The Bandit (1996)

This is an extremely overrated movie. It had a very interesting theme to start with but failed to live upto the expectations. The acting and direction is pretty average and the storyline is way too unrealistic. The first 1 hour was exciting but the last 30 minutes or so was very disappointing to be honest. Overrall wasn't a pleasant experience.

Fmovies: Yavuz Turgut's "Eskiya," which came out almost a decade ago, is he perfect illustration of how unique Turkish cinema can be when it combines elements of Western crime genre films and Anatolian folk dramas, which have been the basis for Turkish films since Muhsin Ertugrul directed films some 75 years ago. The film has some major flaws, but these are mostly in terms of production. The script and its' direction are fairly crisp, and the acting by veteran comic Sener Sen, in a serious role here, and Ugur Yucel, who was also great in Ali Ozgenturk's "Balalayka," is quite exceptional. The film features a haunting score, deep symbolism (particularly in the final scenes) and timely social themes. I think the later is one of the reasons why it has not been popular with those who are more unfamiliar with Turkey, but it is this very element which makes the film more than just a routine gangster film. The film is also considerably more violent than most Turkish films, though many (particularly '70s films of the late Yilmaz Guney) made for brutal cinematic experiences. Another interesting aspect of this film is that it shows a crime family taking its' lifestyle from Anatolia into Istanbul, which reminded me of how Marlon Brando took up where he left off upon leaving Sicily for New York. "Eskiya/The Bandit" is not as exceptional as either "Yol" or "Uzak/Distant" but it is quite a moving film and I gather since it outgroosed "Titanic" in Turkey, it was quite the crowd-pleaser.The film was also made at a time when film production in Turkey was at an all-time low, but the industry has thankfully picked up considerably.

After 35 years in prison, a mountain bandit goes to Istanbul to find the man who betrayed him and stole his lady. Nothing much new here, dredging up a lot of the usual gangster/revenge/fish out of water motifs, but it does a decent job of pulling you in and manages a certain freshness despite the familiarity of the material. Some of the larger dramatic scenes are painfully clichéd, but it's pieced together nicely and has some pretty good character moments. I get the feeling Turgul is a more talented director than a writer. Sener Sem (who I just realized was also in that lousy "Rascals" movie I recently watched) is a likable fellow, and his rapport with Ugur Yucel works well. Overall it's a somewhat mediocre film, but quite watchable with flashes of potential.

The Bandit fmovies. Sener Sen was a well known actor before Eskiya but after this movie he is like Al Pacino for Turkish people.The movie is the best movie of all Turkish movies and I had seen it for nearly ten times and each time I discovered different things and I liked it more.The movie is about an eshkiya means a person lives in the mountains,takes money from rich people in order to survive someone lawless.After 35 years in prison he meets a man in the train and than their fates go in the same way.He will love him as if like his child so that he will even leave his darling for him.The movie is about love,revenge,mafia and drug deals.It is a real masterpiece and I recommend this to everyone

And, to tell the truth, HE still is. The filmmakers in Turkey are always claiming about reaching the thing, the unbelievable, the extreme thing that this movie made to the people. With no grand advertising, or big budget, that's just a miracle that movie has made. And to a miracle, points or comments do nothing but you wanted and I give:eternity out of 10 and just love, like the movie gives to you.

i can write just one comment about this movie. You must see that movie before you die. Magnificent movie from Turkey. "From the cinematography to the plot, to the fine acting, this film is a great example of the diversity of film-making outside Hollywood. A triumph from beginning to end, this film is pretty difficult to pigeonhole as it has so many elements to it. Is it a thriller, is it a reflection on one man's life, is it a buddy movie, is it a revenge movie? It's all this and more. It's got a great pace about it and the depiction of city and country is nicely juxtaposed in many of it's scenes. It's a while since I've seen this film, but there are so many scenes which have stayed with me. I love this film, but damn it's difficult to find." i am join in that.