Mustang
Tags: violence

Plot synopsis:
The film starts with Lale, the youngest of the five sisters and the protagonist, bidding an emotional farewell at school to her female teacher, who is moving to Istanbul. The sisters decide to walk home instead of taking a van, to enjoy the sunny day. Along the way, they play in the water at the beach with their classmates. For one game, they sit on boys' shoulders and try to knock each other off. When they reach home, their grandmother scolds and hits them for their having this kind of bodily contact with boys and thus "pleasuring themselves" with them. Their uncle Erol is equally furious. From then on, the girls are forbidden from leaving the house, even for school.
The sisters feel stifled in their home as their grandmother tries to make them suitable for marriage. When in public they must now dress in drab, conservative clothing. Instead of attending school, they must stay home, where they are taught how to cook, clean and sew by their female relatives. Even so, the oldest sister, Sonay, sneaks out occasionally to meet her lover, and Lale looks for various ways to escape.
Lale, who loves football, is forbidden from attending Trabzonspor matches. She resolves to go to a match from which men have been banned due to hooliganism. A friend tells her that the girls in the village are going together on a bus. The sisters, who are happy for an opportunity to leave the house, sneak out of the house with Lale. When they miss the bus, they hitch a ride with a passing truck driver, Yasin, who helps them catch up to it. They’re ecstatic in the exuberant atmosphere of the all-female crowd cheering for their team. Back home, their aunt catches a glimpse of them at the match on TV, just as their uncle and other village men are about to tune in. To prevent the men from finding out, she cuts the house's, and then the whole village's, electricity.
When the girls return, their grandmother decides to start marrying the sisters off. They’re taken to town, ostensibly "to get lemonade", which is actually an opportunity to show them off to potential suitors. Soon enough, a suitor and his family arrive to meet them. Sonay vows to only marry her lover and refuses to meet the prospective suitor and his family. Selma is sent instead and becomes engaged. Sonay gets engaged a short while later to her lover. At the two sisters' joint wedding, Sonay is clearly happy while Selma is not. On the night of her wedding, Selma's in-laws come to view the bed sheets in a traditional ritual to establish that Selma was a virgin before her wedding night. Because there is no blood on the sheet, her in-laws take her to a physician to have her virginity tested.
Next in line for marriage is Ece. It’s revealed that her uncle is sexually abusing her at night. In Lale’s words, she starts acting “dangerously.” When the three remaining girls stop with their uncle near a bank, Ece allows a boy to have sexual contact with her in their car. She makes jokes at the lunch table, inciting loud laughs from her sisters, and is told to go to her room, where she shoots herself and dies. The surviving sisters and their family attend the funeral.
Now it is just the two youngest sisters, Nur and Lale, at home. Lale continues sneaking out. On one impulsive attempt to walk to Istanbul alone she is encountered by Yasin, the truck driver, who is kind to her. At Lale's request, he later teaches her how to drive. When she is caught on the way back into her house, the house is again reinforced to try to make it impossible for them to leave.
It becomes evident that the uncle starts abusing Nur as well and that their grandmother knows about it. She says that now it is time for her to be married off. Though she is young, she is found a suitor and engaged to be married. On the night of Nur's wedding, Lale convinces her to resist, and the girls bar themselves inside the house while the whole wedding party is outside, much to the embarrassment of their family. As the wedding party disperses, their uncle violently tries to get inside. Lale finds the phone hidden in a cupboard and plugs it in to call Yasin for help. The girls gather up money and a few supplies, grab the uncle's car keys, and sneak out of the house. They manage to escape in the car, crashing it close to their house. They hide and wait for Yasin, who picks them up and takes them to the local bus station. The girls take the bus to Istanbul, where they find their former teacher, who greets them warmly.

Review: Mustang at the same time offers a laugh and a tear; the viewer is offered the perspective of young ladies growing up, discovering their sexuality and being told that this is a bad thing.Of course some critics will argue that this movie might give viewers a wrong impression about Turkey.
Now that thats out of the way lets get into the review.The film tells the tale about five young free spirited sisters living in a conservative Turkish household, and the friction regarding the relationship between them and their uncle and grandmother.
One of the first things i noticed when i watched the film is that the family relations depicted in the film bear a striking resemblance to an old conservative Serbian family, which doesn't come as a big surprise since the Turks practically ruled our lands for five centuries, and that is one of the main reasons i would recommend this to anyone who was raised in a Balkan country which was occupied by the Turks, because i think they will find some interesting parallels.What bothered me the most about the film was the fact that certain characters weren't very developed, specifically the teacher, and the driver that frequently helps the younger sister, i simply wished that the script devoted more time to explaining their motivation.
