Lal Gece

I don't know how to review this film. A young bride of about thirteen is forced into an arranged marriage with an overweight and unattractive man of around sixty who has just been released from a Turkish prison after a long sentence. The happy couple are serenaded to their home by a caravan of friends and neighbors. The young girl, dressed in white and wearing a red veil, is taken to a room and told to obey every wish of her husband. The old man shows up and asks for his ritual water for prayers. He washes his hands and feet, and they pray together. Over the course of the night, they play cat's cradle and he recites a well know Turkish fable. Tradition calls for the white bed sheet to be handed over with the obligatory red stains for proof of virginity. The ending is rather abrupt, but the young actress is very beautiful and convincing as a reluctant bride. Night of Silence is an interesting look at a disturbing cultural and religious practice.

This should really be a play. The only action (or inaction, perhaps I should say) is filmed in a straight forward manner in the bridal chamber of an old man and a child in backward Anatolia. They converse to an extent and the ending may be a surprise. Clearly it is an honest film that portrays aspects of this strange and distasteful tribal situation (uncivilised is hardly the word for it) and it would work well as a chamber piece in the theatre, but for the ordinary film-goer, such as me, I am afraid it is a bit of a non-event and rather boring in its 90 minutes progress (or lack of it). So, interesting certainly for anyone concerned with Turkey and its traditions and/or its folklore such as Scherezade but otherwise I guess I would advise you to give it a miss.

"Lal Gece" is a movie about a phenomena in some part of world, this story goes over for Turkey's eastern part.

A noname-man (groom) a noname-little girl (bride), in a a room first time of their marriage which is dictated by tradition. The film puts a light to what's happening between these two people and their differences and how human created traditions can shape a society; A society with unbalanced legs.

There are reasons, excuses in the movie which you can see how these 2 people came together in this room, but they are actually palliative.

It's drama which millions of women have been living and this film is putting a big light on to the issue.

A film that deals with a tradition that should be cursed and its victims. So much so that I was confused about who to be angry at and who to be sad about.

Especially that bloody sheet nonsense and the stress the man is put under just to be able to do this show is actually the main subject of the movie. The marriage of a child and an old man is a demonstration of an irrational custom.

The way Ilyas Salman tells the story of Shahmaran is legendary. Also, the "clown" tirade in the last scenes is magnificent. This man's performance in the films he has played outside of comedy has always been at the top.

The little girl's fear, shyness and constantly making up things to escape are again very good.

I think this is the second film that I have watched in Turkish Cinema that takes place in a single location. Ilyas Salman, the director and the script make the film watchable without getting bored and with curiosity.

Two performances at the centre very worthy, the film is not fully realised but it certainly was a interesting watch and a film showing the culture from this part of the world.