Thou Gild'st the Even (2013) User Reviews (9)

A difficult fantasy that asks basic questions about life

[steven-leibson · 7/10 · 8 March 2014]

We just saw this movie at Cinequest 2014 in San Jose, California. It's a difficult movie and will be impenetrable for many. It seems to take place in a very Earth-like town but there are multiple moons in the sky and many residents have special powers. However, the residents all have Earth-like woes. The main character, Cemal, has a lot of woes. His mother and siblings died long ago in a fire. He lives with his dad and the two work in a barber shop. Cemal can see through and walk through walls but he spends most of his time in the movie wondering why he exists (and whether we exist at all) and what would have happened if we'd never existed.

As a result of Cemal living mostly in his own head, he has a series of misadventures over the period of a few weeks. The movie explains some but mostly it leaves you to fill in the gaps.

This movie is a visual poem on existence. The movie's title is a line in one of Shakespeare's sonnets, which starts:

"How can I then return in happy plight, That am debarred the benefit of rest? When day's oppression is not eas'd by night, But day by night and night by day oppress'd."

The sonnet plays a minor role in the movie, but those four lines from The Bard's poem explain the movie's nearly unexplainable plot.

This movie will be much easier to assimilate for people with a science fiction bent.

Brilliant Fantasy movie...!!!

[rameshmanjunath · 9/10 · 30 December 2013]

Watched the movie in BIFFES 2013 (bangalore international film festival). The sheer brilliance of this fantasy movie can be credited to director, cinematographer and music director. The black and white medium of this fantasy movie adds more to its glory. This movie is not everybody's cup of tea, I Saw people walking out in middle or abruptly during screening. Mreyte ya mreyte (caramel) by Racha Rizk is mesmerizing and adds significantly to the viewing pleasure. The synopsis is given, so i wont go in detail about the story. The climax scene is wonderfully crafted and the performance by almost all the actors are excellent. Some scenes may seem violent, thats the only thing hard to over come. Watch it if you get a chance and you love fantasy movies, where a world has two moons and two suns with superhero kind of characters, yet lead a very ordinary life.

One of the best Turkish movies I have seen since long time...

[osmanmustafa · 9/10 · 18 November 2013]

I must watch...a hidden jewel.

It may be hard to access since it has not been widely released but if you somehow see it in a local festival don't hesitate to buy a ticket. I feel lucky to be one of the minority who was able to watch it thanks to "Baska Sinema" in İstanbul.

I am a big fantasy science fiction fan. I was surprised to see that most of the characters in the movie have special powers but this not a superhero movie. The film is about ordinary people with superhuman powers who live in a small town and live their standard, boring lives. They are all extremely naive and even the most extraordinary incidents and behaviors are being easily accepted by the townspeople.

I think this is all I can say without giving any spoilers but I know that I left the theater with a smiling face and a broken hard at the same time.

If you want to watch an extraordinary and amusing film, don't miss it.

A small Aegean town in Turkey

[ejderyurdakul-55967 · 4 February 2016]

I felt i had to write this review because the movie was kinda misunderstood. So the real intention of this review is, bringing an important correction under the lights.

It is an extraordinary movie, filmed totally in black and white. I never thought i would be able to watch a black and white movie till the end but this movie was absolutely worth it. The disturbing reality mixed with the real texture of a small Aegean town. Ignorent people, shy female male interactions, romance, a great story which is partially given and you need to solve the other parts.

Let's make one point obvious; this movie has nothing to do with supernatural powers or super heroes. The protagonist is suffering schizophrenia. Some people are real, some people are not and some people are being seen different through his eyes.

Extraordinary Brilliant Movie

[yemo-134-860159 · 10/10 · 2 August 2013]

First of all I want to explain why Onur Unlu didn't screen this excellent movie in theater.

In our country the sector of cinema is organized by a particular group which have an exclusive possession in this sector. I can't remember the percentage accurately but he said that %30 (or 40) of the movie theaters belong to this group. Besides these theaters have a significant role in box office as they are all fully booked. ( Turkish members could know these theaters easily i.e. FORUM CINEMAS ).