Also the ending seamed very unexpected, and not in a good way, it simply wasn't foreshadowed enough for it to be satisfying.All in all i think this is a worthy contender for the academy award, and it made me very interested in the future career of Deniz Gamze Ergüven, the director of the film, she is a talented woman with a bright future regarding the world of cinema, i wish her the best of luck..
Turkish-French screenwriter and director Deniz Gamze Ergüven's feature film debut which she wrote with French screenwriter and director Alice Winocour, is inspired by her aspiration to depict what it is like to be a woman in Turkey.
It tells the story about an adolescent girl named Lale.Distinctly and subtly directed by Turkish-French filmmaker Deniz Gamze Ergüven, this quietly paced fictional tale which is narrated by the main character and interchangeably from multiple viewpoints, draws a pensively humane portrayal of sisters by circumstance, living with foster carers in a village in the Republic of Turkey, whom after being young girls which involves playing with boys at their school and causing a consequential situation, is introduced to housework, virginity tests and arranged marriages.
While notable for its distinctly atmospheric milieu depictions and cinematography by cinematographer David Chizallet and Ersin Gök, this character-driven and narrative-driven story about the towering will and the freedom of the child where a sweepingly generalizing comment is uttered about feminists not understanding and denouncing maternity which is as generalizing as saying that every mother denounces all single women or vice-versa or that every mother is or have to be an anti-feminist because she has chosen to become a parent and a she in agonizing reluctance has to say goodbye to her mother, depicts some studies of character and contains a great and timely score by composer Warren Ellis.This charmingly youthful, immediately engaging and conscientious realization which is set in Turkey in the 21st century and where a daughter joins four orphaned sisters named Nur, Ece, Sonay and Selma, clothing suits better than custom, sisterhood inspires and remains and motherly attachment surpasses, is impelled and reinforced by its cogent narrative structure, substantial character development, rhythmic continuity, natural humor, majestic scenes of Lale and Istanbul and the unconstrained acting performance by newcomer Güneş Nezihe Şensoy.
Writer/director Deniz Gamze Erguven admits to being inspired by Sophia Coppola's 1999 The Virgin Suicides (though this is not a remake), and by offering us a rare glimpse into the lives of five sisters in a rural community in Turkey, it's clear why the film has been so well received at film festivals – culminating in an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film.
But of course, country of origin is a minor ripple in this year's uproar over diversity at the Oscars.Not being any type of expert in Turkey culture or customs, I must accept that the insights provided by Ms. Erguven and her co-writer Alice Winocour are somewhat accurate, which makes the balance between the tradition of female oppression and the amazing spirit of the girls so relatable for many.
The shame brought to the family and the threat of the girls being "spoiled" highlights the extreme reactions from their grandmother (Nihal G Koldas) and Uncle Erol (Ayberk Pekcan).Lale (Gunes Sensoy) is the youngest of the sisters and in the end proves to be the toughest and most independent.
They find ways, small and large, to rebel  but it's soon enough clear that the mission is to marry the girls off before it's too late (there's that "spoiled" thing again).As Lale witnesses what her older sisters are subjected to, and how happiness or their own wishes play no role, she becomes more determined to avoid such destiny.
I think the director manages to show the virtual prison experienced by all sort of women in our society, through the case of those sisters.However, and despite the director's best intention, movie in general fails to deliver an authentic picture of everyday life and details in the country.
I don't agree, but it would be better if they had worked more on the everyday life and details of the countryside where the film occurs (like better local dialogue, better acquaintance of local customs).In short, I found Mustang a very important movie, but with its own problems.
2015 added to the word's long list of uses the French-Turkish drama "Mustang" (PG-13, 1:37), which became France's submission for the 88th Annual Academy Awards and was nominated for (and was a strong contender for) the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar.
Given its subject matter and quality, "Mustang" is a great name for a great film.The movie explores the relationships and lives of five adolescent sisters living in the seaside village of Inebolu in north-central Turkey.
You might even call them wild (in a strongly independent sense), they are kind of ownerless – as orphans living with their grandmother (Nihal Koldaş) and uncle (Ayberk Pekcan) – and they are quite prone to stray from the strict expectations of their strongly conservative society – as much as they can.When the girls are caught innocently frolicking in the sea with some of their (gasp) male classmates one day after school, their lives change suddenly and dramatically.
