The law of the border

A fatalistic story of a man and a small community, condemned to live off smuggling, in permanent flight and risking their lives, pursued by the authorities, by rival gangs, by land greedy landowners, who exploit smuggling, unscrupulously, at the same time as they pretend to collaborate with the authorities, in the reform of a miserable society, destined to suffering, ignorance, and violent and premature death.

Technically limited and with a sometimes confusing narrative, this film serves as a historical document, from a time that later powers tried to erase from memory, but also for the undeniable social conscience it manifests.

Nevertheless, there is a discreet but authentic poetry that springs from its simplicity, almost rude.c.

The film was completed in 1967 and directed by Ömer Lütfi Akad.

The screenplay was written by Yilmaz Güney, who is also the leading actor of the movie, and important names such as Tuncel Kurtiz and Erol Tas take part in the movie.

The movie, which was restored from 35mm films by the World Cinema Foundation, founded by Martin Scorsese, as a result of Fatih Akin's efforts, is being screened in Mubi.

A very slim, sometimes exposition-heavy and repetitive drama about a destitute farmer trying to get his massive flock of sheep across the border during a particularly rough political/militaristic mishegas - repetitive in that very often characters, at least for the first half, will say "what are you going to do, you can't do that, X will happen, you're crazy!" and so on - but it has several arresting and captivating images, including a magnetic set piece of four of these would-be sheep smugglers turned criminals who surround a man who committed some grievous offense with editing and camera angles out of a Spaghetti Western shoot-out (it's quite outstanding with compositions that are viciously artistic). And by the time these characters, who could have been helping to put together a school, are herding the sheep through landmine-laden fields and shooting up any bastards who get in their way, it suddenly makes sense why this is included in a box set of films cherry picked by Scorsese. I don't mean because of the violence, that's the lazy/easy answer.

The Law of the Border is about an oppressed people caught in impossible circumstances, and the violence that springs out from these figures is tragic. MS has always been a strong proponent of drama that veers or just is Neo-Realism, and this has that while also being a story of ruthlessness and despairing action (albeit well choreographed). Nothing is meant to be glorious in these intense depictions, it's stark and documentary-like, with the Turkish locations serving the desolate nature of the people and the story. I honestly wasn't sure about this one early on, but once the stakes become greater and more terrible, and the director embraces dialog-free character moments and action, it becomes pretty engrossing. Adding to that, Turman Guillney has a solid presence on screen and makes for an unlikely action hero.

.Tensions mount along the southern Turkish border with Syria, as the impoverished Kurds, unable to find work or farm the dry land, turn to smuggling. One particular smuggler, Hidir (Yilmaz Guney), becomes a folk hero as he battles both the authorities and the corrupt merchants who exploit the men who smuggle their wares. This was an excellent glimpse at a social situation that still has relevance, as this is the "Kurdistan" region that's been in the news for the past 25+ years. The film's second half has a lot of action, and resembles a western to some extent. And while some sheep run through a minefield, none appear to have been actually hurt for the film.

Yilmaz Guney became a major Turkish film star, later running into trouble with the government before being sent to prison for murdering a judge. Guney continued to write scripts behind bars, although the films that he directed before were confiscated and destroyed by the government. Guney eventually escaped incarceration and fled to France, where the semi-autobiographical film Yol (1982) won much acclaim.

Law of the Border was chosen as one of the films to be restored by Martin Scorsese's World Cinema Project, which works to preserve neglected important films from around the globe. 40 films have been worked on up to this date, and Criterion had released two DVD box sets, each containing 6 films, while others (Black Girl, Memories of Underdevelopment) have received standalone editions. Law of the Border was in the worst condition of any of the movies from the WCP that I've watched thus far. According to the notes presented at the beginning of the film, all copies were thought destroyed, but one was found in very wretched condition, and what I watched was the best that could be done. It still looks better than some of the prints of movies that TCM has shown, but it's a sad contrast to the preservation success of the other films in the series that I've seen.

Turkish cinema in sixties took place in a dream world. The movies of that era refused to look directly at Turkish society. Hudutlarin Kanunu, on which Yilmaz Güney met director Lütfi Ömer Akad, is one of the movies that changed this state of affairs. Akad's genuine creative vision influenced Güney's style as an actor: one can easily see the difference in Güney's acting before and after Hudutlarin Kanunu. Akad's influence was a positive one. . .

Güney's natural performance marked a change in Turkish Cinema. This was the beginning of what would later be called "New Cinema" in Turkey. With its powerful cinematography and its direct and realistic depiction of social problems, Hudutlarin Kanunu is one of the early milestones of Turkish cinema. Given the manner of storytelling and the style of photography, one might almost say that Akad's film is a Western.

Hudutlarin Kanunu depicts vital problems in the society of South East Turkey. Lack of education, no agriculture, and unemployment compelled people to live by the "law of the border" (Hudutlarin Kanunu) – in other words, smuggling. Hudutlarin Kanunu underlines the importance of education, which is the crucial element of socio-economical progress in third world countries. It also helps us to understand the reasons behind the ongoing, veiled war along Turkey's South East border. Forty five years ago, Lütfi Ömer Akad was alerting Turkish society of the likely consequences if preventive measures are not taken in time. He alerted us with a great and lasting film, Hudutlarin Kanunu.

Ömer Lüfti Akad's Hudutlarin Kanunu comes as a revelation to first-time viewers – a work of great visual and dramatic force, of terrific purity and ferocity. It was made during the year that its star and co-screenwriter, Yilmaz Güney, made his own directing debut. And it's not surprising for first time viewers to learn that this stunning collaboration marked a shift in Turkish cinema, and ushered in what became known as "the director generation." Once again, the World Cinema Foundation's advisory board member Faith Akin has brought us a great and inspirational film.