By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Fatih Akin
Starring: Birol Ünel | Catrin Striebeck | Sibel Kekilli
Original language title: Gegen die Wand
Country: germany, turkey
Year: 2005
Running time: 121
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0347048/combined
Diane says: “Director and screenwriter Fatih Akin, himself born in Hamburg to Turkish parents, tells a bleak and bloody story of two Turkish Germans, Cahit and Sibel, who meet after their respective suicide attempts and form a marriage of convenience. The heartbreaking, meaty story of two people who don’t want to connect features lots of Cahit’s beloved punk music.
“A Turkish orchestra, playing on the bank of the Bosporus, foreshadows the story through traditional Turkish songs, until the vocalist goes mute portentously.
“Both leads (Birol Ünel and Sibel Kekilli) undergo a lot of change, they have great chemistry, and will likely see noms from me. One cat off for melodrama and an over-extended ending. I really enjoyed this–a movie I could sink my teeth into. 4 cats.”
Hilary says: “HEAD-ON naturally divides into two parts — Germany and Turkey. It is tough to watch such self-destructive personalities, not for the faint of heart. The violence towards the beginning of the Turkish segment feels excessive and false, signaling the film’s descent into melodrama.
“Chapter Germany earns 4 cats but Chapter Turkey only 2 cats for dragging the film to a long, slow end. The strong lead performances and engrossing action of the first half make the second half all that more disappointing.”
Michael says: “I agree with Hilary about HEAD-ON, although I don’t think the last third dipped quite as far as she did.
“The two leads do a terrific job as a broken man who has given up on life, and the life-loving young woman who marries him for convenience and to escape her family. Their relationship develops naturally and intriguingly before a tragedy strikes signaling a turning point in the film.
“There the action shifts from Germany to Istanbul, and the melodrama does start to creep in. I think a briefer coda to the first two-thirds of the film would have probably worked better.
“The acting from the leads and supporting players is strong, as is the generous use of music of various styles. Visually HEAD-ON works as well. I’m glad I was able to see this before it left the Coolidge. 3 1/2 cats”
Bob says: “I wouldn’t describe any part of the film as melodramatic, actually. I think that since I know very little about Turkish culture it’s hard to judge whether what Sibel experiences in Istanbul is excessive or not. After all, she’s not Turkish, having been born in Germany and lived there her entire life, and doesn’t fully understand the extent to which traditions there are going to make her life different.
“And I think all of these differences are essential to the film. Cahit is from Turkey, but he’s become very much a German, even losing much of his native language. Sibel is a German, but her family still clings to many Turkish traditions. What would her brother have done had he caught her after chasing her through the street? Sibel’s cousin is a Turk, but a decidedly modern woman, supporting herself, divorced and with no desire to remarry.
“Turkey itself, sitting right on the border of Europe and Asia, is an odd mix, having been the first modern, secular state in the Muslim world, but now slowly moving toward a more fundamentalist religious identity. So when Sibel tries to have what she probably thinks of as a normal conversation with the two men in the coffee shop, they don’t know how to react to her. I think there’s something to the fact that the shots of the musical group were done (I assume) right at the Dardanelles. There’s a split between Germany and Turkey, there’s a split between Sibel and her family, there’s a split between Cahit and Sibel, and there’s a split right down the middle of Istanbul.
“I still believe that the message of the film, that ‘life’s what you make it,’ is intended to be seen as ironic – It may be up to you what you make of your life, but it’s not really all in your control unless you’re willing to settle for making your life all alone. And while it’s up to each of us to make choices, it’s not as if there’s a choice that’s going to be right for everyone involved, and the best of all the alternatives is likely to be seen as the worst from someone’s perspective.
“By the way, I checked up on the German title, GEGEN DIE WAND. It translates as ‘Against the wall.'”
Bruce says: “This film is and interesting look at cross-cultural issues involving the Turkish population in Germany. The director is himself Turkish, born in Hamburg; He well understands what it is like to have one’s feet in two different cultures. His choice of illustrating his point is a bit curious as his characters have nothing run-of-the-mill about them. Whether they are more victims of society or victims of their own behavior is not evident by the end of the film.
“Cadit (Birol Ünel), a Turkish man in his forties with Mick Jagger lips and the same world weary look, has lost is wife and his will to live. When he crashes his car head-on into a brick wall, he ends up in a suicide ward in a mental institution rather than six feet under which is more like what he had in mind. Another patient in the hospital is twenty year old Sibel (Catrin Striebeck), a repeat customer. She has made several attempts on her life because she is buckling under the pressure of her Turkish father who has an ‘old world’ mentality despite his marrying a German woman and living in Hamburg.
“Sibel starts off the conversation with Cahit with ‘Marry me.’ Several attempts later, Cahit agrees. Sibel’s family thinks that Cahit is a bit long in the tooth for Sibel, but he is Turkish which overrides everything else including the fact that his job is picking up empty bottles after hours at a local nightclub. Once the wedding is out of the way, Sibel takes off to score with as many guys as she can pick up. A time goes by Cahit and Sibel develop feelings for one another. When Nico, one of Sibel’s pick-ups begins to belittle her in public, Cahit defends her honor. A quick blow and Nico is silenced for good. Cahit ends up in prison.
“While Cahit serves his sentence, Sibel goes to Turkey to escape her life in Hamburg. Several years later Cahit follows Sibel to Turkey to continue their love affair which was cut short just as it has begun to blossom.
“Both actors deliver very strong performances. Cahit – such a pathetic, sad sack of a man – elicits sympathy despite his antisocial behavior. Carrying off such a conflicting role is no mean feat. Sibel, a lost little girl at first, transitions into full-blown womanhood believably. A former porn star, she appears a seasoned serious professional here.
“Many reviewers seem to find this film a love story in the romantic sense. While I don’t doubt that the two leads developed a deep bond over time, I do not sense the deep romance others have found. Sibel saved Cahit from self-destruction and through that he was able to regain his life. Sibel, on the other hand, acts selfishly no matter what her circumstances. Her consistency implies that love is a mere diversion not a driving force.
“The big message, of course, is the difficulty many immigrants (and second generation, as well) have in assimilating into another culture. They don’t seem to fit anywhere, doomed to a life of alienation and loneliness. Connecting with another human being under such circumstances is a moving experience. But is it really love? 3.5 cats”