The epic drama stars Hera Hilmar as Lillie, a strong-willed American woman who decides to leave the United States after meeting Jude (Josh Hartnett), an American doctor who runs a hospital within the Ottoman Empire at the brink of the first World War. It is there where she betrays the spark with the American doctor and falls for her perceived enemy – a Turkish soldier (played by Game of Thrones‘ Michiel Huisman). A love triangle set against a dangerous backdrop, leaves all involved open to making fatal mistakes. The key cast is completed by Ben Kingsley.
The director – native New Yorker Joseph Ruben – has brought us a number of thrillers the likes of The Forgotten (2004) starring Julianne Moore and – aptly – Sleeping with the Enemy (1991) starring Julia Roberts. The Ottoman Lieutenant marks a distinct shift in genre for the director away from more horror/thrillers towards a romance/drama. With it’s beautiful production design, sweeping cinematography and the massive scale of it’s story, the war drama has the potential to achieve greatness. Hartnett, since famously renouncing all involvement with big Hollywood productions – has developed an eye for weeding out the better quality projects the likes of Showtime’s Penny Dreadful, so there must have been something in the screenplay that attracted the actor to this war drama.
The Ottoman Lieutenant is set to be released March 10th. You can watch the trailer below.
Josh Hartnett in The Ottoman Lieutenant
