The Ottoman Lieutenant

The Ottoman Lieutenant is a romantic war drama set in the Ottoman Empire shortly before the First World War. Lillie Rowe, an idealistic American nurse, leaves the United States after meeting Dr. Jude Gresham, an American physician running a remote medical mission. Once she arrives, her loyalty to Jude and to the mission's founder, Woodruff, is tested when she falls for Ismail Veli, an officer in the Ottoman army. As the region moves toward war, Lillie must decide whether to live as others expect or to remain true to herself.

The film was directed by Joseph Ruben, marking his eleventh feature and his first since Penthouse North in 2013. Jeff Stockwell wrote the screenplay, and Stephen Joel Brown produced. Hera Hilmar plays Lillie, with Michiel Huisman as Ismail, Josh Hartnett as Jude, Ben Kingsley as Woodruff, Haluk Bilginer as Khalil Bey, and Selçuk Yöntem as Melih Pasha. Twenty-four cast members are credited. The production, a joint American and Turkish effort, had a budget of 40 million dollars.

On IMDb, the film holds a rating of 6.4 from roughly 27,000 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 6 out of 10 from about 287 votes. These scores suggest a modest but generally positive response from viewers. The film critics' rating stands at 3.8 out of 10 from 35 reviews, indicating a notably cooler reception from critics than from audiences.