Tabutta Rövasata (1996) User Reviews

Low-Budget Indictment of Modern Turkish Capitalism

[l_rawjalaurence · 8/10 · 5 July 2015]

Shot on a minimal budget around the streets of İstanbul, TABUTTA RÖVAŞATA focuses on the life of Mahsun (Ahmet Uğurlu), a down-and- out living on the edge of the Bosphorus. He ekes out an existence living under bridges, and subsequently as a bathroom attendant, offering eau de cologne to the customers. He encounters a drug- addict girl (Ayşen Aydemir), with whom he dreams of traveling away in a boat; but nothing comes of it. In the end he ends up in the Rümeli Fortress, where he steals a peacock and cooks it over an open fire.

Derviş Zaim's debut feature makes some trenchant points about the way society treats its lowest members. Mahsun is regularly beaten up by the police, or forced to do errands for the local criminal classes in order to survive. At a heart a good-willing person, trying to help the girl, his efforts at kindness come to naught.

Zaim contrasts this worldly indifference with more enduring elements; there are regular shots of the Bosphorus, suggesting its timelessness. The use of the peacock in Rümeli likewise suggests the timeless theme; they have strutted around the castle battlements for centuries, and will continue to do so. By stealing the peacock Mahsun hopes to associate himself with that timelessness, as an alternative to the exigencies of the present; but hunger eventually gets the better of him, and he is forced to eat it.

TABUTTA RÖVAŞATA introduces several of the motifs characteristic of Zaim's later work - the emphasis on the power of water to transcend merely human affairs, regular shots of a graveyard that once again emphasize the timeless theme - where past, present and future collide - and the regular shots of the protagonists standing by the water's edge, prompting us to reflect on the human condition. This is not just an indictment of contemporary Turkish life: Zaim wants us to reflect on all human life.

man who owns nothing

[fittyfitty · 9/10 · 13 March 2006]

The story tells us about a man who owns nothing. Beside his few friends, he is homeless and has got no work, often nothing to eat but that does not worry him. He is only worried that " everything is forbidden nowadays". He is a professional car burglar who only steals to have a ride. Instead of selling the car he always bring it back after cruising the city in the night.

If he ever has got something in his hands he does not know other than to share. He shares his bread, his room, his car that he steals but he cannot share his love.

When the film finishes you see the explanation of the film crew: " This film is real because we made it up".

He shows us the man with nothing but a big heart, perhaps too big for this life..

A Homeless Man in Bosphorus

[8bithummingbird · 8/10 · 7 August 2021]

This is a tale of "The Insulted and Humiliated".

Mahsun (Ahmet Ugurlu) is a homeless man, gentle as he can be, addicted to auto burglary (not for joyriding but for staying alive in freezing Istanbul nights.) and trying to make sense of it all. He makes friends with a heroin addict and a peacock, yes a peacock he stole from the historic Rumelihisari (a historical fortress) and things get complicated and messy. Ahmet Ugurlu plays flawlessly as if he is the real Mahsun. Director makes you witness surreal moments around the fortress and the sea.

With enchanting musics by "Baba Zula" and "Yansimalar" and pristine views from Istanbul city, Somersault in a Coffin takes you on a journey to the life of backstreet people.

If you wanna join their night journey, here's your pick!

One of the best movies Turkish cinema ever made....

[Buggy-2 · 10/10 · 4 November 1998]

The story of Mahzun who is an outsider living out on the streets. This docile, slow but gentle character works in a Turkish cafe during the daytime and at nights, he is a professional car burglar. He steals a car, drives around the city all night and in the morning, he brings it back to the spot he had taken it from. He is often in trouble with the police, he has only a few friends. Mahzun falls in love with a heroine addict and everything hidden in him comes out after this... Tabutta Rovasata is a good movie with a strong story, charming characters and good acting..One of the best of 20th century Turkish cinema. Please pay attention to the wonderful music of ' Yansimalar' ...

