Eşkıya (1996)

In the 90s, Turkish cinema had been on a gradual decline, and local content was losing out compared with foreign media, and cheaper TV offerings. While not entirely dead (any cinema that still produces magical realist fantasies about giant snake women can't be that bad off!), things seemed pretty low, until the release of Eşkıya, which would prove to reinvigorate the country's output in time for the new millennium...

Baran is a mountain bandit, released from prison after 35 years. He returns to his hometown, only to find it empty, flooded from a new dam. The only one left is an old mystic woman, who gifts Baran a protective charm. Alone, he journeys to the big city, and is dazzled by its size and scope. After doing young hood Cumali a favour, he tags along with him, until he sees the face of the man who betrayed him on TV. The man Baran once considered a brother is now a ruthless businessman. Is there any way Baran get get revenge for himself and justice for others in this tough new world?...

Eskiya (Bandit, or The Bandit if you feel like sticking in an article) is a modern crime film, with a Turkish twist. The film instantly gets your attention with an arresting prologue, and we're drawn into our lead character's journey. A simple but strong introduction that sets the stage for what's to come.

The film feels epic in scope but small in scale and character, giving things an intimate feel. The only place this betrays the film is how often the same rooftop recurs. It's a great location, sure, but come on, don't overdo it! The final act could've at least taken place on a different rooftop!

The tone is very much in the vein of magical realism, where the events are happening in the real world, but there's a subtle undercurrent of the mystical. The movie is mostly serious, but there's some light humor too, and a little romance (ish), with drama never far behind. The dialogue goes a long way, with some great passages that are still fondly remembered in Turkey to this day.

Eşkıya isn't a perfect film to me though. What are my complaints? Well for a start it's 2 hours, and it didn't need to be! It never bored me, and a slower pace can definitely be appreciated at times, especially with some of the masterful shots here! But it still could've easily cut 20-30 minutes and not lost much.

And my other big complaint is how the movie seems to lose sight of who the protagonist is. Baran is our hero, yet he almost gets sidelined, with Cumali's story taking centre stage for large stretches of time. Baran's plot stalls halfway through, and only really picks up again near the end. Lemme tell you, I really didn't find Cumali interesting enough to care for his crap over Baran's!

A character piece through and through, we have a strong cast in Eşkıya. Baran is a likeable old guy, with a sense of innocence to him despite his former life. He leaves a good impression on those he meets. Though it's unclear why Baran was in prison for 35 years! That's a bit extreme, isn't it? He was only a mundane bandit.

Despite not exactly being a commando, and spending half his life in prison, Baran turns out to be a total badass when pushed, becoming the Turkinator, with perfect accuracy and no damage. I guess part of it is taking the baddies by surprise, but it's still funny.

Cumali is an ok supporting lead I guess, and has his moments. Though one wonders why he wants to be a gangster so badly when it involves begging, pleading, and sucking up to assholes who could kill him for the slightest failure. He eventually reveals a backstory which fits with his oncoming circumstances. What happens next is a bit depressing, and does make you like Cumali a bit less, but he still maintains a sense of pathos till the end.

Then there's Cumali's duplicitous girlfriend, and her con-artist 'brother'. I was wondering if they were really related, or if that was just a lie. Thankfully that is the case. I mean, ewww, nevermind that Cumali is a much better catch than a greasy unattractive prison rat, imagine if he really was her brother!

Berfo is an underused villain. I was expecting him to be overtly villainous to Baran, but he seemed oddly accommodating, even letting him see Keje again, and to take her away, with a cheque too. It seems like despite being a ruthless prick, he genuinely feels bad for what he'd done. But then he betrays Baran later anyway, so maybe this was all part of his plan? Somehow? I was a little confused by his motivations.

There also seems to be a plot hole regarding what happened to Baran and Keje's child? Unless I didn't hear something, or completely misunderstood the whole thing.

The climax begins with tragedy falling, leading Baran to take justice into his own hands. This leads to a brief action setpiece, where in under 3 minutes he singlehandedly guns down every last bad guy in the movie, big or small! It's a very satisfying moment, and while it is ridiculous, and defies credulity a little, it's still enjoyable. It may have taken longer for this guy to strike back, but when he does he does!

And then there's the ending, which is probably considered one of the most famous scenes of modern Turkish cinema, for good reason! It's a magical fairy-tale ending, that isn't exactly happy per se, but it leaves a great impression, and perfectly encapsulates the movie's themes.

The acting in Eşkıya is a high point. Uğur Yücel does well as rookie crim Cumali, while his buddies and the mafia goons are all played well. Zübeyde Erden has a small but effective role, and Sermin Hürmeriç is fine, though leaves less of an impression. And Kamran Usluer has a piercing iron gaze as Berfo, making me frustrated he wasn't used more! And of course, last but not least is the leading man himself, Şener Şen. He delivers a great performance, getting across perfectly the sense of loss and change, as well as simple old-school innocence. He also convinces as a stone-cold badass in the final act! This is all the more impressive if you know your Turkish cinema, because Şener Şen was predominately a goofy comedy actor! His performance in Eşkıya is like Robin Williams in Insomnia/One Hour Photo!

The soundtrack is very strong, with subtle melodies, and more orchestral moments, like the chanting over the ending. The effects here are minimal, mainly in the limited gunplay, but get the job done. Although the actors could've done a more convincing job dying! It's a bit stiff, and pretty funny.

The direction by Yavuz Turgul is fantastic. The city of...let's say Istanbul, is captured very well, from the bustling streets, to the rooftops, both night and day. We're also treated to the dazzling sight of a former town flooded to create a vast dam! It has a sense of beauty and melancholy to it. There are many great images throughout, with the ending being particularly strong! So much so it's even plastered straight on the posters, despite being a massive spoiler!

Eşkıya is a modern classic for good reason, and well worth a watch! It's a jewel for its country's cinema, and the international scene overall, and deserves to be more well known...