My thoughts about movies and TV shows I've been watching

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Saturday, May 21, 2016

Disturbing Turkish film that indicts a chauvinist, repressive culture

Recent Turkish film Mustang, though a little heavy-handed and obvious, is an extremely powerful and disturbing indictment of the sexist, chauvinist, repression culture still prevalent and dominant in many world cultures, including, to a degree, our own in the U.S. Story involves a family with five girls, orphaned (we're never told why or how) and being raised by conservative, traditional though sometimes empathic grandmother and autocratic, domineering uncle. These adults, with the approval of all in their small community on the Mediterranean coast about 600 miles from Istanbul essentially hold the 5 sisters captive over the course of a summer - literally barring the doors and windows - as the women-folk prepare them to be "good wives" (they are all "schoolgirls," with the youngest looking to be about 12 or 13) - cooking, sewing, modest dress and demeanor - and arranging marriages for each, with no thought whatsoever about the girls' desires or aspirations - all of which leads to various outcomes, from compliance to resistance to rebellion to tragedy, differing for each daughter. It's horrifying to see the crude men of the community eating and drinking lavishly, completely served by the women, and making decisions that affect their lives and happiness for their own selfish reasons; there are hints that the uncle is an abuser - I wish they didn't include this element at all, totally not necessary, the story is not about abuse but about a whole cultural order, or disorder. The movie would be unbearable were it not for the charm and spirit of the girls, esp the youngest (Layla?), and somehow we know or think that they are living in a cultural backwater and a few at least will escape to a better life - but what about the thousands, millions who won't?

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