Cypriot Director's Beautiful Film

[Kubrick-Fanatic · 8 September 2002]

Turkish Cypriot Director Dervis Zaim made this movie with only a little money, three main players and a few theatre players. It became a new masterpiece after its premiere in 1996. It won 20 awards in Turkey and Out Of Turkey in the countries Canada USA England Germany and also Italy. With its beautiful music, widescreen presentation and also the unforgettable ending, it is the masterpiece of our Cypriot director. Also its DVD is great and there's available english, german and french subtitles. Beautiful unforgettable movie.

a movie which has every single detail of life..

[ali-kkfl · 10/10 · 16 June 2006]

Crime, punishment, corruption, misery, hunger, love, desperation, friendship, innocence, purity and more are what you get in this movie with three main characters and one of the best screenplays ever written. Great choice of cast. Their powerful acting not only supports the screenplay, also strengthens the acting of the amateur players. In my opinion this one may be the best movie made with the least possibilities. Stop wasting your time on Hollywood movies and take a look at what Turkish cinema can do. Highly recommended for those who think that they had enough of that same old screenplays and some sicko acting.

Must be watched

[daunted_undauntable · 10/10 · 18 January 2006]

This movie, based on a real character (Mahsun) and story, takes place in the place I live today (Rumelihisari - European side of Istanbul). It is a story of an outsider living in the streets, drinking, helping out an addict whose he's in love with, stealing cars to sleep in them not to get cold in winter nights and cleaning them before driving them back to where he steals from. Music is extremely charming and puts you in a melancholic mood.

It is a story of loneliness, and a story of innocence that is so real that you can't get away from watching it once started. Dervish Zaim made a tremendous work. I love this movie. And congratulations to the production.

Turkish cinema author Dervis Zaim makes one of the best films in the history of Turkish cinema.

[FilmCriticLalitRao · 10/10 · 2 February 2015]

Legions are films about car thieves whose sole objective is to earn money at all costs. It should not shock viewers if they are informed about a different thief who stole cars for fighting against nature. Turkish film 'Somersault in a Coffin' is based on a highly original concept in the history of world cinema. It is a humane film whose director Dervis Zaim gives representational force to some voiceless, homeless people who would do anything in order to stay alive during harsh, chilly winter in Istanbul. The masculine world of this film is made up of a minuscule array of innocent losers who cannot be deemed by society as a threat to peace. It is an innocent world where friends do not forget to remember their lost friend. For this film Dervis Zaim chose to depict an innocent man who would like to live entirely on his own terms. This is a man who is not a professional thief as money or any other material comforts are of hardly any interest to him. For his eclectic performances a homeless man without any fixed objective in life, Turkish actor Ahmet Ugurlu won best actor prize at Thessaloniki Film Festival.

spectacular scenes and an idiosyncratic story

[kofistos · 10/10 · 27 November 2016]

It has been more than ten years since I watched the film for the first time. Whenever I watch it, I am impressed again by its scenes, its story, the acting, and its music.

Derviş Zaim made spectacular scenes with Ahmet Uğurlu holding a colorful peacock with the historical fortress and Bosphorus in the background.

Mahsun tries to survive everyday but he does not complain about it. Even though he is beaten by the police, he never gives up his passion for a tour of the city with a car. (Actually his passion for cars is also functional because it keeps him from being frozen like his friend.) His relation with animals changes. When there is no death risk like dying of hunger, he loves animals. For instance, he takes the dog that he hit to the veterinarian or he tours the city with a peacock. But if he is about to die of hunger, he can butcher a peacock to survive.

In the film we witness an "invention of tradition" that the government left the peacocks in Rumelihisarı to revive "the history". Therefore it's ironic to see Mahsun butchering the peacocks, which are political "tools" to revitalize "old customs", in order to eat.

No need to say that the acting is wonderful.

I love the music Baba Zula made. It really fits to the scenes and the story.

Just a couple of "good" friends, and ... a peacock !!

