I have seen Sinan Cetin's "Propaganda" three times. As a Turkish-American, it is very hard to see films like these at times and a number, like Yesim Ustaolgu's "Gunese Yolculuk/Journey to the Sun" and Zeki Demirkubuz's "Itiraf/The Confession," have alluded me. But, "Propganda" is gentle, yet politically sharp fable. Kemal Sunal, a great Turkish comic actor, moves away from the slpastick that made him an idol and gives a very touching performance here. Metin Akpinar, who was part of a famous duo with Zeki Alasya, is also quite good here. The film deals with Turkish-Kurdish problems which a number of dramas like Yilmaz Guney's "Suru/The Herd" (1978) have dealt with in much more direct fashions. But, unlike Guney's films, "Propaganda" is an all too rare positive film about Turkey. The film admits there are problems in Turkey, but it shows that the spirit of the Turkish people can overcome such obstacles. I do admire Guney, Ali Ozgenturk, Serif Goren, and Zeki Okten. They are great Turkish/Kurdish filmmakers who have made some of the best films in Turkish history. But, it is good to see a Turkish film which has hope and resolve in it. I think this is an underrated film, and is worhty of more deserving praise that it seems to have received.
18 Reviews
Appealing love story
bob99811 April 2005
Sinan Cetin, on the evidence of this film, seems to be a follower of the Norman Jewison tradition of romantic comedy; I thought of The Russians are coming, The Russians are coming, The Fiddler on the Roof, Moonstruck... Cetin knows how to milk a situation for pathos, and to get good performances from his actors.
Kemal Sunal as Mehdi gives a wonderfully funny and touching performance as the civil servant who can't see where his rigid and unimaginative application of the rules is taking him and the village. When his wife declares that the border runs through their bed from now on, all he can do is sigh fatalistically. Metin Akpinar is splendid as Rahim, the doctor and life-long friend to Mehdi--he reminded me of Topol at times.
The blend of Romeo and Juliet, Kafka and Hollywood formula comedy will not work for all viewers, but I was greatly entertained.
Kemal Sunal as Mehdi gives a wonderfully funny and touching performance as the civil servant who can't see where his rigid and unimaginative application of the rules is taking him and the village. When his wife declares that the border runs through their bed from now on, all he can do is sigh fatalistically. Metin Akpinar is splendid as Rahim, the doctor and life-long friend to Mehdi--he reminded me of Topol at times.
The blend of Romeo and Juliet, Kafka and Hollywood formula comedy will not work for all viewers, but I was greatly entertained.
It is a funny movie that show interesting aspects of a different society and the negative role of bureaucracy in our lives sometimes! It is worth seeing
Firas25 January 2000
I liked this movie in general. It is funny and it mocked of bureaucracy in particular. Anyhow some things were not really realistic. I can't imagine that in a such rural society in west Asia a pregnant girl before marriage would have been so tolerated as in this movie! It shows also some interesting aspects like the arid nature of this region and the nature of its people. I spent a nice time in this movie. I encourage that more movies from that relatively unknown region of the world (middle east- west Asia) should be made
A Great Film
neildm12 February 2006
This is a great film in its own right. I have seen quite a few Turkish films, and this is certainly one of the best. The dialogue is witty, the story-line touching and the historicity of the film touches an area many of us never think of - the development of borders through the middle east.
You can feel for Medhi as he struggles with the dichotomy he faces, the competing pressures make for both difficult choices and black humour. Though there are laugh out loud moments too.
Turkish cinema can be difficult for many Westerns, but this film is not one of these.
A great film - I promise you will enjoy it.
You can feel for Medhi as he struggles with the dichotomy he faces, the competing pressures make for both difficult choices and black humour. Though there are laugh out loud moments too.
Turkish cinema can be difficult for many Westerns, but this film is not one of these.
A great film - I promise you will enjoy it.
A funny yet true story about separation and bureaucracy, two thumbs up.
valeria_petit17 November 2003
PROPAGANDA is based on a true story that happened in Turkey in 1948. The newly appointed customs officer, Mehdi, comes back to his native village of Hislinisar with an order from Ankara to build a border to separate Turkey from it's Syrian enemies.
