Gemide (1998) User Reviews

A shockingly original character-driven drama of colourful language, drug use and rape.

[cgyford · 8/10 · 29 November 2010]

Turkish film director Serdar Akar teamed-up with fellow débutante Önder Çakar for this shocking companion piece to "A Madonna in Laleli" by film school classmate Kudret Sabancı, which picked up multiple awards at film festivals in Antalya and Ankara, including the coveted Golden Orange for Second Best Film.

Captain İdris (Erkan Can) heads up the motley crew of a dredger out of Istanbul who while on a drunken shore leave one night in the city's red light district assault a gang of mobsters and kidnap a foreign prostitute to take back with them to their ship in the simple backdrop for this tense character-driven drama.

Golden Orange and Orhan Arıburnu Award-winning actor Erkan Can ("Bana Old and Wise'ı Çal") puts in a star making turn as the worn-out captain with superb support coming from the sleazy Haldun Boysan, the naive Yıldıray Şahinler, the untrustworthy Naci Taşdöğen and the strong yet vulnerable Ella Manea.

The Golden Orange and Orhan Arıburnu Award-winning freshman director, straight out of film school, breaks away from the standard idioms of Turkish cinema to show the squalid lives of these men in a somewhat stylised but highly original way which marks him out as a filmmaker to watch out for in the future.

"Anyway, where were we?"

It ain't over till it's over

[nowtheworldisgone · 8/10 · 20 November 2008]

This is the movie by Serdar Akar in which Erkan Can plays magnificently again. The movie starts with an extraordinary introduction by the captain under the stimulus of hunger due to smoking too much pot. So every sailor in the boat does not feel comfortable and does not know where the destiny will lead them just a few hours later. What a magnificent introduction that carries you in a significant story! The dialogs between actors in the movie is smartly chosen so that if there is someone like the boxer, he most probably would speak in that way, nothing more nothing less. The black humor is really very affective and wonderfully portrayed by the actors. What is sad but true is that, this movie deserves more than it has gained, however this is how the things go in the movie industry (you have got to be popular instead of being original). To say more about Erkan Can, this is not only the film he acts brilliant. On the other hand, we can say that, this is the foundation of his brilliance act throughout his career (Takva, Dar Alanda Kisa Paslasmalar, Lalelide Bir Azize and Kader) It is the movie which people question their common sense and which people try to face up to the lies. There are a lot of things to say about this movie. You should see it.

In the end, it ain't over till it's over

Ela. She's a beautiful prostitute and, somehow, still a virgin.

[zulkufy · 9/10 · 1 February 2000]

On a ship there are four sailors: Captain, Kamil, Ali, and Boxer. They pass the time talking and smoking joints. Their routine life turns upside down one night, when Boxer reboards the ship with bad news. He has been beaten and has had all his money stolen. They all disembark and catch the thieves, taking both the thieves' money and their woman, thus becoming thieves themselves. The four men return to the ship with the money, some food, and the foreign woman, Ela. She's a beautiful prostitute and, somehow, still a virgin.

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Funny and dark as hell!

[gungormus · 3 July 2004]

I always complain about the language of Turkish movies. You can see a street punk or a bad gangster speaking with a perfect language. No slang, no bad language. So none of this movies could reflect the characters. In the latest movies this was overcome. But this movie is reflecting the characters perfect. Everything is as it should be. Besides, the acting and the story is very good for a low budget movie. I didn't know that Erkan Can was such a good actor before I saw this movie. Especially the marijuana scenes are perfect and funny as hell. It's said and confirmed that they were really high during the making of these scenes. The story is original also. Four randy, junkie and accidentally murderer sailors and a virgin prostitute in a sand ship. You think what will happen.

