SYDNEY—Leading Australian World War I historian, Dr. Peter Stanley, has openly referred to Russell Crowe’s latest movie, “The Water Diviner,” as a “fundamentally silly film” and slammed it for not referring to the Armenian Genocide, the Armenian National Committee of Australia reports.
Stanley, the former head of Historical Research and Principal Historian at the Australian War Memorial, has written an extensive account on the historical inaccuracies of this movie, which claims to be “inspired by true events”.
The movie, which has been released to coincide with the centenary of ANZAC Day, tells the story of an Australian father who visits Gallipoli after the war in search of his dead son.
Stanley criticizes “The Water Diviner” on the basis of the “fundamental lack of credibility”.
He says: “…just about everything else in ‘The Water Diviner’ is made up and not very convincingly either….This is basically a silly film, full of impossibilities, and isn’t worth the attention it’s getting,” Stanley writes.
He adds: “There isn’t any reference to the massacres of Armenians that were such an important part of the last years of the Ottoman Empire. That’s true, but it seems to me that the Armenian agony simply has no relevance to the film’s plot, risible though the plot is.”
Under the guise of World War I, the Ottoman Turkish government implemented and carried out the first genocide of the 20th century against its Armenian population, as well as Greeks and Assyrians. Turkey continues to run an international campaign of denial.
Executive Director of the Armenian National Committee of Australia, Vache Kahramanian, remarked: “It is not unsurprising that Turkey is heavily promoting this film, which aim to portray the Turk as a victim, even though one of the greatest crimes against humanity was committed against its Armenian subjects from 1915 to 1923.”
The Water Diviner, already out in Australian cinemas, is scheduled to premiere in the United States on the Centenary anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, the 24th of April, 2015.
Hollywood is in cahoots with the powers that be. There is no way it can pass the censors without prior approval. Believing anything else is naive and blatantly stupid!
Am 99% positive the film and US release date are Turk manufactured. Not really a surprise. Ask Crowe how he feels about the Armenian version of events.
Come on Russell, you are better than this. At least we always thought you were. Whatever would possess a man of principles to associate himself with this steaming pile of Turkish crap??? Shame, shame, shame. Are you truly that desperate for work???
Why not May 24 or June 24? What a hell of a coincidence! Something smells VERY fishy here. Can’t ANCA request a delayed US premier? How about a boycott if they don’t!
Stop the Turkish denial of the Armenian genocide, the Armenian people have waited 100 years for In recognition and that is enough
Russell Crowe is a phoney who would do anything for money to make a movie like this.
Understandable that Armenians condemn this movie. However the movie is not about Armenians. It is about poor Australian boys who were shipped by the British around the world to be sacrificed in a badly and callously organized campaign and the agony of a father to brig bad one of his sons.
Yes there was a genocide of Armenians, there was persecution and genocide of Greeks etc..
But the movie nowhere said the Turks were innocent. They were victims as well. 20,00 allied troupes versus 70,000 Turks. So ??