Water Diviner

Russell Crowe directs and stars in The Water Diviner as Australian farmer Joshua Connor, who, in 1919 goes in search of his three missing sons, last known to have fought against the Turks in the bloody Battle of Gallipoli. Arriving in Istanbul, he is thrust into a vastly different world, where he encounters others who have suffered their own losses in the conflict: Ayshe (Kurylenko), a strikingly beautiful but guarded hotelier and single mother; her young, spirited son, Orhan (Dylan Georgiades), who finds a friend in Connor; and Major Hasan (Erdogan), a Turkish officer who fought against Connor’s boys and who may be this father’s only hope. With seemingly insurmountable obstacles in his path, Connor must travel across the battle-scarred Turkish landscape to find the truth...and his own peace. Winner of three Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards, including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor (Erdogan), and Best Costume Design. (Gary Reber)

Special features include a making-of featurette (HD 21:48), The Battle Of Gallipoli featurette (HD 07:52), upfront previews, and an UltraViolet digital copy.

The 2.39:1 1080p AVC Panavision-filmed picture is absolutely gorgeous! and a true epic. The color palette is gorgeous as well with warm, rich, and vibrant hues that are perfectly saturated. The colors define a spectacular scenic landscape and architectural beauty. From the farm vista in Australia, to Istanbul, to the war fields of Gallipoli, Andrew Lesnie’s cinematography is beautifully imagined and executed. Every frame is naturally rendered with a wonderful earthy presence. Fleshtones are perfectly natural throughout. Contrast is excellent, with deep blacks and revealing shadow delineation, specifically in the nighttime war scenes. Resolution is superb, with fine detail rendered throughout, especially during close-ups. This is a fabulous picture that is absolutely reference quality. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack is dynamic sounding, with quick edits to the throwback of the war scenes. This back-and-forth interplay is very dramatic. The war scenes are filled with aggressive directionalized gunfire, cannon-fire, and explosions, while the Turks and the Greeks are in conflict in Istanbul with in-street protests and riots. Even the quieter moments are supported with a sense of holosonic® envelopment with effective surround spatially. Deep bass is delivered in the .1 LFE channel during the war scenes and at times in music segments. This is very powerful bass that energies the soundfield. David Hirschfelder’s orchestral music score is sweeping and beautifully orchestrated with excellent surround extension. Dialogue is also well executed, with excellent intelligibility and at times directionalization. Dialogue is also well integrated spatially. This is a spectacular holosonic® soundtrack that is reference quality and consistently engaging throughout. (Gary Reber)