The Ottoman Lieutenant (2017)

This movie is a love story between an idealistic American nurse and a Turkish officer in World War I.

Director:

Joseph Ruben

Writer:

Jeff Stockwell

Stars:

Michiel Huisman, Hera Hilmar, Josh Hartnett

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michiel Huisman	...	Ismail
Hera Hilmar	...	Lillie
Josh Hartnett	...	Jude
Ben Kingsley	...	Woodruff
Haluk Bilginer	...	Khalil Bey
Affif Ben Badra	...	Christapor
Paul Barrett	...	Mr. Rowe
Jessica Turner	...	Mrs. Rowe
Peter Hosking	...	Mr. Clemson
Selçuk Yöntem	...	Melih Pasha
Eliska Slansky	...	Aghavni
Hasan Say	...	Ahmet
Deniz Kilic Flak	...	Zoya
Aysen Sümercan	...	Aghavni's Grandmother
Murat Seven	...	Leader

Storyline

A strong-willed young woman, who, frustrated by on-going injustice at home, leaves the U.S. after meeting Jude, an American doctor who runs a remote medical mission within the Ottoman Empire. A world both exotic and dangerous, and on the brink of what is about to become World War I. There, she finds her loyalty to Jude and the mission's founder tested when she falls in love with their perceived enemy, a Lieutenant in the Ottoman Imperial Army. Now, with invading army forces at their doorstep, and the world about to plunge into all-out war, she must make a decision if she wants to be what other people want her to be, or to be herself.

---

Plot Keywords:

world war one | wwi nurse | ottoman empire | armenian | denial of armenian genocide | 

---

Taglines:

In a land on the brink of war the most dangerous place to be is in love.

---

Genres:

Drama | War

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some war violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

Michiel Huisman and Hera Hilmar appeared in Harley and the Davidsons (2016).

---

Goofs

The crowd voices at market and other scenes were in Arabic language, while the formal language at that time was Turkish.

---

Quotes

Ismail: You should'nt wander off.
Lillie: I'm perfectly fine. Is that Mount Ararat where Noah landed?
Ismail: Yes. We call it Agri Dagi.
Lillie: Agri Dagi.
Ismail: Noah and the Great Flood. Adam and Eve. You know, it's also part of the Islamic culture.
Lillie: Really?
Ismail: Hm-hm.
Lillie: Adam and Eve?
Ismail: Hm-hm. Only in the islamic telling they weren't driven out of the garden. They were placed in different parts of the world, so they had to search to find each other.
Ismail: Please stay close.

---

Connections

Referenced in La noche de...: La noche de... El teniente otomano (2019)

User Reviews

Movies Are Not Politics, Nor Are They Documentaries.

While some reviewers cannot see beyond the work of the actors and director in a project, others pay to escape life and be immersed in a world we cannot otherwise visit. The Ottoman Lieutenant is a grand, sweeping movie that has war as its backdrop. This movie is not a documentary. The artists who worked to bring us this bit of fiction immersed themselves beautifully within the project, and their hard work stands out, much like the Merchant Ivory films. The movie itself does not ask for a review of its accuracy, it simply asks that we put aside the trappings of our present environment to imagine a different vista. If you are interested in enjoying beauty for its own sake, then you will enjoy this film. If you are still intent on reliving the atrocities of the past, then l suggest you stick to documentaries, and only those with which you wholeheartedly agree. - Chipper F. Xavier, Esq.

Details

Country:

Turkey USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 March 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Ottoman Lieutenant

Filming Locations:

Cappadocia, Turkey

Box Office

Budget:

$40,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$149,830, 12 March 2017

Gross USA:

$240,978

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$413,844

Company Credits

Production Co:

ES Film, Eastern Sunrise Films, Es Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

106 min

Color:

Color