The Promise (2016 film)
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Film production |
| Founder | Kirk Kerkorian, Eric Esrailian |
The Promise is a 2016 American epic historical war drama helmed by director Terry George, who co-authored the screenplay with Robin Swicord. Set during the waning days of the Ottoman Empire, the film features performances by Oscar Isaac, Charlotte Le Bon, and Christian Bale. Its narrative revolves around a love triangle involving Mikael (Isaac), an Armenian medical student; Chris (Bale), an American journalist; and Ana (Le Bon), an Armenian woman raised in France, all set against the backdrop of the Armenian genocide.
The film debuted at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival and was subsequently released in the United States by Open Road Films on April 21, 2017, aligning with the 102nd anniversary of the genocide’s beginning. Although critics offered mixed reviews, it failed commercially, earning $12 million against a production budget of $90 million, resulting in losses exceeding $100 million for Open Road. The studio highlighted that its main objective was to raise public awareness rather than generate profit, with George commenting that "audiences learn more from films today than they do from history books." Additionally, the movie includes "The Promise," the last single recorded by Chris Cornell, who passed away shortly after its U.S. release.
Plot
Mikael Boghosian, an apothecary from Siroun, an Armenian village in Ottoman Turkey, marries Maral, the daughter of a wealthy neighbor, to finance his medical studies at the Imperial School of Medicine in Constantinople. While there, he forms a friendship with Emre, son of an Ottoman official, and encounters Ana Khesarian, an Armenian woman raised in Paris who is romantically involved with American reporter Chris Myers. Mikael develops feelings for Ana as tensions escalate toward World War I.
With assistance from Emre, Mikael evades conscription into the Ottoman Army and tries to rescue his uncle during the 1915 deportations targeting Armenian intellectuals but is captured and sent to a labor camp; Emre is drafted for aiding him. After escaping captivity, Mikael returns to find his village torn apart by violence. Encouraged by his mother, he marries Maral and seeks sanctuary in the mountains, where Maral becomes pregnant.
When complications arise during her pregnancy, Mikael turns to Ana and Chris at a nearby Red Cross facility for help to evade Turkish threats. Returning with orphans to Siroun, they discover a massacre that left only Mikael’s mother and cousin Yeva alive; Maral and their unborn child have been killed.
Chris is detained on charges of espionage but is released thanks to Emre’s efforts and diplomatic pressure from the United States; however, Emre is executed for his involvement. Mikael, Ana, and the orphans join refugees resisting Ottoman forces on Mount Musa Dagh. After enduring a prolonged siege and suffering the loss of Mikael’s mother, they are rescued by the French cruiser Guichen. During the evacuation, Ana drowns while Mikael manages to save Yeva.
In a concluding voice-over, Mikael reveals he adopted Yeva and settled in Watertown, Massachusetts. Chris later died while covering the Spanish Civil War. At Yeva’s wedding in 1942, Mikael raises a toast to the assembled Armenian orphans and their families, symbolizing hope for future generations.
Cast
- Oscar Isaac portrays Mikael Boghosian, an Armenian medical student from Siroun, symbolizing the hopes and dreams of Ottoman Armenians.
- Charlotte Le Bon plays Ana Khesarian, an Armenian artist raised in Paris and educated at the Sorbonne, embodying a socially progressive, avant-garde woman rediscovering her heritage.
- Christian Bale appears as Christopher Myers, a distinguished American journalist working for the Associated Press, a fictional character inspired by eyewitness reporters of the genocide. Bale joined the project prior to the director’s selection and conducted extensive research on journalists from that era.
- Marwan Kenzari takes on the role of Emre Ogan, a Turkish playboy and son of a diplomat, representing the "righteous Muslims" who assisted Armenians during the genocide.
- Shohreh Aghdashloo is cast as Marta Boghosian, Mikael's mother.
- Angela Sarafyan plays Maral, Mikael’s fiancée.
- Daniel Giménez Cacho portrays Reverend Dikran Antreassian, a clergyman involved in the resistance at Musa Dagh.
- Tom Hollander acts as Garin, a former circus performer imprisoned in a labor camp.
- Numan Acar appears as Mustafa, a Turkish Red Cross worker helping orphans.
- Igal Naor plays Mesrob Boghosian, Mikael’s affluent uncle who owns a textile business in Constantinople.
- Milene Mayer Gutierrez portrays Yeva Boghosian; an older version of Yeva is played by Sofia Black-D'Elia in the epilogue.
- Tamer Hassan takes on Faruk Pasha, an official in the Ottoman army.
- Rade Šerbedžija is Stephan, Mayor of Bassek who leads Armenian inhabitants to safety.
