In 1914, the Great War threatens to break out as the mighty Ottoman Empire collapses. In Constantinople, Michael, a young Armenian medical student, and Chris, an American photojournalist, compete for the affections of the beautiful Ana. As the Empire violently targets ethnic minorities within its territory, they must join forces to uphold a single promise: to survive and bear witness.
Against the backdrop of a romantic rivalry between an American journalist and an Armenian medical student, we witness the unfolding of a historical event depicting the last days of the Ottoman Empire during the Turkish-Armenian war, a conflict that inevitably led to the continuation of the Armenian genocide. While it is certainly an interesting subject, the film lacks dynamism, with little suspense and some slow parts…
Charlotte Le Bon, Oscar Isaac, and Christian Bale share the screen in this romantic and tragic historical epic.
Designed and crafted to appeal to a wide audience fond of powerful and moving stories with a focus on the duty of remembrance, The Promise does not hold back on the violins, emotionally impactful scenes, and a very lyrical style.
While it falls short of delving beyond generalities with numerous historical shortcuts and stumbles a bit with its bluntly portrayed romance, Terry George’s film at least has the merit of being well crafted, elegantly reconstructed, and paced, seeking to align itself with epic-scale productions.