The only problem is that the village's only doctor, teacher and prostitute live on the other side, therefore in Syria. Despite this huge mistake, the civil servants blindly obey Ankara's orders without informing the villagers. Soon, the families from the other side, who used to coexist with the other villagers, can only enter Hislinisar with a passport that they can't get. Just like the Berlin Wall, these fences will separate friends, lovers and even sheep. Mehdi has to learn to enforce the law at the detriment of his marriage and friendships.
This movie is hilarious. The ways that Mehdi and the villagers deal with this new border are really funny even though the impact it ultimately has on them is really sad. Overall it's a really refreshing movie.
I gave it a 9/10. I saw it in Turkish with french subtitles. If you ever get a chance to see this great Sinan Cetin film, please do so, it's worth it!
The only problem is that the village's only doctor, teacher and prostitute live on the other side, therefore in Syria. Despite this huge mistake, the civil servants blindly obey Ankara's orders without informing the villagers. Soon, the families from the other side, who used to coexist with the other villagers, can only enter Hislinisar with a passport that they can't get. Just like the Berlin Wall, these fences will separate friends, lovers and even sheep. Mehdi has to learn to enforce the law at the detriment of his marriage and friendships.
This movie is hilarious. The ways that Mehdi and the villagers deal with this new border are really funny even though the impact it ultimately has on them is really sad. Overall it's a really refreshing movie.
I gave it a 9/10. I saw it in Turkish with french subtitles. If you ever get a chance to see this great Sinan Cetin film, please do so, it's worth it!
Funny and Touching, Wonderful Movie!
The_Crow_I12 August 2003
In 1948, the borderline in Eastern Turkey is drawn right through a small village. Friends and lovers are separated, blind bureaucrats are taking over and everyone - even the bureaucrats - has too deal with this new age they are not yet ready for, in their naive way.
I really loved this movie and in my humble opinion it is one of the best Turkish pictures ever. It depicts the warmth and passion of the Turkish temperament, although it is a sarcastic comment on stubborn bureaucracy, not only in Turkey but everywhere! The cast is great with the beloved Kemal Sunal (died much too early like all good people) and the wonderful Metin Akpinar. They both are comedians who are usually playing funny, often touching parts with a moral-lesson, like to learn what the really important things in life are.
It is indeed a realistic picture, because in the 1940's people who thought they were neighbors were separated this way. Everyone handles this situation in a very naive way; even the officers do not really know what a passport looks like, because everything is so new. As for the pregnant girl who is still accepted by her family although she is not married: I am sure even in those days there were people who were not so dumb and stubborn to put family honor above love for the family members. The father-character portrait by Akpinar is a simple but wise man, who is loyal to his beloved ones.
One last point: This is a modern movie about old Turkey, so you get a bit of both worlds. You find the positive stereotypes as well as the negative ones. Half the Turkish population are modern, western-oriented people, who are aware of their own culture, but also open to others. The fanatic-islamist people are stubborn and intolerant and as such a group you can find anywhere in the world, and they will always be there, as you see in this movie. We should end all prejudices for a better tomorrow! But with each passing day, this feat seems to be more out of reach than ever. What a shame!
I really loved this movie and in my humble opinion it is one of the best Turkish pictures ever. It depicts the warmth and passion of the Turkish temperament, although it is a sarcastic comment on stubborn bureaucracy, not only in Turkey but everywhere! The cast is great with the beloved Kemal Sunal (died much too early like all good people) and the wonderful Metin Akpinar. They both are comedians who are usually playing funny, often touching parts with a moral-lesson, like to learn what the really important things in life are.
It is indeed a realistic picture, because in the 1940's people who thought they were neighbors were separated this way. Everyone handles this situation in a very naive way; even the officers do not really know what a passport looks like, because everything is so new. As for the pregnant girl who is still accepted by her family although she is not married: I am sure even in those days there were people who were not so dumb and stubborn to put family honor above love for the family members. The father-character portrait by Akpinar is a simple but wise man, who is loyal to his beloved ones.
One last point: This is a modern movie about old Turkey, so you get a bit of both worlds. You find the positive stereotypes as well as the negative ones. Half the Turkish population are modern, western-oriented people, who are aware of their own culture, but also open to others. The fanatic-islamist people are stubborn and intolerant and as such a group you can find anywhere in the world, and they will always be there, as you see in this movie. We should end all prejudices for a better tomorrow! But with each passing day, this feat seems to be more out of reach than ever. What a shame!