I strongly recommend this movie to especially Turkish young. You can learn some creative curses like "Elephants are f..king in my head" or "Bears are screaming in my ass"

And some facts about the movie:

Some scenes in this movie were used in another movie:"Laleli'de Bir Azize" (A Saint in Laleli). For example in the the bar scene, the man who walks in front of the bar is starring and the woman who enters the bar is a walk on. But in "Laleli'de Bir Azize", the same location and time but with another camera, the woman who enters the bar is starring and the man who walks in front of the bar is a walk on.

The movie was made before the Kocaeli earthquake on August 17th. In a scene the captain says "The buildings made with the sand we collect from the sea will return to the sea" In the earthquake, the buildings made with sea sand in Kocaeli was buried into the sea. And the movie was aired on television for the first time at the night of the earthquake. :? Interesting

An extreme from the "Green Pine"

[Exiled_Archangel · 10/10 · 2 December 2002]

First of all, Green Pine (Yeþilçam) is what Turkish cinema sector is referred to in Turkey. Like Hollywood of the U.S. Yeþilçam is actually the name of a street in Istanbul where actors and actresses used to hang out.

About the movie, it's an extreme example of Turkish cinema. The language it uses somewhat loses its strength when translated, but it's still interesting as far as its style is concerned. It has some grotesque scenes, and slightly exaggerated street language. The casting is absolutely awesome, and the story is not too much exaggerated except for the kidnapped girl being a virgin at that age. It reflects some aspects of the life in Turkey, but mostly the darker stuff. It does make the viewer feel like he's actually spent time with those people on board. It will probably be shown in Istanbul International Film Festival for a few more years, so follow. Very good for those who are bored of American movies which feel like buns baked in the same bakery.

What a beautiful movie-making, Tarantino should see this movie...(spoilers)

[aenima-insert · 10/10 · 5 February 2005]

dark and thoughtful.. one of the best Turkish movies i have ever seen. The music, dialogs, the laughter and the exaggerated cursing all sum up in a beautiful harmony. The movie starts with the captain giving a "lecture" on the ship and smoking pot(which by the way goes on and on in the movie) They are waiting for the boxer to bring some food so they can satisfy their munchies. But instead boxer comes with nothing except soaked clothes and an excuse. So they head for the dark and filthy streets of Istanbul to look for their destiny and they find the saint of Laleli. Then they come into a conflict withing themselves that change their lives forever.

A bad finish and boring scenes

[yilmazerumut · 6/10 · 14 July 2007]

I watched the film yesterday at home, 8 years later. Firstly, there are too many bad words, about in every sentences. The start is not very good, but it is alright. It is an interesting story, later we learn in the film. The development of the movie is good, but there are too many unnecessary and boring scenes, such as collecting sand from the sea. The end of the film was terrible; is the famous gemide movie this, we said after the film. And about 8 years later, a new film of Serdar Akar,Barda release. Barda is also consists of slang language, it must be Akar's choice. But it does add no art to film. Erkan Can's performance is the best thing in this movie.

fluent,natural,slapping!

[infestorOfSouls · 17 April 2005]

This flick is the one of the most distinguished and independent productions of the Turkish movie industry (Yesilcam). Rude street slang can be very usual for American or French movies but it is usually very unacceptable for Turkish films. This kind of films are hard to be shown widely in domestic halls and on TV it is even more impossible. But "Gemide" breaks this barrier and honestly reflects the street language, lifestyle and people of big cities in Turkey.

Most people see this one as a Tarantino-esque Turkish movie. This is quite a big claim, but is inevitable that an ambiance in dialogues exists like Tarantino style. Although the dialogues are funny, they are also so explicit that slap on some viewers' face! They are just like the normal people's speech.

Of course it is not only the speech makes this film fine. Chosen places also affect the audience. We feel like a crew memeber on board and hearing the captain's yells! The acting is perfect, all the cast is fluent and good, but Erkan Can (the captain) is awesome! Also one interesting thing in the movie is that the prostitute has no cues. The movie goes on only at the aspect of men.

Most parts may be difficult to comprehend for non Turkish speakers and the audio recording is not brilliant, but "Gemide" must be seen by foreigners especially!