about 37 million people –wounded and killed. It reminded me of recent defeats and needless, expansionist wars that America created in the same areas as Britain had one hundred years ago. Both countries had the same results; vainglorious Generals and Authoritarian Leaders disregarding the will of the people, with millions killed, wounded or lost.
Old men/women send young people to fight for something they know nothing about; nor really care about-- and couch it in terms of honor, flag and country. Usually it’s in a far-away country or countries that have no national security interest. Moreover, we do not know either the language nor the culture of the countries that we are sent to fight in. Yet we fight because we are told to by those who have rarely fought themselves. The only winners are the rich men and faceless profit mongering corporations.
Yet in “The Water Diviner”, Crowe showed a surprising and endearing ending that is worth watching through the fast-paced two hour film.
Congratulations to the writers—Andrew Anastasios and Dr Meaghan Wilson-Anastasios ; and Andrew Knight.
Congratulations to the Producers and to the entire cast of outstanding characters from Russell Crowe, Olga Kurylenko, Jai Courtney,  Cem Yilmaz, and Yilmaz Erdogan.
Also, I must congratulate the various studios who took a very high risk making this particular film: Universal Studios; Warner Bros. and Entertainment One [Australia]. This is my first nomination for the best picture, direction, writing, producing and acting for the 2015 Academy Awards as well as other international prizes.
Crowe, in my humble opinion, has managed to do what only one other famous Hollywood actor has done—Clint Eastwood—transmute into a director who can shoot an epic film across different continents, about war and peace.




27 comments:

  1. Someone who could only be a great grandmother, spanning across generations, like bridges over an archipelago of confusion, talked..... In her words, she found herself transported before the knees of a great grandfather, as a child on the floor, looking up. She recalled how in his words, he had transported himself across time, to the Napoleonic wars.
    He said carefully and with great concern in his voice, "When we fought we thought we would change the world for the better. But in the end, nothing really hand changed." It was with these words, uttered from a great grandmother, and spoken before her from a great grandfather, that ambivalence parades like a marching army across time.

    When we ponder the meanings of history, and how we forge the future, how is it that we should look diligently upon it? This great grandmother warned, to suffer only those things which had merit. It was before the knees, as a child, on the floor, beside a great grandmother, that such things were spoken.

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    1. I hope Crow turns out to be a better director than Eastwood. Eastwood is much over-rated. He has no filmic talent. He's just another commercial film maker doing the least he has to in order to make money. He's given us Any Which Way But Loose and "J. Edgar" and so forth. The only time he came close to good direction was with "Byrd" and that's because for once he cared about the subject.

      In order for a director to do a good job they must care about the subject, and that's only something a real artist knows about. Directors and other film makers who are just aping what other film makers have done in order to complete a job for commercial reasons have no idea what it is to be an artist and care about communicating a story which has meaning to the audience other than escapism.

      In terms of the few good directors out there you have to understand that they change. Roland Jaffe and Michael Cimino started out as artists and then threw in the towel and just became commercial hacks.

      Stanley Kubrick was perhaps the only one who remained an artist through his career.

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    2. Well this guy do commercials and he made best euro movie this year...

      full move, while it is still there
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iRSwOhQLuo

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    3. ...some genius made it murky... and all others are fake uploads...

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  2. Battle of Gallipoli is evidence how artillery on land always beat artillery on sea. Navy have advance over land because navy choose where land must defend it self but that is all.

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  3. My other Grandad fought at Gallipoli and said that Churchill sold them down thr river there. I do love what the Texans are doing with their reverse Jade Helm operation, watching the watchers, that's the way to do it! If they tried that shit in England it would be challenged every 5 minutes. For example they closed a major road outside my house for 7 hours, everytime I went out and came back the Police tried to stop me I just said no and walked past them. Give an inch and they will take a mile.

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    1. It is not that they are taking inch from us people, we people are too stupid to have anything taken from us. Those are games among them, do not forget that state is just manifestation of common agreement between members of ruling elites. Today plutocrats - capitalsits. They are very afriad of going dictatorial because they are afriad one of them could become dictator and send others to camps, but yes on other hand they would like to see more control toward people, yes they would like to get common agreement how to clamp more on people, but fear is always big of Dr. Stalin or Dr. Hitler... People have problem. I wish i could help them. They all are flowers wishing to help us. Imagine if you rule and you see how people are stupid and controlable, you would be scared to death. You must go crazy when you see how evil you have to become to control that scum down there, especially when you see how stupid they are and capable to be even more evil than they are. Poor elite...

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    2. Imagine being evil capitalists who think he is good and that he deserved that. Exploatation is any form where decision what do with profit is not democratically decided by only those people who created that profit. No governemnt no capitalist. They both must be abolished. Only King can exist. He is from God.

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  4. i have to give myself an F on all knowledge of acting, directors, and Hollywood. I don't even try. Can't even claim the merits of Shakespeare's grave diggers....

    Favourite movie I saw so far this year, that has made an impression on me, is The Homesman. Found it mesmerizing to say the least. Think Tommy Lee Jones directed that one.




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  5. Hug of Russian bear is warm but it can be sometime very tight. People now in Croatia are starting to consider many options. We do not want to live like poor working people of west. That is very hard.