Some people can change, also your best friend...
Tolga-327 January 2000
Well another Box-Office Film in Turkey: Propaganda. I think it was one of the films in which you realise that your work is not always so important as your friends. Especially when it's your friend from your childhood and your son is going to marry his daughter. The movie had sacharastic Fun and some Drama in it which is a mark for Sinan Cetin. Well watch the Movie and see it for your self. I give it a rating of 9 points.
Sinan Cetin strikes again...
ulnoyman15 April 2007
Propaganda is another failed attempt by Sinan Cetin to make decent, above-average movie. The experience and talent of the cast list seems to give him a head-start in Propaganda, but he squanders this credit with usual sloppiness and lack of imagination. Even so, Propaganda is not as unwatchable as his older movies.
Sinan Cetin is a spoiled, pretentious, unimaginative demagogue with no decent story-telling skills, and he generally builds his movies around empty, overly-populist, lumpen, pseudo-critiques of the 'system'. He is a consistently bad director, and his movies must be avoided at all costs.
Propaganda, fails miserably especially at the finale, where Cetin once again plays his cheap demagogical tune with a 'rally around the flag' trick with no subtlety, no wit, and certainly with no success.
To be honest, Propaganda is Cetin's best work (which is sad). So if you really need to have an idea of him, watch this one.
Sinan Cetin is a spoiled, pretentious, unimaginative demagogue with no decent story-telling skills, and he generally builds his movies around empty, overly-populist, lumpen, pseudo-critiques of the 'system'. He is a consistently bad director, and his movies must be avoided at all costs.
Propaganda, fails miserably especially at the finale, where Cetin once again plays his cheap demagogical tune with a 'rally around the flag' trick with no subtlety, no wit, and certainly with no success.
To be honest, Propaganda is Cetin's best work (which is sad). So if you really need to have an idea of him, watch this one.
Based on a true story
It_Girl8 December 1999
Based on a true story: in 1948, customs officer Mehdi has to formally set up the border between Turkey and Syria right through his home town. He is unaware of the pain he is about to create as families, languages, cultures and lovers clash and are ripped apart in a nation which feels as ONE. Furthermore, the new border also leads to the separation of Mehdi from his best friend Rahim who is the most important man in town: the only doctor.
This was a pleasure to watch
muge-116 June 2003
Warning: Spoilers
I've never been a fan of Kemal Sunal, his comedy style got on my nerves (nur icinde yatsin). In Propaganda, he was a delight, as was the entire cast.
Other viewers have commented (possible spoiler)that in eastern Anatolia a pregnant daughter would not have been so easily accepted. Granted in the average home it would not have, BUT....Rahim was not your stereotypical ignorant Anatolian. He was a WISE, compassionate and loyal man. Loyal to his friends, and loyal to his family. How wonderful that the writer could portray a Turkish father who loves his daughter and her happiness is his priority! I think we have all seen ENOUGH movies where out of wedlock pregnancy is automatically a disgrace.
There is much in government that doesn't make sense, but we go along with it, perhaps thinking, "well it doesn't make sense to me, but it does to everyone else, so I'm not going to question it." (i.e. the electoral college in the US). This is a movie that points out the nonsenses of bureaucracy.
The installation of fences and the definite marking of boundaries was a new process in the 40's. Certainly the government made mistakes, and didn't think everything through at the onset. It is not difficult to imagine that there was no immediate process for citizens that were living on the "other side". (SPOILER) When the family crashes through the gate, it may seem silly at first, but think about it, it was sure to bring faster results than letters and petitions to Ankara.
This movie was a pleasure to watch.
Other viewers have commented (possible spoiler)that in eastern Anatolia a pregnant daughter would not have been so easily accepted. Granted in the average home it would not have, BUT....Rahim was not your stereotypical ignorant Anatolian. He was a WISE, compassionate and loyal man. Loyal to his friends, and loyal to his family. How wonderful that the writer could portray a Turkish father who loves his daughter and her happiness is his priority! I think we have all seen ENOUGH movies where out of wedlock pregnancy is automatically a disgrace.
