STEVE PIECZENIK TALKS

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.