Russell Crowe has directed a few short films, but this is his first big directing gig. It certainly comes through on screen. The story follows a father who is on the search for his sons after World War One, and intends to bring them home to rest. He begins a long, tumultuous journey into the heart of Turkey with a hope that in the end he can find some peace. The peace he finds can symbolically be called water or what we all see as life. Hence, the title: “The Water Diviner”. He has no divining rod, like perhaps Moses, but he has a way to discern where water or life exists even under great duress or in a place that is filled with ‘ghosts’ from the war.
This is one of those stories, where you personally find yourself rooting for the character, hoping in your heart that there really is some good in this world—where people can put aside their differences and nationalities to come together, because of the same grief that they might share. It is inspirational to say the least, and a film that may very well be underrated.
There haven’t been too much say on “The Water Diviner”, and it hasn’t made huge headway against the large, looming Avengers breaking onto screen. However, I believe it has a lot of potential for greatness, and needs to be heard. Now, I admit I have always been a Russell Crowe fan, but of late there have been a few of his films that have fallen short. Don’t believe the “Water Diviner” to be one of them.
If for anything, go because it has a good, heart-warming story. If you like looking deeper into the process of the story in conjunction with the cinematography, then I’d say you will also be pleasantly surprised. It has its flashbacks, talk of fate, symbolism, and a great deal of solid characters. The story moves in an easy manner, and flows well. There is hardly any part of the story that is jarring or confusing. Let’s just say it is seamless, tied together well, and I’ll say it again, a good, and substantial film.
