I love history and Istanbul, and this movies just adds more flavor to my likings. Really a wonderful watch. Shows the courage and bravery of 3 Australian brothers who joined Military and served in a war. Two brothers never make it back, and the last remaining is a mystery for father who will later travel from Australia to Turkey.

Now when I was a young man, I carried me pack, and I lived the free life of a rover From the Murray's green basin to the dusty outback, well, I waltzed my Matilda all over. Then in 1915, my country said son, It's time you stopped rambling, there's work to be done. So they gave me a tin hat, and they gave me a gun, and they marched me away to the war.And the band played Waltzing Matilda, as the ship pulled away from the quay And amidst all the cheers, the flag-waving and tears, we sailed off for Gallipoli And how well I remember that terrible day, how our blood stained the sand and the water And of how in that hell that they called Suvla Bay, we were butchered like lambs at the slaughter. Johnny Turk he was waiting, he'd primed himself well. He shower'd us with bullets, And he rained us with shell. And in five minutes flat, he'd blown us all to hell Nearly blew us right back to Australia.But the band played Waltzing Matilda, when we stopped to bury our slain. We buried ours, and the Turks buried theirs, then we started all over again. And those that were left, well we tried to survive, in that mad world of blood, death and fire And for ten weary weeks, I kept myself alive, though around me the corpses piled higher Then a big Turkish shell knocked me arse over head, and when I woke up in my hospital bed, And saw what it had done, well I wished I was dead. Never knew there was worse things than dyin'.For I'll go no more waltzing Matilda, all around the green bush far and free To hump tent and pegs, a man needs both legs-no more waltzing Matilda for me. So they gathered the crippled, the wounded, the maimed, and they shipped us back home to Australia. The legless, the armless, the blind, the insane, those proud wounded heroes of Suvla And as our ship pulled into Circular Quay, I looked at the place where me legs used to be. And thanked Christ there was nobody waiting for me, to grieve, to mourn, and to pity.But the band played Waltzing Matilda, as they carried us down the gangway. But nobody cheered, they just stood and stared, then they turned all their faces away And so now every April, I sit on me porch, and I watch the parades pass before me. And I see my old comrades, how proudly they march, reviving old dreams of past glories And the old men march slowly, old bones stiff and sore. They're tired old heroes from a forgotten war And the young people ask, what are they marching for? And I ask myself the same question.But the band plays Waltzing Matilda, and the old men still answer the call, But as year follows year, more old men disappear. Someday no one will march there at all. Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda, who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me? And their ghosts may be heard as they march by that billabong, who'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me?And the band played Waltzing Matilda Eric Bogle

I didn't know what to expect from this film, and the subject seemed depressing: a father goes searching for his dead sons in Turkey. However, it was gripping, involving, full of 3- dimensional characters and depths of meaning. The cultural authenticity looked impressive to me, although I as no expert.. All I knew prior to this film was that the Dardanelles campaign in WW1 cost many Anzac lives and was regarded as a disaster. For Russell Crowe's family it was the loss of 3 sons, and all that the father could do was go to where they died to find them.The story builds to a gripping climax and the ending was completely unexpected. I was very impressed, having always been a Russell Crowe fan, with his ability to direct and produce something so meaningful and historically informative, while at the same time giving us a story so moving and ultimately rewarding. Very glad I made the effort to see this.

I don't care how real or unreal this movie is, no one should have to kill their own brother. This movie was starting to bore me until I saw this scene, then the movie took a complete turn and stirred up all the emotion I felt throughout the film that had started to go away. Even though there are scenes with no dialogue that 100% need dialogue to make them great scenes, this movie stirred in me emotion that I've never felt before and don't expect to feel soon again. Russell Crowe does a great job with his acting. He makes himself just emotional enough to feel real, not indulging nor cutting himself short. The Water Diviner really makes you think about what's important in life.