There is much in government that doesn't make sense, but we go along with it, perhaps thinking, "well it doesn't make sense to me, but it does to everyone else, so I'm not going to question it." (i.e. the electoral college in the US). This is a movie that points out the nonsenses of bureaucracy.
The installation of fences and the definite marking of boundaries was a new process in the 40's. Certainly the government made mistakes, and didn't think everything through at the onset. It is not difficult to imagine that there was no immediate process for citizens that were living on the "other side". (SPOILER) When the family crashes through the gate, it may seem silly at first, but think about it, it was sure to bring faster results than letters and petitions to Ankara.
This movie was a pleasure to watch.
Moving, Touching and Thoughtful Picture. It doesn't matter where you're from.
Programmer_Roger_That11 August 2003
Rating: 9/10
I have seen this movie in its original form without subtitles. I was touched and impressed so much with bunch of great Turkish comedians' performances in this heart capturing drama with a twist of politic views and how a "divided nation cannot stand" sub-theme. However, Mr. Sunal (R.I.P.) as Mehdi proves that there is nothing more important than being who you are and do what you are supposed to do.
I intend to watch it again, as soon as I can get it with SUBTITLES to understand how foreign viewers felt.
If you have questions about this or any other Turkish titles with International releases, e-mail me.
Recommended !
Also Recommended:
I have seen this movie in its original form without subtitles. I was touched and impressed so much with bunch of great Turkish comedians' performances in this heart capturing drama with a twist of politic views and how a "divided nation cannot stand" sub-theme. However, Mr. Sunal (R.I.P.) as Mehdi proves that there is nothing more important than being who you are and do what you are supposed to do.
I intend to watch it again, as soon as I can get it with SUBTITLES to understand how foreign viewers felt.
If you have questions about this or any other Turkish titles with International releases, e-mail me.
Recommended !
Also Recommended:
- Eskiya (Internationally : Bandit, Starring Sener Sen)
- Hamam (Internationally: Steam; Turkish Bath, Starring Colpan Ilhan)
- Hemso (Internationally: May not have been released -Could be titled "Homie", Starring Mehmet Ali Erbil)
- Hababam Sinifi Series (Internatinally: The Dunce Class, Starring Kemal Sunal, Sener Sen, and many other Turkish Comedians)
Happiness does not have to be an American movie
pybcan8 November 1999
This Turkish film is a about human relations in a newly divided town where a military officer is made the new custom officer after completing his service. You will see how the town gets divided when the border fence is changed and made to pass through the town. I smiled (and laughed) all the way through this beautiful and touching story. Beautiful and touching people in a rugged country lost in the middle of nowhere. This a story depicting a conflict between friendship and bureaucracy where the families are physically separated by the new border. This film needs to be watched with subtitles (not translated) so you can perceive all its flavor.
Absurd
behramkale17 June 2001
I am amazed at the number of things this director must have thought he could get away with. The events in the movie just cannot take place the way they are portrayed, and there are too many of them. The basic plot is an impossible one: I can understand a town being divided geographically by the new border, but not the story that some of its people would be left on the other side (and by force). The love story in the movie smells Hollywood, it just does not belong in a Southeastern Anatolian town. The ending is totally ridiculous. There are several "inside" jokes in the movie that for example a foreign spectator would not get, and their presence makes you think the director was not serious at all. The ambitious and job-conscious civil servant character is drawn in a heavy handed manner and disturbs as to the motivation of the director. Propaganda made me think that its director is a half-intellectual opportunist who has no respect for his own work. This movie is a total waste of time.