- Alicia Borrachero appears as Lena Boghosian, wife of Mesrob.
- Abel Folk plays Harut, Maral’s father.
- Jean Reno portrays Admiral Louis Dartige du Fournet of the French navy.
- James Cromwell acts as Henry Morgenthau Sr., the American ambassador to the Ottoman Empire.
- Kevork Malikyan is cast as Vartan Boghosian, Mikael’s father.
- Stewart Scudamore plays Ogan Pasha, Emre’s diplomat father.
Additional supporting roles include Andrew Tarbet as Pastor Merrill, Aaron Neil portraying Talaat Pasha, Ozman Sirgood as Hasan Mazhar, Aharon Ipalé playing Dr. Nazim, Lucía Zorrilla as Tamar, among others who represent significant historical figures and community members.
Financing, casting and research
The Promise evolved from an unproduced script entitled Anatolia written by Robin Swicord, which was extensively reworked by Terry George. George introduced new characters—including Christian Bale’s role—and broadened the narrative to emphasize the vast impact of the genocide. The initial screenplay mainly centered on Mikael and his family.
Renowned for his work on human rights topics, George became interested in the Armenian genocide following his research for Hotel Rwanda. He conducted field research in Armenia and Turkey before joining the project after reviewing Swicord’s draft.
The entire $100 million budget was generously provided by Armenian-American philanthropist Kirk Kerkorian, who did not anticipate any financial return. This investment made it the highest-budget film on the Armenian genocide as of 2017 and shielded production from political pressures by the Turkish government that had hindered previous projects. Kerkorian approved the script prior to his passing in 2015 but did not live to see the film completed. Together with co-producer Eric Esrailian—whose family survived the genocide—Kerkorian founded Survival Pictures as the production company. Esrailian’s expertise in public health contributed to his understanding of demographic issues relevant to the story.
Christian Bale and Oscar Isaac were confirmed for leading roles in June 2015, with additional main cast members announced by September.
Esrailian incorporated a romantic storyline to attract viewers unfamiliar with the genocide, aiming to avoid a strictly historical account and evoke classic cinematic works such as Doctor Zhivago, Lawrence of Arabia, and Casablanca. He acknowledged that producing a straightforward genocide drama would have been simpler but opted for this approach to engage a wider audience.
To prepare, George studied key literature on the genocide and intentionally adopted a 1970s filmmaking style to appeal beyond niche viewers. He ensured meticulous historical accuracy through comprehensive fact-checking. Both George and Esrailian cited influences from David Lean’s films on the movie’s style.
For audience clarity, George decided that English would be predominantly spoken throughout most of the film, with only the closing toast delivered in Armenian.
Filming
Production commenced in the autumn of 2015 across locations in Portugal, Malta, and Spain, with the schedule extending through December. In Portugal, filming sites included the National Museum of Natural History and Science, Lisbon, while casting calls were organized by the Lisbon School for Hospitality and Tourism. In Spain, scenes were shot in the Canary Islands.
The entire shoot spanned seventy days, followed by additional reshoots in New York during May and June of 2016. Director Terry George invested two months conducting research, comparing photographs from Ottoman-era Turkey to identify authentic locations for filming. Due to the sensitive political nature surrounding the Armenian genocide, security protocols were strictly enforced, and no promotional activities took place during production. Joe Berlinger, who directed the documentary Intent to Destroy, joined the crew to capture behind-the-scenes footage.
An official from the Turkish foreign ministry reached out to actor Giménez Cacho to communicate Turkey’s denial of the genocide, a viewpoint that was also addressed in Berlinger’s documentary. The filmmakers pursued a PG-13 rating from the Motion Picture Association of America, editing out scenes that might have led to an "R" rating to ensure accessibility for younger audiences. This decision resulted in toned-down depictions of violence.
One scene was inspired by the tragic death of Alan Kurdi, a young refugee fleeing conflict in the Middle East, intended to highlight parallels between Armenians escaping genocide and current refugee crises.
Release
The film debuted at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, attracting thousands over its first three public showings. Director George remarked that the final theatrical version remained "essentially the same film," featuring only minor adjustments and a slightly reduced duration.
In December 2016, Open Road Films secured distribution rights for the United States, initially scheduling an April 28, 2017 release, which was later moved up to April 21 to coincide with the Armenian genocide remembrance on April 24. Esrailian noted difficulties in obtaining a U.S. distributor due to Turkey’s longstanding opposition to films addressing this historical event. The film launched in approximately 2,000 theaters nationwide. Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, Armenia’s then-representative to the United Nations, played a role in facilitating the New York premiere.
