Distant (aka Uzak/2002)
Picture: C+
Sound: B- Extras: B- Film: B-
There was a good bit of good advanced word on Nuri Bilge
Ceylan’s Distant (2002), from its awards, to much acclaim. The most important thing about it is that it
is a big step forward for a Turkish cinema.
In the international film festivals it was so successful at, this
distinction did not hurt. The story of
an unhappy, but successful photographer (Muzaffer Ozdemir) and his “distant”
cousin (the late Mehmet Emin Toprak, who died in a freak car accident at age 28
a day after this was accepted into Cannes) who decides to visit and move into
his mixed-up life not seeing him for eons.
He is unemployed and seems resistant to labor, while
apathy has set in a possibly profound way.
For Mahmut (Ozdemir), the skill of still photography has not brought him
to where he would like to be and may the only way he can express himself, his
only outlet for thoughts, emotions and other feelings. Too bad no one is listening. Yusuf (Toprak) just keeps putzing around,
the younger of the two who does not realize the youth he is wasting. Mahmut understands it and so should more
perceptive audiences.
Already famous is the scene where Mahmut plays Tarkovsky’s
Stalker on video to drive Yusuf out of his living room and to bed, at
which point he puts in what he really wants to watch: a XXX tape. There is the inability of both characters to
integrate and communicate, making them a sort of next-generation Odd Couple,
but with fewer, different and more limited laughs. As good as the film can be, the limit people in general and
critics in particular ignore because it is shocking this came from Turkey is
that we have seen more of this before than many want to admit. The result is a mixed film, with its better
parts winning over the obvious.
Another aspect people enjoy of it are the many long shots
of a Turkey we have not seen much of before, shot by Ceylan himself. If it looked any colder, it could be a
continuance of the underrated Smilla’s Sense Of Snow. The anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 image
is nice and clean, but has some softness in the fine details and the color
palette can be off slightly, but this happens in some scenes more than others. Since the credits claim this was shot on
Fuji film stock, the color’s oddity makes some sense. Aaton 35-3 is credited as the camera. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is a welcome surprise, though this is a
dialogue-based film with little music to speak of. This was its only theatrical sound format as well. Extras include a half-hour Ceylan interview,
a behind-the scenes featurette shot on 1.33 X 1 video at about 43 minutes,
stills gallery set to music running about four minutes, five trailers for other
New Yorker DVD titles also reviewed on this site including this one, and
Ceylan’s short film Koza (Cocoon). This run 17:43 and is a black and white sound film with no
dialogue at 1.33 X 1. That is all good
backup for a decent film, which will make those happy who agree with this critics
opinion on the film, and make fans even more so.
- Nicholas Sheffo
