Film Review: The Promise

Many viewers will approach The Promise not knowing much about its subject matter – the 1915 Armenian Genocide, when the Ottoman Empire’s government systematically murdered over 1.5 million Armenians. This horrific period remains controversial due to Turkey’s refusal to acknowledge the mass killings as genocide.

It’s just a pity that the romance at the heart of the movie distracts from the politics, to the detriment of our understanding.

Set in Armenia in 1914, Oscar Isaac plays Michael, a humble apothecary who dreams of becoming a doctor. Moving to Constantinople to study, he meets Ana (Charlotte Le Bon), an Armenian woman raised in France, and her boyfriend Chris (Christian Bale), an American photojournalist reporting on the conflicts between Turkey and Armenia. As war breaks out and Armenian people are hunted and sent to their deaths, Ana is torn between a man who understands her past, and a man who could protect her future.

Too often, however, the characters seem one-dimensional, and Isaac and Le Bon betray a lack of chemistry. This not only decreases the impact of the romance, but risks trivialising what was a brutal and harrowing period by prioritising the personal dramatics.

Hotel Rwanda director Terry George mitigates the flaws of the screenplay with visuals that are at once lush and horrific. The opulent luxury of hotels and marketplaces contrasts with the charred horror of burned villages and containers filled with Armenian people being led to their deaths. The parallels with the Holocaust are painfully evident, and it’s galling to realise that America has yet to formally recognise the genocide.

But amidst the terror, the emphasis on the love triangle feels misplaced.