The Promise
The Promise

Movie spotlight

The Promise

2005
Movie
121 min
Mandarin

An orphaned girl, driven by poverty at such a young age, makes a promise with an enchantress. In return for beauty and the admiration of every man, she will never be with the man she loves. This spell cannot be broken unless the impossible happens: snow falling in spring and the dead coming back to life. Now a grown and beautiful princess, she regrets her promise, for all of the men she's loved has always been met with tragedy.

Insights

IMDb6.0/10
Rotten Tomatoes48%
Metacritic44/100
Google Users48%
Director: Sean PennGenres: Drama, Romance, War

Plot Summary

In the final years of the Ottoman Empire, Mikael Boghosian, a young Armenian apothecary, falls in love with Ana, an accomplished dancer. As the Ottoman government begins to systematically deport and kill Armenians, Mikael and Ana are separated, and Mikael must fight for survival and to reunite with his love amidst the horrific backdrop of the Armenian Genocide.

Critical Reception

The Promise received mixed to negative reviews from critics, with many criticizing its historical inaccuracies and narrative choices, while some praised its ambition and performances. Audiences were also divided, with some finding it a moving tribute and others taking issue with its portrayal of events.

What Reviewers Say

  • Praised for its epic scope and passionate performances, particularly from Oscar Isaac.

  • Criticized for historical liberties and a sometimes melodramatic script.

  • Seen by some as a necessary but flawed attempt to bring a tragic history to the screen.

Google audience: Google users had a divided reaction to The Promise. Many appreciated the film's attempt to shed light on the Armenian Genocide and found the love story compelling, leading to positive remarks on its emotional impact. However, a significant portion of viewers expressed disappointment with historical inaccuracies and the perceived bias in its narrative, leading to negative reviews.

Fun Fact

The film faced significant controversy and backlash, particularly from Turkish nationalist groups, leading to organized campaigns to downvote it online and protests against its distribution.

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TMDB Reviews

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TheTenth

TheTenth

Two young kids try to scrounge food on a battlefield. The girl uses cunning to get a cake the boy found. As she flees with it she drops it in the water. A female spirit offers her a deal : if she never find happy love, she will never be hun...