woodyi I know there is a great deal of argument around the Armenian peoples' plight in Turkey but I thought this movie was even handed. It was a love story set against a horrible backdrop but portrayed individuals who all exhibited varying dispositions. One can't dismiss it as propaganda; propaganda is the work of powers and fanatics.

yjudith I really liked the movie. Is it 100% accurate? To be honest, I dont know enough about it to comment on that. Did I enjoy the movie, yes i did. I would have given it a higher rating, but I didnt like Hera Hilmar in this role. I found her monotone voice irritating especially when she was narrating. At the start of the film I shrugged it off and thought Lillie might just be restrained emotionally, living in a home where her parents want to control her. But it continued throughout. I was shocked to find out that Hilmar is 29. As i was watching the movie one of the things that stood out so big to me was that Lillie looked 16, even though I knew she was an adult. It made the intimate scenes with Ismail uncomfortable to watch. Hilmar did a phenomenal job when Ismail died; the crying scene really tore at me. And can we talk about Josh Hartnet?? I have never thought him more than a mediocre actor, and it really showed in this film. Ben Kingsley didnt really have enough scenes to say much about his acting, but i've always liked him. I wish he had been a bigger character!!!!

u-emoli This movie is ok, the plot is actually quite good and well filmed and directed. If only the production would have spent a bit more money on decent actors! Did they actually audition for this? They are so bad

Ed-Shullivan Okay I will admit that as far as action/adventure/romance films go, I have seen a lot worse, but after watching thousands of films over the past six (6) decades I appreciate viewing more than the run of the mill wide angle cinematic adventure with excellent color and a decent music score but that takes too many liberties with historical events. This film is a story about a 23 year old Philadelphia nurse named Lillie (Hera Hilmar) who comes from a well to do family. Lillie rather quickly becomes disenchanted with the class struggles in her hometown and infatuated with an American born doctor without borders named Dr. Jude (Josh Hartnett). Dr Jude is only in Philadelphia to acquire donations and to speak about the hospital he works at which is indifferent to the imminent first world war and whose sole purpose is to serve both the Turkish and Armenian soldiers who insist on either killing each other first, or maiming each other as a consolation. So Lillie abandons her comfortable living, cashes in her grandmother's inheritance for medical supplies which she expects to deliver to her dreamy doctor's hospital thousands of miles away. To travel to the hospital Lillie is assigned an Ottoman Lieutenant named Ismail (Michiel Huisman). Lillie and Ismail are from two completely and diverse backgrounds both in their religious beliefs as well as their customs.So you can figure out there is the makings of a love triangle with Dr. Jude (Josh Hartnett) and Ismail (Michiel Huisman) vying for the naive nurse Lillie's affections. I really liked Michiel Huisman's portrayal of Lieutenant Ismail and I was not very impressed with either Dr. Jude's medical prowess, nor with his continuing to put on and repeatedly take off his spectacles from the bridge of his nose. Quite frankly I would have preferred to see him continually pick his nose than to remove and place on, remove and place on his spectacles, it was irritating and added no value to his proficiency as a medical doctor.As for Lillie, she was quite attractive, but once again her abilities as a nurse working in a foreign countries hospital were questionable at best. If you must see it for yourself how poorly she behaved as a nurse look no further than the final scene in the film where she is outside supposedly attending to the wounded soldiers. She puts her hand on their forehead (some diagnosis eh?) as they lay on a stretcher and then she points them to one of three entrance ways as if that is going to stop their bleeding?I liked the film overall for light entertainment with above average cinematography and a decent musical score. The adventure and action sequences though were below par. I give the film a five (5) out of ten (10) score.