Telephones and computers are locked in a closet, bars are placed over the windows, clothing the girls chose for themselves are replaced by drab, formless dresses and daily life becomes an endless series of home economics classes in which female relatives come by to teach the girls how to be proper Turkish wives.Also coming by the house is a parade of single young men with whom grandma begins arranging marriages for the girls.
In spite of instances of abuse and the increasingly severe limitations on their personal freedom, the girls still fight to be themselves, spread their wings, meet boys on their own, keep supporting each other and enjoy each other's company as long as possible."Mustang" represents the best in foreign film.
Undeniably amongst the most powerful, provocative & pragmatic narratives to surface on the silver screen in recent years, Mustang is a beautifully balanced blend of skillful direction, sensible writing & terrific performances that takes a much-needed dig at patriarchy & conservatism and also works as a joyful celebration of sisterhood.Set in a small Turkish village, the story of Mustang follows five young orphaned sisters whose lives are changed completely when they are caught innocently playing with some boys on a beach, after which their conservative family bars them from going to school anymore and begins marrying them off one by one without their consent.Co-written & directed by Deniz Gamze Ergüven in what is actually her feature film debut, Mustang takes only a few minutes to establish the strong bond between the siblings before stepping into the realm of absurd social & cultural restraints that snatches away their freedom in the blink of an eye and every restriction imposed upon them turns out to be both nonsensical & unnerving.The screenplay is no slouch either for it packs in an engaging storyline that smoothly unfolds over the course of its runtime and is filled with meaty characters whose arcs are well-defined plus they exhibit surprising depths.
The scripted characters do have some flesh on them, thus providing a solid platform for the actors to built their performances upon but they further up the ante by delivering wonderfully layered & highly convincing inputs that makes all the relevant characters in the film stand out.The story is told from the perspective of Lale, the youngest of the five siblings, and it's through her eyes that we witness the injustice she & her sisters are subjected to yet what keeps them together is their common passion for freedom & constant pursuit of ways to bypass the restrictions imposed upon them by the elders.
On the other hand the girls in the movie act like city girls and suddenly came to live in a rural part of Turkey in a family which they knew nothing about their philosophy of life, the traditions.
Probably it is because, one of the writers (Alice Winocour) is not Turkish and Deniz Gamze Ergüven (director and writer) I guess didn't spend much time in Turkey especially in the rural areas, didn't listen real stories.
This film is a great example of how a movie can be ''off topic''The director thinks that Turkey is a catholic based country.
Unfolding against a backdrop of adolescent sexual repression, rebellion, and loss of innocence, Director Deniz Gamze Ergüven's magical first feature Mustang tackles the issue of gender inequality that women all over the world have to confront, the title symbolizing their strength and untamed spirit.Co-written by the director and Alice Winocour, the film is set in a rural Turkish village near the Black Sea, and takes place in a conservative patriarchal culture that discourages the expression of femininity other than in fulfilling traditional gender roles.
But behavior of people are highly unrealistic in this movie.1) No Turkish girl in that age can defy their elders like that 2) No young Turk calls an elder woman as ''Hanım'', it is mostly used by elites or in working places.
The film is set in the rural that tells a story of five young orphaned sisters who were raised by their stereotype grandmother and strict uncle.
It depicts how those girls grow up without the parental supervise which is more essential than under others care and challenges they face due to difference between modern lifestyle they want to adopt and old traditions they inherited.I know everybody comparing it with 'The Virgin Suicides' and so I thought the same because that's what everyone thinks who had watched these two films.
A scene in the hospital checking a girl's virginity after her honeymoon is disturbing.Writer/director Deniz Gamze Erguven and writer Alice Winocour have crafted a story for the ages about how women continue at the hands of patriarchs and the establishment to suffer the loss of freedoms we take for granted.
But any girl knows for sure that if you are beautiful and intelligent, any man in this world would love to marry you no matter what people say.There are so many Turkish films that is made with a feminist mindset: İki Genç Kız, Hükümet Kadın, Kadının Adı Yok, Bekle Dedim Gölgeye, Cazibe Hanımın Gündüz Düşleri, Şalvar Davası, Ölü Bir Deniz, Kupa Kızı are amongst the few I can think of.