Another typical Sinan Çetin movie, pretentious and pseudocritical...
cemkilicarslan25 March 2000
I watched the movie on Cd last night and cannot believe again the poor handling of the topic by the most-pretentious director of Turkey who just happens to be hosting a sopa-opera-style TV show where separated couples are brought together (tears to my eyes...). The director has the notorious background of imitating Hollywood style and making films which do not have the depth a work of cinema should have in order to be considered as a work of art. My criticism for "Eskiya" applies to this movies also: The movie is more a critic of the Turkish bureaucracy rather that a commment on the Southeastern life. The film is quite unrealistic and it seems as if the degree of such an unrealism is the director's struggle to add some comic relief, a funny dimension to the movie. However what happens is a bad mixture of failed surrealism (yes.. remember the barren landscape and Colorado-runaway-plot and pregnant-but-acceptable-girl) with far-fetched social commentary. The film ends with the most ridiculous eway it could do. You cannot help but ask what will happen when they break the border. You do not leave the theatre relieved but rather with a more troubled and worried mind. What's more I guess the performance problems of Kemal Sunal is much more serious that that of the film itself. He seems to have ended his career artistically with this movie ( I do not mention Cumbul and El Roman who even did not start serious artistic careers at all). His acting lacks enthusiasm and is artificial. Do not expect to see the Saban performances. I could go on forever talking about the gaps in the plot, errors in cut and badly done act and cinematography problems. At the bottom this movie is a good example of how you can start with good actors, a good story, a good director of photography, nice setting but end up messing them all. The director Çetin's appearance and his mock-Kurdish speech later mixed with English cuss-words reveal that the movie is not serious at all. Sorry for those who liked it but this is just another Sinan Çetin moviewhich tries to reach fame with a quick gathering of few popular names rather than focusing on the artistic and cinematographic quality.
Excellent
Uther Pendragon20 April 2000
The cast of Propaganda was outstanding. One of the best Turkish actors in the lead, Kemal Sunal, gives a truly brilliant performance. Mertem Cumbul is most promising; she's very beautiful and very talented. She is in preparation for her Hollywood-debut. Also beautiful are the locations where it was shot...
I urge you to see this awesome production.
I urge you to see this awesome production.
Cartoonish criticisations, pseudo-intellectualism
CriticsTR7 June 2022
Warning: Spoilers
It is said that the movie is based on a true story. It was actually a mixture of several stories. Director Sinan Cetin stated that the film brought some sections from (his father) Mehdi Cetin's life to the big screen. Mehdi Cetin worked as a customs guard for 35 years at Soviet Union, Iranian and Syrian borders of Turkey. The character of "Mehdi" is played by Kemal Sunal, who was the most-beloved Turkish comedian.
But those true-stories are modified, highly exaggerated and became a real cartoon in the hands of Sinan Cetin, who never managed to make a good movie after Cicek Abbas (1982).
Like most of Turkish liberals, Sinan Cetin's political attitude is just criticising everything done in 1923-1950, when Turkey was under a single-party administration. Those criticisers do not know the difference between "bureaucracy" and "fascism". For them, every ban is directly fascism. If a few bans really meant fascism, then we would have 200 fascist countries on the world. Those criticisers do not know that fascism needs a special economical base, some colonies to grow up. Turkey had never such base like Germany, Italy and Japan.
In the characters of Mehdi and mostly Mahmut (his assistant), we see a poor caricature of bureaucratic strictness. Mahmut is played by Kemal Sunal's son Ali Sunal.
Ankara says "The borderline will pass through the village". Actually, solution in such a case is so simple. Before the border was set up, "possible outsiders" could easily move "inside", to a house of their relatives and then maybe build up a new house. The school or the teacher also would be transferred inside easily. But Sinan Cetin claims it was impossible and he always says "Oh my God, those were terrible times"... Also, no state on this world could do such a thing. Because the other side of that border belonged to another independent state, Syria, in 1948. So if you divide such a village into two, you also have to make a diplomacy with the Syrian government at that time. Will Syria accept them as Syrian citizens or not? They just can't be left there like wild animals. The movie does not deal with it. It is a cartoon already.
At first, we see Mehdi returning to his village to do his job. It is a ridiculous scene like the next ones. Sinan Cetin probably thinks every village in Anatolia had a band to welcome state officers in 1940s. Although they are shown with "modern bands", villagers are shown as complete ignorants who love idle talk.
In the scene at 7th minute, we see four villagers shown as talking in a language other than Turkish, probably Kurdish, maybe Arabic. But it is definitely not Kurdish or Arabic, because they don't really speak, they just make noises, they growl. It is a really humiliating scene for Kurdish-speaking and Arabic-speaking people. When they see Manager Mehdi coming, they immediately begin to sing an anthem about Ankara, Turkish capital. Don't ask how they learnt that anthem. After Mehdi passed, they go back to growling.