[fgfbach · 20 July 2012]

Mahsun (Ahmet Uğurlu) steals cars and sleeps inside only to save himself from the cold, and returns them when the sun shines .. he has no money, no profession, no future and no any intelligence, just a couple of friends and a peacock to talk to..he is no one in terms of what we expect from a man in present life, but he has everything in terms of what present life lacks of.. some scenes are very brave, drinking and pouring wine onto graveyard is neither something we tend to do nor have we seen before :) Mahsun's relation with the peacock worths watching, i think its one of the most interesting 3-5 scenes in Turkish Cinema, very close to be the first. I watched this film again and again, Ahmet Uğurlu performs his best work ever, this film shows us clearly that even he seems to be the right one for comedy films, he should have better not made any, he fits for such roles perfectly, one of the most dramatic and realistic films ever, a masterpiece from Derviş Zaim ...

Disturbingly brilliant and bleak with amazing characters.

[samxxxul · 10/10 · 23 August 2020]

This work of the Dervis Zaim occupies a special place on most of the world's lists of the best movies from Turkey. There are simply not enough words to describe the quality of this project made with modest budget, which reaches the very top of world art cinematography and which is a film reading for every person who takes film art, in the true sense of the word, seriously. Dervis Zaim is a director who creates the physical into the metaphysical. In this film, he explores the theme of life, friendship, love, innocence and deals with social realism, as the perseverance of simple people notably our Mahsun (Ahmet Ugurlu) a drifter and petty criminal through all life's misfortunes, as his motives that lead him to tomorrow. With his specific technical style, his own camera work and strange, often unrelated sound, he tells his story brilliantly, leading the viewer to the fascinating physical world (Rumelihisari - European side of Istanbul) in which he finally places it.

Somersault in a Coffin / Tabutta rovasata (1996), from the first scene, is an intimate journey of Mahsun and his buddies, As the three men wander around the ancient Istanbul streets, and cinematographer Mustafa Kuscu captures them in slow takes, it's easy to look at the beautiful landscape and its rusting, poisoned objects as a symbol of Turkish tragedy; where everything is forbidden . I found it as a crossover between Combat shock one of my favourite Troma films and Eraqserhead with a Tarkovsky vibe. There are also these brilliant moments where the movie moves into Stalker-esque atmosphere that feels very much like Mircea Daneliuc and Tarkovsky's treatment of Combat Shock (1986) one of my favourite troma movie. Sound plays a key role in the film, water and the peacock lending the film a rhythm and special atmosphere with incredible score by Baba Zula. To say that something deep or multi-layered is common for quality films, but in this film, depth can also be understood visually. It is just an ASTOUNDING movie. Leaves me gobsmacked every time I revisit it.

Urban Survival

[emre-islek · 10/10 · 8 June 2017]

An exquisite movie about survival. Perhaps human's biggest mistake is to throw itself into things outside of survival. There was an enormous scene in the film: the Turkish national team beat its rival and the people are throwing themselves in the street, but Mahzun is in the process of spooning the soup. In solving the hunger, in the life of survival. Identity, power, belonging, success, etc. What's so important about surviving?

Excellent

[simirna · 10/10 · 1 August 2003]

What does a director do if he hasn't enough fund? Dervis Zaim did his best. Ahmet Ugurlu,Tuncel Kurtiz acted perfectly. Realistic,different and smart are the adjectives to describe this film.

A masterpiece.

[korhun · 10/10 · 24 February 2004]

A work of art. Shows money is not every thing was the thing on my mind I was to say.. Ironic... a little more thinking on the subject, money became something. or is it not? no matter what.. this work is a great combination of directing and acting.. worth to think about it..

Actually, No Budget

[iamsezer · 30 September 2018]

The movie have been shooted for 4 hours with borrowed movie camera in 24 days. The crew sticked together. So, this is a low budget movie. I found technical specifications (such as shots, sounds, synchronization) little bad by year. If you like oriental songs, you will lose yourself with "Yansimalar" and "Baba Zula"s music in this movie. The subject is the life story of someone on the street. We can really see how it is. So realistic. But some frames are greenly, nonsensical, absurd. The movie received awards at several international film festivals including the Golden Orange for best film. This is a cult film. And it deserves.