The story of a family living in a small godforsaken town in Turkey seen through the eyes of children and dealing with the growing complexity when one becomes an adult.The story of a family living in a small godforsaken town in Turkey seen through the eyes of children and dealing with the growing complexity when one becomes an adult.The story of a family living in a small godforsaken town in Turkey seen through the eyes of children and dealing with the growing complexity when one becomes an adult.
- Awards
- 8 wins & 10 nominations
- Saffet
- (as M. Emin Toprak)
- Dede
- (as M. Emin Ceylan)
- Father - Baba
- (as Sercihan Alioglu)
- Father - Baba
- (voice)
- (as Sercihan Alioglu)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe grandfather and grand-mom at the movie are Nuri Bilge Ceylan's (director) father and mother in real life.
- GoofsIsmail arrives at class and enters through a door where the floor is wet and and has small patches of snow. When another student goes to close the door, the floor is now dry.
- Quotes
Saffet: I want to tell you this. Yes. Maybe I am a failure. You are fed up with me being discontented. I think I've got no talent for anything. And I've got nothing to give other than my blood. My youth is being wasted like a useless cigarette end. I've got no home, no friends, no job. I wasted my best years stuck in this town. My manhood and my heart are melting away before my eyes.
- ConnectionsFollowed by Clouds of May (1999)
Despite occasional spots where the camera movement is not very smooth, certainly a problem of the budget, etc., the cinematography is fresh and beautiful, very artistic. In fact, the focus on the senses and how the characters see and feel everything is one of the great strengths of this film, such as when the children are picking fruit in a cemetery and the wind picks up, blowing through the forest, or when their older cousin is loafing around at a fair.
There is no real "plot" with nothing to address and nothing in particular happening, etc., but that is not important here. The film does a great job at achieving its apparent purpose of presenting a thoughtful, sensitive, beautiful, even poetic image of these kids' normal experiences during a finite period of time.
The acting on the whole is very good. This is particularly true at the meal/fireside of the family in the woods, where the people roast maize/corn and children doze off listening to grandparents, parents, and cousin tell stories, argue, etc., in a very realistic manner that grips the viewer despite the slow pace and lack of any real event.
One of the main problems with the film is that there are some gaps or missing elements in the screenplay/development. An example is the introduction of the older cousin into the film in the first part. We see him, but have no idea who he is. how he relates to the two children, what he is doing there, etc. In fact, at first it almost seems like he is reminiscing and that the scenes of childhood are his memories. Similarly, the scenes of him at the fair are visually interesting and beautiful, but their value is hindered by the fact that the viewer has no idea what the point of this portion is, what is going on, or who this guy is. I found that this hampered the beginning and made it slightly confusing, so one didn't understand the value of it.
Another slight problem is that some shots seem to last a little too long for no real reason. This overall makes sense throughout the movie, considering its slow, dreamlike pace and emphasis on senses. However, sometimes, as when the camera sits on the kids' father as he thinks in the house near the end, it lasts too long without any apparent point artistically, etc. This is not too common, though.
In the end, this is a slightly flawed, but creative, contemplative, and beautiful film. It is not, however, a film for those demanding a real "plot" or action, etc.
- Wulfstan10
- Mar 13, 2005
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- How long is The Small Town?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime1 hour 25 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.66 : 1