Movies
A Turkish classic that looks at least 3 decades older than its actual release date. I've been slowly trying out some of these older Turkish films, as they're often backed by an avid fan base, but I can't say I find much to my liking there. Red River, Black Sheep felt extremely dated and slow, failing to make me care about the lead characters and their romance. A poor herdsman falls in love with the chief's daughter. Age-old traditions forbid their marriage, but it's clear that's not going to stop the two from seeking out each other's company. So the village elders come up with a plan. They give the herdsman an impossible challenge and promise him the village daughter when he succeeds. The cinematography is dire, the soundtrack horrible, the performances forced. The plot is pretty predictable and even though the film is pretty short, it ended up feeling almost twice as long. There were a few tepid attempts to elevate the film, which was at least something, but not what I call riveting cinema.Read all
Once considered lost, but restored based on a single remaining print. Stuff of legends that tends to transcend the actual quality of the film, which is definitely the case here. Law of the Border is poorly put together, sluggish and static. It even made me wonder if this was really worth saving. The film plays like a Turkish western, which should give you a pretty good idea of what to expect plot wise. A very simple story about a poor man trying to smuggle a flock of sheep across the border. Border patrol isn't too happy with his plans and a cat and mouse game begins. The camera work is excruciatingly static, conversations and performances are wooden, the soundtrack is unfitting and the editing appears haphazard. There's a bit more action near the end of the film, but even that feels fake and crummy. Pretty dull and amateurish, the 70-minute runtime felt at least twice as long.Read all