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David Alpay, Charles Aznavour, Eric Bogosian, Brent Carver, Marie-Josée Croze ... see more see more... , Bruce Greenwood , Arsinée Khanjian , Elias Koteas , Christopher Plummer , Simon Abkarian , Christie MacFadyen , Susan Raymond , Rose Sarkisyan , Gina Wilkinson , Max Morrow , Jean Yoon , Raoul Bhaneja , Roberta Angelica , Lousnak , Erica Ehm , Lousnak Abdalian , Garen Boyajian , Setta Keshishian , Shant Srabian , Dawn Roach , Haig Sarkissian , Arshile Egoyan , Kevork Arslanian , Vic Keshishian , Arthur Hagopian , George Kharlakian , Shant Kabriellan , Varazh Stephen , Samir Alnadi , Carlo Essagian , Chris Gillett , Shahan Bulat-Matossian , Manuel Ishkhanian , Lorna Noura Kevorkian , Mandyf Nissani , Manal Elmasri , Andrea Loren , Araxie Keshishian , Linda Gizirian , Nicole Anoush Strang

Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan explores his Armenian heritage, and how the country's tragic history has touched several generations of the nation's expatriates, in this ambitious drama. Edward Saroyan... read more read more... (Charles Aznavour), a veteran filmmaker of Armenian descent, is in Toronto shooting a film about the Siege of Van, in which invading Ottoman armies forced the evacuation of Armenian communities in 1915, leading to the genocide of over a million Armenian people at the hands of Turkish troops. Twenty-one-year-old Raffi (David Alpay) has been sent to Turkey to shoot background footage for the film; Raffi's mother Ani (Arsinee Khanjian), an author and historian, is also involved in the project as a consultant. Lately Raffi and Ani have been at odds; Raffi has been dating Celia (Marie-Josee Croze), Ani's stepdaughter, who is convinced that Ani is somehow responsible for the death of her father. Ani's first husband, who was Raffi's father, is also dead, after taking part in an assassination attempt on a Turkish political leader. As Raffi attempts to re-enter Canada with cans of exposed film, he's detained by David (Christopher Plummer), a suspicious customs official who has his own tenuous link to Saroyan's film -- David is struggling to come to terms with the gay lifestyle of his son Philip (Brent Carver), whose lover Ali (Elias Koteas) is playing the villain in the picture. Ararat also features Eric Bogosian and Bruce Greenwood. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

69% liked it

4,464 ratings

Critics

56% liked it

75 critics

R, 2 hr. 6 min.

Directed by: Atom Egoyan

Release Date: November 15, 2002

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DVD Release Date: July 22, 2003

Stats: 192 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (192)

  • Hellshocked
    June 6, 2007
    Hellshocked
    It would have been simple enough to make a straightforward film about the Armenian genocide (the first genocide of the 20th century and the original holocaust). What Atom Egoyan has done here is make a film that is permeated with a primal rage at the apathy and the ignorance abou... read moret the genocide today. Even this was not enough for him, however, the film shows multiple points of view within the Armenian community (about what to do with what has happened) and the Turkish (about what, if anything, did happen) one as well.

    There are scenes of such heartbreaking, illusrative brilliance (the film-within-a-film reenactment of the genocide features U.S. actors in prominent roles, a U.S. volunteer hospital as the main setting, and the delivery of the KEY line "Go to the embassy...tell them AMERICAN LIVES...are in danger" which perfectly illustrates Egoyan's anger not just at what happened, but how little it has meant because of who it happened to), that pose such challenging questions ("Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Aemrnians?", a quote often attributed to Hitler, is used here in a particularly poignant scene between an Armenian gaffer and a Turkish actor, both working in the film-within-a-film) that the film's messy, uneven, disjointed structure can be forgiven. It is not a perfect film, definitely not a flawless one, but when faced with such passion, such rage and such talent it is impossible to end up with anything other than a work of art. This is the kind of film that can be discussed for hours and hours on end.
  • BarbaraAnnTheMovieFan
    November 14, 2009
    BarbaraAnnTheMovieFan
    This is a film about the Armenian genocide by the Turks in 1915?. A subject I knew nothing about, which is one of the points in this film. Apparently there has been very little documented or reported about this tragic historical event. The Armenians are hurt (rightfully so) an... read mored the Turks are not sure what, if anything ever really happened.

    While this subject is very important and interesting, this movie was very hard for me to absorb. There were like six stories to follow, and understand. The bitter step daughter, and her revenge against the woman she thinks killed her father. The son's videography trip and his problems with customs. The man from customs and his family. The Armenian artist and his mother. And finally the movie shot within this movie. Too many things going on at once, made the story very difficult for me to follow.

    I think I need to watch this movie again...before I can give it a decent review. I wish I could just view the movie they were making, telling the story of the genocide, and skip all of the side stories.
  • ailthamones
    March 28, 2007
    ailthamones
    Very nice film,
    A Pomegranate became the symbol of Persephone's captured descent to the
    Underworld and back, a heroine's survival journey based in the much more ancient Sumerian Song of
    Inannas Descent,.
  • duckdaotsu
    March 6, 2007
    duckdaotsu
    A tough look into the world that we think only happens in the movies... take this as a documentary, folks....

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Critic Reviews

Robert Denerstein
March 14, 2003
Robert Denerstein, Denver Rocky Mountain News

Egoyan's movie is too complicated to sustain involvement, and, if you'll excuse a little critical heresy, too intellectually ambitious.

Joe Baltake
February 28, 2003
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee

The work of an artist tormented by his heritage, using his storytelling ability to honor the many faceless victims. Full Review

Desson Thomson
November 27, 2002
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

In a strange way, Egoyan has done too much. He's worked too hard on this movie. Full Review

Glenn Lovell
November 27, 2002
Glenn Lovell, San Jose Mercury News

Given the convoluted approach -- and tongue-tied delivery -- we're left to conclude that Egoyan's emotions got the better of him this time. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
November 27, 2002
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

Has the obsessiveness and audacity of a film that had to be made or its filmmaker would have combusted. Full Review

Susan Stark
November 27, 2002
Susan Stark, Detroit News

Only the most patient, sensitive and sensible of viewers will cut through the film's affectations and indulgences to come to the point. Full Review

Terry Lawson
November 27, 2002
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press

Part impassioned history lesson, part reflection on the way entertainment distorts history, part extension of [Egoyan's] previous explorations of how desire and need distort our sense of self. Full Review

Roger Ebert
November 27, 2002
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Egoyan's work often elegantly considers various levels of reality and uses shifting points of view, but here he has constructed a film so labyrinthine that it defeats his larger purpose. Full Review

Wesley Morris
November 27, 2002
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe

Before long, you get Egoyan's big idea -- and it's hardly a good one. He wants to turn the movie screen into a blackboard. Full Review

Chris Vognar
November 26, 2002
Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News

You can quibble with excess characters and storylines, but the cumulative effect is strong and emotionally accurate. Full Review

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