I mean these cinemas determine the box office indeed and others not much important. That's way the terribly awful movies have great amount of box office. (just like Ozcan Deniz's Evim Sensin). And this group doesn't want to accept Onur Unlu's films to screen their movie theaters.

So Onur Unlu was aware of ( and I think he is still) the condition that he couldn't have had the opportunity to do good things without help of this group. And then he decided to not to screen his last film in theaters. In my opinion it is something humiliating to be at the same theater with terrible films one of which written above. Hence I've found Unlu's decision so correct.

There are lots of thing to talk about the movie. But it doesn't deserve any spoiler. I think there is not only one main idea in this movie.

You must really watch it.

Thanks and best regards to the director Onur Unlu and all who contributed to this.

A breathtaking masterpiece

[kursat_k80 · 10/10 · 6 July 2014]

In this Onur Unlu's masterpiece, painful truth and surrealism are combined to question meanings in entire life over the main character, Cemal.

Superheroes lives in this city without knowing what they can change. An old canister rotates and Cemal hypnotized, stand up from peaceful veranda of the barber shop and shave his own wrists. In front of "Çiçek Berber" - Flower barbershop- red flowers grows from his wrists. And the masterpiece starts.

Every single frame is an art in this breathtaking masterpiece. If you think cinema is not only for entertainment, you have to watch this movie.

Superpowers can't overcome existential problems

[halilerenuyar1 · 9/10 · 3 November 2023]

"There used to be a bird you shot, right? It's not there anymore, is it?" Cemal says. What would have happened if we had never existed? What would change? Does our existence in this world mean anything or should it? Philosophical questions abound in this movie. While watching Cemal, the audience feels as if they are being abstracted from their surroundings and constantly residing in the realm of thoughts as if they were Cemal himself. Superheroes have superpowers. But these superpowers don't create characters who live without worries or as if they've come to this world to have fun. Cemal has a concern, and this concern doesn't seem like it can be resolved with superpowers. These concerns are related to very basic things, the existence of life. This concern is about love and the delicate balance of love.

Cemal is a very contemplative and thoughtful character. His thoughtfulness is constantly reflected as worry to himself. He doubts small things, experiences his emotions. He is a person "created from worry." These worries push him towards inquiries that will develop him as a human while also causing him to engage in behaviors he does not want and will regret. He beats the woman he loves (Yasemin). Then he reads her poetry. Cemal is confused, his actions are contradictory. Just like all of us. Even if he could see inside the walls and pass through them, he would not be able to overcome the emotional wall with Yasemin, drowned in his worries and obsessions, which have taken over his entire life.

The cinematography of the film is important in understanding the characters' inner worlds. Cemal's scenes shot with a fixed camera show his eyes and what's behind them to the audience. The poetry scene on the balcony is a nod to Romeo and Juliet. Cemal, the guilty lover trying to win his wife's heart, reads poetry to her. Light shines on his face as if it is from Yasemin, her light giving meaning to his life, he can't do it without her, but his worries are also visible on his face. Cemal stands below the balcony, looking at Yasemin as if she were a goddess. A goddess he can never reach, a goddess who will "definitely" betray him or leave him.

Don't we all have a bit of Cemal in us, after all? Cemal "lives in the church in our ribs."

Absurd, surreal and curious

[8bithummingbird · 8/10 · 6 August 2021]

In a Marquezian town, while people are minding their daily business, extraordinary things happen to a man on a daily basis. Among daily struggles characters are filled with questions about life and death like many of us. When love and jealosy comes around, things get complicated and messy.

If you wanna have an evening "watching" some sonnes of Shakespeare in black&white while hearing the song Mreyte ya Mreyte in several scenes, here's your pick, don't miss!

A unique movie

[WillSmile · 10/10 · 20 May 2022]

This is a very special movie, truly not for everyone.

The director have an amazing imagination and surprises the viewer with countless visual effects.

The soundtrack plays an important role in building the final product.

A must see.