Lachlan Thiele

8.0/10

May 28, 2023

<b>INT. BEST SURPRISE OF THE FESTIVAL - DAY</b> When I heard the concept of the film, I'll be honest I wasn't that interested. > A young teacher hopes to be appointed to Istanbul after mandatory duty at a small village. After long time waiting he loses all hope of escaping from this gloomy life. However, his colleague Nuray helps him to regain a perspective. But, a moment in this film made me realise I was watching <i>cinema</i>. Thank you, Turkey, for this film. It was a treat! Now time to tally all the times someone called it 'About Dry Glasses.' 2 Hours of gripping drama, the final hour is happy hour from the director. <b>FADE OUT.</b>

Masterpiece is the only word for this film. Nominated for the 2023 Palm D'Or, Nuri Bilge Ceylan has created an extraordinary film set in the snowy mountains of Turkey. The film explores life in an elementary school in a small village, and the lives of some of the teachers and kids. Sounds innocuous, right? Well, this may be the most powerful study of evil I have ever seen. There's no blood. No onscreen violence. It's all exposed through subtle dialog, spaces between words, and is a deep study of manipulation and power. I'm amazed that Nuri Bilge Ceylan's films win all the film prizes in Turkey given how repressive their regime is. But what he is able to do - as all Master filmmakers do when living in this kind of world - is to translate the world of evil from the halls of government to hallways of a children's school. When evil is expressed quietly and those who could stop it stand aside, the results are devastating to the victims.

When Master filmmakers live under repressive regimes, they cannot openly criticize the government that requires silence. Director Nuri Bilge Ceylan tells stories set in small villages, and in this case, in an elementary school. But his examination of evil may be the most profound I have ever seen. In this film, evil is not shown committing bloody violence, but using subtle language and actions to destroy people, including children. The film explores how those who would destroy are protected by those who do not have the will to stand up to that evil, even when they can see it clearly. In this film, no one is capable of protecting the victims, many of whom are not even aware of the trauma they are experiencing. Brilliant. Do not miss.