Turgut's "Eskiya," which came out almost a decade ago, is he perfect illustration of how unique Turkish cinema can be when it combines elements of Western crime genre films and Anatolian folk dramas, which have been the basis for Turkish films since Muhsin Ertugrul directed films some 75 years ago. The film has some major flaws, but these are mostly in terms of production. The script and its' direction are fairly crisp, and the acting by veteran comic Sener Sen, in a serious role here, and Ugur Yucel, who was also great in Ali Ozgenturk's "Balalayka," is quite exceptional. The film features a haunting score, deep symbolism (particularly in the final scenes) and timely social themes. I think the later is one of the reasons why it has not been popular with those who are more unfamiliar with Turkey, but it is this very element which makes the film more than just a routine gangster film. The film is also considerably more violent than most Turkish films, though many (particularly '70s films of the late Yilmaz Guney) made for brutal cinematic experiences. Another interesting aspect of this film is that it shows a crime family taking its' lifestyle from Anatolia into Istanbul, which reminded me of how Marlon Brando took up where he left off upon leaving Sicily for New York. "Eskiya/The Bandit" is not as exceptional as either "Yol" or "Uzak/Distant" but it is quite a moving film and I gather since it outgroosed "Titanic" in Turkey, it was quite the crowd-pleaser.The film was also made at a time when film production in Turkey was at an all-time low, but the industry has thankfully picked up considerably.
Review of The Bandit
