Kasaba

A self motivated cinema volunteer Nuri Bilge Ceylan Shot Kasaba after his short film Cocoon (Koza)sounded successfully among Turkish Filmmakers. With a slow rhythm but not a routine, film takes you to a small town (kasaba). Photographic quality of the film is excellent. Script may have shortcomings but never mind with his full amateur crew Ceylan figured out a remarkable and promising vision for Turkish Cinema. Town deserved to be viewed...

This movie tries to question the world that lies beyond the borders of our town. The story takes place in a town that is far away from the developed world. Also, the natural conditions make life harder. The characters of the movie are the members of a large family who live in this town. They come together for harvesting season and also they begin to talk about their lives. Nearly half of the movie passes by these conversations and discussions. These long discussions slows down the tempo of the movie but the town, conversations, the characters are so real.

Kasaba is the feature film debut of Nuri Bilge Ceylan. I think that movie is not one of the best films of Ceylan, not even in my top 5. But when I look at Kasaba, I can clearly see how great and skillful he is. That's a delightful piece of filmmaking.

All the blueprints of what were to become the director's trademarks are present in this quiet contemplation about a small village in rural Turkey. It's a very beautiful film seen mainly through the eyes of children about a family that represents much of what happened in Turkey, it's history, culture and politics. As always with Nuri's films he explains this through long dialogues where the puzzle of the family dynamics are slowly but surely laid out.

The first scenes that take place in a classroom were the best scenes i think in the movie. Especially higly realistic atmosphere makes you feel that you are with the characters and you are like one of the characters. Animals and people are coherent with the mother nature and Ceylan shows us the most primitive way. Images are perfect but also dialogues are too. When i watch speeches in the woods at night took me to my childhood and i believe the parents talkings never change at any time. We understand from the parents boys do not please their life and this incompatibility feeling keeps going during the story.