I have a hard time even talking about this film, much less giving it an overall rating, but felt compelled to. My rating of 2 is somewhat arbitrary, but it certainly represents my overall opinion of this film when considering both purely artistic/film-making elements and the disgusting bias of the film. My discussion is thus in two basic parts that do not really interrelate, but I think that anyone must consider both these aspects of the film.
Artistically, this film is for the most part simply excellent. The cinematography, visuals, acting, etc. are all top-notch. The use of shadows, perspective, lighting, smoke, etc., are incredible and excellent for creating a strange, surreal, and utterly frightening impression. Even here, though, there are some problems, though not with the visuals, etc. My main problem for a cinematic point of view, and the one that does tie into the other overarching problem with this film, is how it portrays the main character, essentially a none-too-bright, low-life drug smuggler as some sort of victimized hero. Even if he does not necessarily deserve the treatment he is shown receiving in the film, it is hard to feel much sympathy for such a character. The film even goes so far as to try to evoke sympathy and care for another loser character who complains that he was put in prison for stealing candlesticks or something like that from a mosque. How is one supposed to empathize with scum like that? In the US, that'd be like stealing from from a church and I don't think most people here would view such conduct very highly. It is especially hard to sympathize with such a character when he portrays no remorse for what he did, but instead turns it around on the supposedly "evil" Turks.
This segues into the fundamental problem with this film, which is so inexcusably, thoroughly, and groundlessly prejudiced that this aspect of the film almost utterly negates its artistic value. Not only are the events at least somewhat fictionalized in a way that makes the Turks look worse, but every element of this film is bursting with what seems like simple disgust and hatred for Turks and Turkey without any foundation. Every single thing about the Turks is used to make them look monstrous and inhuman, while the city of Istanbul, an enthralling, beautiful, and vibrant city (although admittedly, the 1970s was something of a low point in the city's life and status), is shown as scary and bizarre. An example is the story about stealing from a mosque, mentioned above. The film even goes so far as to imply that stealing candles from a mosque isn't that bad because, after all, it's "just a Turkish mosque," which is utterly ridiculous and disgusting. Even anti-Turkish racial/ethnic slurs are bluntly stated as if they are totally justified. No culture in the world, now or ever, is even remotely as bad as the Turks are shown here, and I can't think of another film I have ever seen that makes any other nation, ethnic, or political group (not even Nazi-era Germans) look so demonic. I am not a Turk, but I have also been to Turkey several times and I can say from personal experience that Turkey and Turks bear absolutely no resemblance to the nation portrayed here.
I want to emphasize that I am not trying to use this as a soap box to espouse political or social views about any country, etc. My discussion of Turkey and the bigotry and falsehoods in the movie are only intended as a discussion about the merits of this film. I touch on the accuracy, etc., of any film that is supposedly about "real" events, people, places, etc. I would have made the same criticisms had it shown any people or nation the way it shows Turks.
Artistically, this film is for the most part simply excellent. The cinematography, visuals, acting, etc. are all top-notch. The use of shadows, perspective, lighting, smoke, etc., are incredible and excellent for creating a strange, surreal, and utterly frightening impression. Even here, though, there are some problems, though not with the visuals, etc. My main problem for a cinematic point of view, and the one that does tie into the other overarching problem with this film, is how it portrays the main character, essentially a none-too-bright, low-life drug smuggler as some sort of victimized hero. Even if he does not necessarily deserve the treatment he is shown receiving in the film, it is hard to feel much sympathy for such a character. The film even goes so far as to try to evoke sympathy and care for another loser character who complains that he was put in prison for stealing candlesticks or something like that from a mosque. How is one supposed to empathize with scum like that? In the US, that'd be like stealing from from a church and I don't think most people here would view such conduct very highly. It is especially hard to sympathize with such a character when he portrays no remorse for what he did, but instead turns it around on the supposedly "evil" Turks.
This segues into the fundamental problem with this film, which is so inexcusably, thoroughly, and groundlessly prejudiced that this aspect of the film almost utterly negates its artistic value. Not only are the events at least somewhat fictionalized in a way that makes the Turks look worse, but every element of this film is bursting with what seems like simple disgust and hatred for Turks and Turkey without any foundation. Every single thing about the Turks is used to make them look monstrous and inhuman, while the city of Istanbul, an enthralling, beautiful, and vibrant city (although admittedly, the 1970s was something of a low point in the city's life and status), is shown as scary and bizarre. An example is the story about stealing from a mosque, mentioned above. The film even goes so far as to imply that stealing candles from a mosque isn't that bad because, after all, it's "just a Turkish mosque," which is utterly ridiculous and disgusting. Even anti-Turkish racial/ethnic slurs are bluntly stated as if they are totally justified. No culture in the world, now or ever, is even remotely as bad as the Turks are shown here, and I can't think of another film I have ever seen that makes any other nation, ethnic, or political group (not even Nazi-era Germans) look so demonic. I am not a Turk, but I have also been to Turkey several times and I can say from personal experience that Turkey and Turks bear absolutely no resemblance to the nation portrayed here.
I want to emphasize that I am not trying to use this as a soap box to espouse political or social views about any country, etc. My discussion of Turkey and the bigotry and falsehoods in the movie are only intended as a discussion about the merits of this film. I touch on the accuracy, etc., of any film that is supposedly about "real" events, people, places, etc. I would have made the same criticisms had it shown any people or nation the way it shows Turks.