Yilanlarin Öcü

This is one of several Turkish films I have chosen to examine for a college thesis on Turkish cinema. I found a copy of it by chance from a CD store in the Aksaray part of Istanbul, the last time I was in Turkey. This is quite a film. The Revenge of the Snakes is a definitive precursor to the films of Yilmaz Guney, Zeki Okten, Ali Ozgenturk, and Serif Goren. It is a simple tale of a young couple and their little boy trying to live a suitable life in a small Anatolian village. This is a multi-layered film in which the antagonists include the mother in law, the new neighbors- with whom there is a serious land dispute, the town chiefs, and government officials who are oblivious to the needs and concerns of the average person. The snake is a symbol for the incoming troubles that will haunt the couple. The lead actor Fikret Hakan and the whole cast is brilliant. If you like Turkish films, this is one to see. It is perhaps as relevant to Turkish cinema as Rosellini's "Open City" is to Italian cinema.

"Revenge Of The Snakes"is about small-town Turkey, which as we find out can be very similar to small-town, U.S.A. Right off, though, I felt at a disadvantage as I don't know much about local Turkish customs, what is expected and what must be done in certain situations. So I just went with it and played it by ear, as they say.

This small town is a remote, dusty little place with log/ brick houses and unpaved roads. I think it takes place in the mid- 1920's; there are no cars and apparently no electricity. One family is trying to build a house right next to another one despite lots of open space - the reason is unclear and begins a zoning dispute. The builder is rude and boorish and Our Hero lives in the other one. Surprise! our hero is an elderly woman, who glowers, threatens and hollers and makes you think the builder should find a new location. Matters get progressively worse and the belligerent woman seems to thrive in the confusion and turmoil.

The picture stars famous Turkish star Fikret Hakan, but it really belongs to Aliye Rona, who is a tower of energy and dynamism as the old woman, shouting invective and pointing fingers with neck muscles bulging. It is a powerful performance. The movie itself is slow moving and tedious at times but is a good example of realism as practiced by a good Turkish director. There is not a bad acting performance by anyone in the picture, which I always feel enhances the quality of a film. The reviewer above explains the significance of the snakes, although they are not a major part of the picture. It is a good movie worth seeing but I would need to see more Turkish films to determine how good it is.