Tabutta Rövasata

This work of the Dervis Zaim occupies a special place on most of the world's lists of the best movies from Turkey. There are simply not enough words to describe the quality of this project made with modest budget, which reaches the very top of world art cinematography and which is a film reading for every person who takes film art, in the true sense of the word, seriously. Dervis Zaim is a director who creates the physical into the metaphysical. In this film, he explores the theme of life, friendship, love, innocence and deals with social realism, as the perseverance of simple people notably our Mahsun (Ahmet Ugurlu) a drifter and petty criminal through all life's misfortunes, as his motives that lead him to tomorrow. With his specific technical style, his own camera work and strange, often unrelated sound, he tells his story brilliantly, leading the viewer to the fascinating physical world (Rumelihisari - European side of Istanbul) in which he finally places it.

Somersault in a Coffin / Tabutta rovasata (1996), from the first scene, is an intimate journey of Mahsun and his buddies, As the three men wander around the ancient Istanbul streets, and cinematographer Mustafa Kuscu captures them in slow takes, it's easy to look at the beautiful landscape and its rusting, poisoned objects as a symbol of Turkish tragedy; where everything is forbidden . I found it as a crossover between Combat shock one of my favourite Troma films and Eraqserhead with a Tarkovsky vibe. There are also these brilliant moments where the movie moves into Stalker-esque atmosphere that feels very much like Mircea Daneliuc and Tarkovsky's treatment of Combat Shock (1986) one of my favourite troma movie. Sound plays a key role in the film, water and the peacock lending the film a rhythm and special atmosphere with incredible score by Baba Zula. To say that something deep or multi-layered is common for quality films, but in this film, depth can also be understood visually. It is just an ASTOUNDING movie. Leaves me gobsmacked every time I revisit it.

This is a tale of "The Insulted and Humiliated".

Mahsun (Ahmet Ugurlu) is a homeless man, gentle as he can be, addicted to auto burglary (not for joyriding but for staying alive in freezing Istanbul nights.) and trying to make sense of it all. He makes friends with a heroin addict and a peacock, yes a peacock he stole from the historic Rumelihisari (a historical fortress) and things get complicated and messy. Ahmet Ugurlu plays flawlessly as if he is the real Mahsun. Director makes you witness surreal moments around the fortress and the sea.

With enchanting musics by "Baba Zula" and "Yansimalar" and pristine views from Istanbul city, Somersault in a Coffin takes you on a journey to the life of backstreet people.

If you wanna join their night journey, here's your pick!

The movie have been shooted for 4 hours with borrowed movie camera in 24 days. The crew sticked together. So, this is a low budget movie. I found technical specifications (such as shots, sounds, synchronization) little bad by year. If you like oriental songs, you will lose yourself with "Yansimalar" and "Baba Zula"s music in this movie. The subject is the life story of someone on the street. We can really see how it is. So realistic. But some frames are greenly, nonsensical, absurd. The movie received awards at several international film festivals including the Golden Orange for best film. This is a cult film. And it deserves.

Mahsun (Ahmet Uğurlu) steals cars and sleeps inside only to save himself from the cold, and returns them when the sun shines .. he has no money, no profession, no future and no any intelligence, just a couple of friends and a peacock to talk to..he is no one in terms of what we expect from a man in present life, but he has everything in terms of what present life lacks of.. some scenes are very brave, drinking and pouring wine onto graveyard is neither something we tend to do nor have we seen before :) Mahsun's relation with the peacock worths watching, i think its one of the most interesting 3-5 scenes in Turkish Cinema, very close to be the first. I watched this film again and again, Ahmet Uğurlu performs his best work ever, this film shows us clearly that even he seems to be the right one for comedy films, he should have better not made any, he fits for such roles perfectly, one of the most dramatic and realistic films ever, a masterpiece from Derviş Zaim ...

Crime, punishment, corruption, misery, hunger, love, desperation, friendship, innocence, purity and more are what you get in this movie with three main characters and one of the best screenplays ever written. Great choice of cast. Their powerful acting not only supports the screenplay, also strengthens the acting of the amateur players. In my opinion this one may be the best movie made with the least possibilities. Stop wasting your time on Hollywood movies and take a look at what Turkish cinema can do. Highly recommended for those who think that they had enough of that same old screenplays and some sicko acting.