Prior to its U.S. release, screenings were held internationally for Armenian, Assyrian, and Greek diaspora communities. George confirmed that Open Road targeted Armenians as the primary audience to generate box office traction. An additional screening took place at Vatican City. No plans existed for a Turkish theatrical release.
Box office
The Promise earned $8.2 million domestically and $4.2 million overseas, culminating in a total gross of $12.4 million against a production budget of $90 million. According to Deadline Hollywood, the film incurred an estimated loss of $102.1 million after accounting for expenses.
During its opening weekend across 2,251 North American theaters, it was forecasted to make about $5 million but ultimately debuted with $4.1 million, placing ninth at the box office. Analysts attributed this shortfall partly to limited critical acclaim and a spring release date aligned with the genocide anniversary rather than the more favorable fall awards season window.
Jonathan Helfgot, Open Road's marketing president, highlighted that the project’s purpose extended beyond financial returns: "[While] we certainly hoped for a better box office result ... It was about bringing the world's attention to this issue." The producers planned to donate any profits generated to charitable causes.
Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter characterized The Promise as a "box-office disaster" that "sank like a stone," noting its unfavorable critical reception and modest audience turnout.
Critical reception
According to the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has a 51% approval rating based on 161 critiques, with an average score of 5.70 out of 10. The general consensus describes The Promise as squandering a remarkable ensemble and a compelling true story on a love triangle that ultimately fails to captivate viewers. On Metacritic, the film holds a score of 49 out of 100 from 30 critics, reflecting "mixed or average reviews." Audience feedback collected by CinemaScore resulted in an average grade of "A−."
Benjamin Lee from The Guardian rated the film three out of five stars, describing it as "frequently melodramatic yet well-meaning and lavishly produced." Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times awarded it three stars out of four, acknowledging that despite occasional clichés and derivative aspects, the film effectively reminds audiences of wartime atrocities, bolstered by compelling performances from Isaac and Bale.
Sarafian commended the movie for its adherence to historical accuracy, noting that the producers remained faithful to the essential themes of the Armenian genocide without distortion, while praising director Terry George for maintaining an equitable perspective. Harout Kassabian from The Armenian Weekly highlighted the film’s significance in fostering international awareness about the genocide’s trauma by encouraging viewers to emotionally connect with its characters.
The film also received favorable remarks from public figures such as Armenian-American Kim Kardashian and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. Michael Daly of The Daily Beast contrasted it with the Turkish-supported The Ottoman Lieutenant, which he criticized for presenting a distorted narrative of genocide history. Cara Buckley of The New York Times observed striking "parallels" between the two productions.
Christopher H. Zakian from Fordham University’s Orthodox Christian Studies Center examined the film’s conclusion, interpreting Mikael’s dedication to raising Yeva as emblematic of Armenian cultural values centered on sacrifice for future generations. Zakian further connected Ana's mission to rescue children with biblical teachings that emphasize safeguarding those who are vulnerable.
IMDb pre-release voting controversy
By October 2016, prior to its wide release and following only three limited preview screenings at the Toronto International Film Festival, IMDb had already logged over 86,000 user ratings for the film. This included 55,126 one-star votes alongside 30,639 ten-star votes, revealing a sharply divided response. The majority of these votes were cast by males residing outside the United States. By mid-November, total votes surpassed 91,000, with more than 57,000 one-star ratings recorded. Analysts suggested that many voters had likely not seen the movie and attributed the surge in one-star votes to an organized campaign by deniers of the Armenian genocide, which in turn prompted a counter-movement awarding high ratings to the film. Grassroots initiatives aimed at combating misleading ratings gained momentum, including a viral video created by Harvard student Michael He that amassed 300,000 views. Upon its U.S. release, the film carried an IMDb score of 5.5/10 based on 129,241 votes, which later increased to 6.1/10 from 164,475 votes as of May 2019.
Accolades
In 2017, George was honored with the Armin T. Wegner Humanitarian Award in recognition of his cinematic works that portray genocides, notably including The Promise. Additionally, he received a khachkar—a piece created by Hrach Gukasyan and commissioned by the Arpa International Film Festival and Awards Gala—incorporating Armenian motifs shaped as a Celtic cross to pay tribute to his Irish roots.
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Hollywood Music in Media Awards | Best Original Song in a Feature Film | "The Promise" (performed by Chris Cornell) |
rowspan="7" Template:Nom |
| 2018 | Grammy Awards | Best Rock Performance | ||
| Satellite Awards | Best Original Song | |||
| Movieguide Awards | Best Movie for Mature Audiences | The Promise | ||
| Most Inspiring Movie of 2017 | ||||
| Faith & Freedom Award for Movies | ||||
| Most Inspiring Performance for Movies | Oscar Isaac |