The border post is also ridiculous. Border posts are established a few miles inside the border, for the security - Not just exactly on the border, not on "the ground zero" like in this movie.
Some scenes are very short, about 10-20 seconds followed with a black fade out, and does not anything valuable to the story. They look like "deleted scenes" inserted into a movie. Amateurish editing.
Opening of the customs/border post is another ridiculous scene. There is a banner with "Yasasin sinir!" (Long live the border!) written on it. What a ridiculous slogan. No officer would write or allow such a banner. Then a child speaks to the villagers, reads a poetry. Why? It is not a festival of the children, it is not April 23rd, it is about customs, border. No officer would allow such a thing. The poetry is actually two mixed poetries, mixed in the script. These are all Sinan Cetin's comedy fantasies and it is not clever. It is just cartoonish.
At 40th minute, director Sinan Cetin makes a cameo as a shepherd. He also doesn't really speak, he just make noises. That's the second growling scene which we were supposed to laugh at. Then shepherd starts to speak English. Don't ask how he learnt it. He insults and he says that national customs are all very unnecessary. And that's the political message of the movie. Sinan Cetin wants a world without customs, he claims that people can live without customs. Well, that sounds like a communist ideal, but no. What Sinan Cetin wants is a huge formation with all countries under the same flag, no customs, open-door, free trade. Just as European Union itself. The movie called "Propaganda" is actually a propaganda of European Union. Of course, you can criticise politics. But it is very cartoonish to claim that "East/Turkey/one place is %100 hell, West/Europe/the other place is %100 heaven".
Manager Mehdi chases sheeps which pass the border... Mahmut cannot write a simple permit in a few minutes (because he tries to write a long epic tale)... Yasar, the only villager who has a passport, continually goes forward and back at the customs... An officer from the ministry brings an award to Mehdi with a band playing anthems... Cemil, who is deeply in love with his step-sister Filiz, suddenly make peace with Adem, Filiz's lover... Too much non-sense.
At the end, Mehdi resigns, gives up his "heavy-bureaucracy" work. He and his best friend, their families, altogether come back to "their country" with breaking borders. Such a thing could not happen. As I wrote before, there won't be such a division, because the possible outsiders would move inside before the customs is opened. It seems clear that Sinan Cetin used his father's memories, modified them, exaggerated them, just to insult Ismet Inonu era, not to criticise it objectively. If his father was really against Inonu administration, he would not have worked at the customs for 35 years.
But those true-stories are modified, highly exaggerated and became a real cartoon in the hands of Sinan Cetin, who never managed to make a good movie after Cicek Abbas (1982).
Like most of Turkish liberals, Sinan Cetin's political attitude is just criticising everything done in 1923-1950, when Turkey was under a single-party administration. Those criticisers do not know the difference between "bureaucracy" and "fascism". For them, every ban is directly fascism. If a few bans really meant fascism, then we would have 200 fascist countries on the world. Those criticisers do not know that fascism needs a special economical base, some colonies to grow up. Turkey had never such base like Germany, Italy and Japan.
In the characters of Mehdi and mostly Mahmut (his assistant), we see a poor caricature of bureaucratic strictness. Mahmut is played by Kemal Sunal's son Ali Sunal.
Ankara says "The borderline will pass through the village". Actually, solution in such a case is so simple. Before the border was set up, "possible outsiders" could easily move "inside", to a house of their relatives and then maybe build up a new house. The school or the teacher also would be transferred inside easily. But Sinan Cetin claims it was impossible and he always says "Oh my God, those were terrible times"... Also, no state on this world could do such a thing. Because the other side of that border belonged to another independent state, Syria, in 1948. So if you divide such a village into two, you also have to make a diplomacy with the Syrian government at that time. Will Syria accept them as Syrian citizens or not? They just can't be left there like wild animals. The movie does not deal with it. It is a cartoon already.
At first, we see Mehdi returning to his village to do his job. It is a ridiculous scene like the next ones. Sinan Cetin probably thinks every village in Anatolia had a band to welcome state officers in 1940s. Although they are shown with "modern bands", villagers are shown as complete ignorants who love idle talk.
