O Bandido

The 'rebirth' of Turkish cinema is rejoiced with perhaps one of the finest movies to ever appear in Turkey. It appears the sudden pause of the Turkish cinema due to the lacking quality against the western movie market has resumed, transforming yesilcam and its unique and familiar style into something that is more recognizable by the 'new generation'. Movies like Kahbe Bizans, Abuzer Kadayif, Eskiya, and TV series like Ikinci Bahar and Yilan Hikayesi are some of the finest examples of this. Yet these are far more than simple replications of the western styles, these contain an element of the Turkish culture and people that we are so used to seeing. This is the essence of the brilliance beneath Eskiya. The way it accurately reflects our troubles and the way we deal with them.

Beginning with the first scene, we become aware of the how incredibly well written the script is and the realism and truthfulness beneath the characters. This realism in fact is drawn to such a scale that at no poin t in the movie, do we feel anger at any character, or identify one as evil; merely the victims of the horrible system in which we live in, and the incidents we read in the papers everyday. While national problems such as migration, organized crime, and poverty are all central themes to the movie, so are human emotions like betrayal and revenge. Even the bizarre ending filled with numerous deaths appears very natural.

The acting also is quite remarkable. Sener Sen, being a great actor, portrays Baran superbly, while Ugur Yucel with his unquestionable talent does his part and every other role is cast with incredible thought and consideration. The climax I thought shows this the best, Sener Sens monologue on the rooftop scene had tears coming out of my eyes.

Overall, it would be very unjust to say that this is the greatest Turkish movie to be ever filmed because, being a kid of the new generation, I would simply be completely blocking out 50+ years of yesilcam. However with it's great script, the warmth we feel towards the characters, and the amazing performances by the actors, this is one of the best and it most certainly is a symbol of the rebirth of Turkish cinema. If you are Turkish and haven't seen or heard about this movie, you probably slept through the last 5 years go see it now! And if you're not Turkish, you should still see it. I recommend it to anyone.

i can write just one comment about this movie. You must see that movie before you die. Magnificent movie from Turkey. "From the cinematography to the plot, to the fine acting, this film is a great example of the diversity of film-making outside Hollywood. A triumph from beginning to end, this film is pretty difficult to pigeonhole as it has so many elements to it. Is it a thriller, is it a reflection on one man's life, is it a buddy movie, is it a revenge movie? It's all this and more. It's got a great pace about it and the depiction of city and country is nicely juxtaposed in many of it's scenes. It's a while since I've seen this film, but there are so many scenes which have stayed with me. I love this film, but damn it's difficult to find." i am join in that.

I found this movie to be one of the best that have ever come out of Turkey. It addresses and reflects on many levels issues and transformations that are currently part of Turkish culture . Sener Sen is strong in his role as an aging "eskiya" (a Turkish word for a bandit that would roam the country, making his living off ambush and looting) who returns to his rural home after years of imprisonment only to find his only love taken away to the big city (Istanbul). The story unfolds as an at times romantic, at times funny, at times sad and serious tale which speaks to the multiplicities of modern Turkish life, be it the culture clash (and melding) between city and rural populace, institutional corruption, poverty, and most importantly the identity of a nation that has for almost a century been torn between East and West. The love story driving the whole plot is really only a lighter framework to depict the more important issues in Turkish society that this movie successfully tackles.

From the cinematography to the plot, to the fine acting, this film is a great example of the diversity of film-making outside Hollywood. A triumph from beginning to end, this film is pretty difficult to pigeonhole as it has so many elements to it. Is it a thriller, is it a reflection on one man's life, is it a buddy movie, is it a revenge movie? It's all this and more. It's got a great pace about it and the depiction of city and country is nicely juxtaposed in many of it's scenes. It's a while since I've seen this film, but there are so many scenes which have stayed with me. I love this film, but damn it's difficult to find.

This is a great Turkish movie. It has a great story line. This movie opened a new age in turkish movie history. Before this movie turkish cinemas were almost dying. The actors are great. If you want to watch a great movie try this!