For lovers of the diziler (series) that dominate Turkish television on most weeknights, YUNUS EMRE ASKIN SESI will seem exceptionally familiar. Structured as a series of short scenes involving conflicts between one, two or three characters, Kürsat Kizbaz's film tells the story of the Turkish medieval poet Yunus Emre (Devrim Evin) who is faced with the eternal conflict of whether to pursue the life of the mind or the life of the senses. Although in love with Balim (Nilay Cafer), he eventually understands that there are higher forces in the world that he must embrace - such as the love of God. As a poet, he has been blessed with the divine art of being able to communicate that love to wider audiences through the poetic form, and he must commit himself to his vocation at all times.
The film has a stunning beginning, in which a peaceful medieval village is attacked by marauding troops, forcing Yunus Emre to flee. The camera sweeps across the rolling Anatolian landscape, making us aware of the sheer insignificance of most human beings in the universal scheme of things. This impression is reinforced continually throughout the film, as Yunus is pictured alone on a salt-covered plain, walking in search of his particular spiritual grail. The process is not easy for him, but eventually he discovers it, even if he loses Balim in the process.
Despite these memorable shots, YUMUS EMRE ASKIN SESI could have been a little more dramatic in structure. At several moments the action tends to get too bogged down in dialog, as the characters spend too much time talking to one another. Perhaps director Kizbaz might have been better advised to use more visual metaphors rather than communicating everything in verbalized form.
