(Yavuz Turgul 1996)

I liked the way tragic and humorous elements meet in this movie. A man from the mountains who has been in prison for 35 years comes to Istanbul for the first time in his life. He is both amazed and confused. There is a strange peace and silence around Eşkıya and Şener Şen´s face expresses so much without words.

The contrast between the old bandit and the gang of young backstreet houligans makes you think of the level on which we people meet each other.

Eşkıya grows from a victim into a mythical character who gives everyone what he deserves. Or maybe not. All the killing in the last scenes was not well reasoned in my opinion. Baran saves a young policeman´s life as a gesture of mercy but shoots a man who beats his wife with no pain of conscience. A less fantastic end would have been more to my taste.

Women are presented as patients in this story. But once they make an action of their own things take a new course always. They are like catalysts in a chemical reaction.

Great analysis abla.

Note. Eşkiya is a cult movie now.

(Çağan Irmak, 2005)

Maybe a touching story but not a great movie in my opinion. Too romantic, does not stand against a single prejudice of the audience. Maybe enlightens the Turkish ideal of a big family which opens its arms to its most peculiar members but in my opinion does this in a too obvious way without challenging the watcher. It is the easiest thing in the world to make a sad story about people who die too early.

Hümeyra Akbay´s intensive presence was great.

If I cried it was just because I had something in my eye...

It is because of cold climate

(Çağan Irmak, 2011)

It is important to tell this story. There are many ways to tell it. Irmak´s style is not my favourite: too beautiful scenes, too perfect people, too obvious solutions.

Actually the most touching thing for me in this movie was found on an individual level. How a man can stand for decades as a backbone of his family and community and finally break. You could even blame dede for his decision but the family chose to remember and charish those qualities that the old man had while he was still alive. Çetin Tekindor was of course the hero of this movie.

A learner´s note: listen to all the greetings and wishes, they are a lot in this movie. How naturally they are merged in the middle of the communication and how heartfully they are answered.

Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Uzak 2002

It took me some time to get used to the slow narration of Uzak. Most of the time more happens in the minds of the characters than at the actual scene. Before the story came to its end it captured my mind completely and I was breathing in the rhythm of the movie.

It is the story of a young boy Yusuf who comes from his village to seach for a job in the city and stays with his relative who is well off. Istanbul looks both rough and beautiful, a place where many dreams die. Yusuf and Mahmut suffer their own pains but it does not make them close to each other (I think this is what the title basically means but I am not sure).

No one dies, the world does not collapse but so sad it is. Can you feel it?

Unfortunately, Gönül yarası (Yavuz Turgul, 2004) is made exactly with the same recipe. What a disappointment.

Türk Filmlerini İngilizce Altyazılı Olarak www.altyazidunyasi.com ´da izliyebilirsiniz.