by Joseph Rossi
Russell Crowe’s The Water Diviner is a handsome and passionate epic that I hope will find an audience.
Being behind the camera for the first time, Russell Crowe proves that he can hold his own with the big time directors. Working with a limited budget he has crafted a beautiful looking film that would make the masters like David Lean and William Wyler blush with envy. He clearly spent his time watching ace directors like Ridley Scott and Peter Weir work because he chose a daunting tale to tell and tells with skill and finesse. Crowe stars in the film as Australian farmer Joshua Conner, who travels to Turkey after World War 1 to fulfill a promise to his late wife to recover the bodies of his sons who fought in the battle of Gallipoli.
This is an old school type plot that reminded me of something out the 1940’s studio system. The project fits Crowe like a glove. Both as an actor and as a director. His age, his grizzled face, sad eyes and salt and pepper beard all add to a believable persona that we can relate to. Here, more then ever, I believe Crowe has found for himself the perfect character in farmer Joshua Conner. He is reminiscent of characters played by famous actors like Gabel, Burton, Reed and Brando. Strong male characters with screen presence. As a director, he commands the screen by using ace DP Andrew Lesnie to his full advantage. Some of the shots are just breathtaking.
Crowe’s passion for the subject is in every shot. His reverence for the history of his country and to the memory of the over 9000 Australian men shines through. The film teeters on the verge of corny or hokey but so what? So did The Best years of our Lives and that film is a classic. The Water Diviner wears it’s heart on it’s sleve and I’m glad. I would love to see an old fashioned epic make it in today’s cynical world. This is classic movie making at its best. I hope Crowe makes another film soon. I expect great things.