Though nominated as a French film at the 2015 Academy Awards, "Mustang" tells the story of a group of young Turkish girls who are imprisoned in their own home after they're caught frolicking with a bunch of boys, and are taught how to become obedient little housewives until they can be married off in arranged marriages.A nightmare example of what happens when parents and guardians do horrible things to their charges for what they believe are the right reasons, "Mustang" starts by establishing a feeling of outrage in its audience at the way these young and free spirits are treated that slowly transforms into one of dread and horror that religious and disciplinary convictions can be taken to such damaging extremes.
Most infuriating of all is the jaw-dropping hypocrisy, all too typical in cultures where women are treated as property, of the patriarchal male who shoots off his mouth about modesty, propriety, godliness, you name it, all while raping each young girl as the one before her gets married off.But "Mustang" also suggests what these same cultures don't seem to get or at least pretend not to: that the natural flow of humanity is toward progress and freedom, and oppressed people more likely than not will eventually have their freedom, no matter how they might have to take it.
This lens assumes with a somewhat colonialist arrogance that if only Muslim girls could take a gender studies course, shave their heads and start self-harming themselves, like normal people do, everything would be alright for them.Yes, this makes the film easier for a liberal westerner to relate to, but only by misrepresenting the realities of the girls living in a very different culture, with a very different set of values and beliefs that are not portrayed here at all.Many others here have pointed out the pronounced similarity to The Virgin Suicides (and perhaps Picnic At Hanging Rock), and indeed it often feels much more an American teen movie version of the Islamic world than something coming out from that world itself.Other things seemed not to ring true, such as one of the sister's erratic and promiscuous behaviour and the sex abuse subtext thrown in at the 11th hour that doesn't make sense in terms of any of the characters' behaviours and is not fleshed out enough to warrant its inclusion.For all this, it's still a well-made film, and the emotional scenes feel powerful, if manipulative.
The irony of Mustang's title is that this beautifully filmed story is not about captivity but about the wild spirit that cannot be tamed.Set in a traditional Turkish village, five orphan sisters set home on the last day of school and stop to frolic innocently with some boys on a beach.
Full of heart, Deniz Gamze Ergüven's feature film debut is about five orphan girls who once are seen innocently playing with boys on a beach, Which outrages their strict conservative guardians who confine them while forced marriages are arranged.This is a terrific film that doesn't shy away from harsh realities, which like the film says their lives change in the blink of an eye because of a wholly innocent event.
It gives an insight to a different culture and in particular the way women are treated, the director clearly has a lot of influences from prison films to Iranian cinema.It is shot hand-held which gives the drama a sense of the chaotic and turmoil, that these girls no doubt feel inside.
first of all as a person living in turkey and knowing the culture of it very well, i liked the Mustang in many aspects.Although it is the first feature film of the director and does not represent our culture,traditions and daily life at all, i liked the rebellion against patriarchy.The director, in this context, is not successful in showing the features our social life.To begin with characters i gotta tell that they acted so perfectly even if they never been actress before.Especially the character of Lale impressed me through her open-minded wisdom, her braveness into new life.The other girls were a bit fade beside her.Even so they all were good enough to be applauded by spectators.Secondly the place that film was shot does not comply with the events and the characters.You can not see such events and behaviours in north of turkey.This mistake happened since the director doesn't know the culture of turkey very well and cant see the point of issue properly.Thirdly, showing girls innocent in all ways is contradiction to what this movie aims at.There is a huge difference to have a sexual relationship between married and single during teenage according to culture of my desperate country.As for me both of them wrong as hell.But showing the girls innocent when they r doing whatever they want is completely nonsense but ordinary for the director and for people who do not live in these land.Fourthly, what is the point of this film?
However, freedom-loving sisters find ways to improve under the pressure of their environment The main characters of the film are young Turkish women, aged 11 to 16 years.
When a neighbour complains about the girls' wild play with boys from their school the sisters are virtually imprisoned to protect their "honour." Their home is turned into "a marriage factory." Women come in to train them to be traditional wives.
A casual perusal of the majority of posts on IMDb by Turkish natives maintain that Ergüven's view of the way things are in Turkey as depicted in the film, is inaccurate and superficial.Mustang is set in İnebolu, in northern Turkey, near the Black Sea. The story concern five sisters who live with their uncle and grandmother in a provincial, conservative town.
The girls are to be married off one after the other, and that's what happens over the course of the film.The movie is supposed to be made by a Turkish woman from her personal experience, but it often seemed too fantastic to me.
I really wanted to like and love this movie when I begun to watch it but it doesn't touch the real problems of women of Turkey.