In the scene at 7th minute, we see four villagers shown as talking in a language other than Turkish, probably Kurdish, maybe Arabic. But it is definitely not Kurdish or Arabic, because they don't really speak, they just make noises, they growl. It is a really humiliating scene for Kurdish-speaking and Arabic-speaking people. When they see Manager Mehdi coming, they immediately begin to sing an anthem about Ankara, Turkish capital. Don't ask how they learnt that anthem. After Mehdi passed, they go back to growling.
The border post is also ridiculous. Border posts are established a few miles inside the border, for the security - Not just exactly on the border, not on "the ground zero" like in this movie.
Some scenes are very short, about 10-20 seconds followed with a black fade out, and does not anything valuable to the story. They look like "deleted scenes" inserted into a movie. Amateurish editing.
Opening of the customs/border post is another ridiculous scene. There is a banner with "Yasasin sinir!" (Long live the border!) written on it. What a ridiculous slogan. No officer would write or allow such a banner. Then a child speaks to the villagers, reads a poetry. Why? It is not a festival of the children, it is not April 23rd, it is about customs, border. No officer would allow such a thing. The poetry is actually two mixed poetries, mixed in the script. These are all Sinan Cetin's comedy fantasies and it is not clever. It is just cartoonish.
At 40th minute, director Sinan Cetin makes a cameo as a shepherd. He also doesn't really speak, he just make noises. That's the second growling scene which we were supposed to laugh at. Then shepherd starts to speak English. Don't ask how he learnt it. He insults and he says that national customs are all very unnecessary. And that's the political message of the movie. Sinan Cetin wants a world without customs, he claims that people can live without customs. Well, that sounds like a communist ideal, but no. What Sinan Cetin wants is a huge formation with all countries under the same flag, no customs, open-door, free trade. Just as European Union itself. The movie called "Propaganda" is actually a propaganda of European Union. Of course, you can criticise politics. But it is very cartoonish to claim that "East/Turkey/one place is %100 hell, West/Europe/the other place is %100 heaven".
Manager Mehdi chases sheeps which pass the border... Mahmut cannot write a simple permit in a few minutes (because he tries to write a long epic tale)... Yasar, the only villager who has a passport, continually goes forward and back at the customs... An officer from the ministry brings an award to Mehdi with a band playing anthems... Cemil, who is deeply in love with his step-sister Filiz, suddenly make peace with Adem, Filiz's lover... Too much non-sense.
At the end, Mehdi resigns, gives up his "heavy-bureaucracy" work. He and his best friend, their families, altogether come back to "their country" with breaking borders. Such a thing could not happen. As I wrote before, there won't be such a division, because the possible outsiders would move inside before the customs is opened. It seems clear that Sinan Cetin used his father's memories, modified them, exaggerated them, just to insult Ismet Inonu era, not to criticise it objectively. If his father was really against Inonu administration, he would not have worked at the customs for 35 years.
Good Movie
thulasee_shan18 April 2003
It is a very touching movie that shows how good friends, families are forcefully separated by bureaucracy. As someone mentioned in another comment, it is a bit unrealistic that a pregnant girl especially in a middle eastern country is tolerated by family and friends, but this movie is really worth watching.
My 2 Cents...
Ocean_star8 August 2003
Well, the film is certainly good looking. It features the 'saturated' look that is typical of Turkish films and communicates the geography well. But the film itself failed to hold me and I came out feeling not a 100% convinced. Apart from the many 'non-realistic' aspects of the film that previous comments speak of, it seemed loose and could have been much much slicker. The subject of the film was interesting and seemed to have plenty of potential.
This is probably my first Turkish film ever and I did not (at all) find the choice of actor for the role of Mehdi good. The actor seems to be an accomplished one but his face is comical and slapstick and an attempt is probably being made to induce laughter. His character too is slapstick and doesn't look like a serious effort.
All said and done..a good film but should probably be re-made.
This is probably my first Turkish film ever and I did not (at all) find the choice of actor for the role of Mehdi good. The actor seems to be an accomplished one but his face is comical and slapstick and an attempt is probably being made to induce laughter. His character too is slapstick and doesn't look like a serious effort.
All said and done..a good film but should probably be re-made.
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