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Switching between the past and modern day, we see part of
the events surrounding the Turkish/Armenian massacre at Mount
Ararat, and the present day making of a film of the events.
Adding poetic licence, the scriptwriter makes Gorky, an Armenian
painter, a character and this brings in an art expert with
knowledge and speculation on the man himself. She has a son
and daughter by two different husbands. The son's father died
trying to assassinate the Turkish ambassador, but the daughter
resents the story she is told about her father dying by his
own hand...
The
same dark story is told from so many different angles here
that you quickly feel depressed enough to consider watching
a party political broadcast instead, or even eating a pot
noodle (yes, that bad!). Charles Aznavour (yes, the guy who
used to dance with himself) plays the film director, and Christopher
Plummer plays a stone-faced customs man who stops the art
consultant's son when entering the country, just so that he
can blankly listen to his heartrending story.
The
majority of films in this day and age will contain an element
of humour, even if it's a wry comment or situational happenstance.
It's all about light and shade. Without initial joy, how can
you be taken by the sadness? People need to feel happy once
in a while; it's what gets them through the trials and tribulations
of everyday life. No such humour is to be found here. These
are very serious themes; events which continue to shape the
lives of the characters years after the event. Imagine Schindler's
List and you won't be too far from the mark. At least
Spielberg's film contained an underlying theme of hope, whereas
this film prefers to stupefy itself in deep depression.
Many
critics would find it simplicity itself to describe Ararat
as pretentious or maudlin claptrap, but it doesn't quite fall
that low. It is better than I expected. The characters appear
to feel passionately about the past and how the new film might
portray the apparent annihilation of the Armenian race. But
would they really feel this strongly years later? In other
words, do the Jews really still hate Germans, or just the
idea of Nazism? Throughout history many nations have conquered
and latterly been accused of mass slaughter: Turks, Greeks,
British, Chinese, Romans, Americans... I can understand any
race wanting to maintain its identity, but as one character
in the film says, "Let's move on."
Not a bad film, by any means, but lacking that essential seed
of hope for a bright future.
Ty
Power
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