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    1. Greece must adopt all Germans demands... plus that last one where they would exit from Euro on 5 years, especially...

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    2. That is only way to get away from poor capitalist countries of west Europe. And for people to be punished for wanting to be part of EU and Euro. Those French and Italian snakes now wants middle ground and such are most dangerous. Those are those capitalistic social-democrats - first one to be eliminated. In real non government workers self-management, there are no stocks and there are no capitalists (private or governmental)... American people are stupid, they really think capitalists are going to allow those nice suburbs any more :), killing of Indians is over, civil war is over, colonisation is over, cold war is over, now it is time for agenda 21 and it is time to consolidate power. Middle class was made in USA because capitalists had to do it, because communists put them guns on their heads... Capitalist will never give anything for free. This is their generational victory and now you americans are not needed any more.

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    3. Only childish retarded moron can think differently. Nice houses were given by capitalists to colonists because they had to do that for colonists to be able to sell their products further on conquered lands, also people had to armed. That is why USA is developed and South America is not. Capitalists in south america did not need to give power to people because their Indians were willing to be good slaves and they were easily colonised. Now those Mexicans are new colonists for them. They will vote for Bush and Hillary. Yes americans are stupid people. To believe in to capitalism but to not understand that capitalists always wants ALL.

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    4. When we in Europe say that Americans are stupid, we do not think that, we do not even think you are naive, we express that way because americans do not have experience to live in two-three systems and 4-5 states in one life. Unless you are in Sweden or Switzerland. We envy americans because of stability.

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    5. Person is stupid when it does not learn about evil properly.

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  6. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/07/12/us-eurozone-greece-germany-idUSKCN0PM0EF20150712

    This are games, double games, triple games...

    "If Germany pushes for a Grexit, it will provoke a profound conflict with France. That would be a catastrophe for Europe,"

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  7. When capitalists get killed in USA, and those good real capitalists form central committee, then Croatia and Serbia are going to be first one to help USA to liberate whole world from evil capitalists. As only real friends of USA.

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    1. I am not joking... please let s not forget :)
      Capitalists are informal central committee...
      Communists are formal central committee...
      This formal central committee already happened in USA, but huh suddenly it was abolished very soon he he, remember super congress?

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congress_Joint_Select_Committee_on_Deficit_Reduction

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    2. United States was Communist country for 692 days.

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    3. Tarpley is saying that "Lehman Brothers case gave 10 year bonus to Chinese to do what they want"...
      We need communist coup in Germany. Putin must be showed as capitalists and we have it all. Peace and stability everywhere. Bad Chinese capitalists, Chinese capitalists do not even pay social security and people do not have even medicare there... Ts ts ts, bad bad capitalists.

      http://tarpley.net

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  8. "In his first interview since resigning, Greece's former Finance Minister says the Eurogroup is “completely and utterly” controlled by Germany, Greece was “set up” and last week’s referendum was wasted."


    http://www.newstatesman.com/world-affairs/2015/07/exclusive-yanis-varoufakis-opens-about-his-five-month-battle-save-greece

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  9. I am totally under propaganda of western rulers, now i think how everything is fine, how everything will be better, how it is most important that we have deal for people to be calm.
    Bankers will look for us, they loves us. They will never makes us poorer, they will invest and we will all live like middle class in USA which does not exist any more... I do not even need to take drugs...

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=474&v=ze1lquOST9Y

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  10. Dr Steve, People should watch this Y/T video "Banks Taking Control of The World"
    On the Monday, July 13 edition of the Alex Jones Show, Greece accepts Eurozone bailout terms, surrendering much of its sovereignty and signing onto a massive debt deal. Russian hackers also claim to have uncovered footage that exposes the ISIS Jihadi John beheading videos as fake. Also, a Russian parliament member claims the country's oligarchs are working with American corporations and the White House to oust President Vladimir Putin and collapse the Russian Federation. On today's show, we'll continue looking at the cultural marxism inherent in MTV's new White People documentary, the media's obsession with Donald Trump and the upcoming Jade Helm military exercises, in which southwestern states have been labeled "hostile."
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brpfsubHMZo

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    1. Masks are starting to fall... But that is logical, that is internet, any new freedom will get under some kind of control... If internet is global than power will be global.

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    2. Science says, that if you global freedom, by following equation which says that any power vacuum (freedom) must be filled with power, that means if you have global power vacuum, that vacuum will be filled with global power.

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  11. Well...a patrician class member on the east coast told me they know people with an armed redoubt for when the shtf in the US.

    I cried unexpectedly after handing up. All the suffering and hard work of so many working class folks...to think these uppity elitists, the most of whom I have met are very judgmental and ignorant about earning an honest living...an honest, ethical living...you know what I mean...these twits are gonna go underground and leave us up to suffer alone. That hurts.

    Will the powers that be send a bunker buster to their locale? I won't cry if so. I don't wish it, well...I repented. I guess they can't help they were born into the east coast, coastal elite arena...but I mean really. I have heard bitter a hole mean comments made regarding upright poor people out of a couple of these folks. To think they will go underground and survive makes me sick and sad. The sad is a mad sad. Mad in a righteous way.

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