Ashes (Kül) Review Netflix Film: Complex And Engaging Film That Explores The Boundary Between Reality And Fiction
Cast: Funda Eryiğit, Alperen Duymaz, Mehmet Günsür
Director: Erdem Tepegöz
Streaming Platform: Netflix
Filmyhype.com Ratings: 3/5 (three stars)
Here we are on the review of the romantic thriller Ashes (Kül original title), a Turkish production, available on Netflix starting February 9th. Ashes (Kül) is a hybrid product and manages to be interesting thanks to its dual nature. On the one hand, there is melody pop imbued with sensuality and eroticism. On the other, thrilling with imperceptible horror undertones. As we will see in this review of Ashes, the film directed by Erdem Tepegöz, available on Netflix from February 9th, therefore, stands out slightly from the new wave of Turkish television productions, many of which crowd the small screens of our homes sometimes success unmotivated. However, this does not mean that it is an innovative, satisfying, or even accomplished work. This story of love and death leaves more than a few doubts as we will see in our review of Ashes (Kül).
But when you grow up, and the filter of the imagination does not slip to look at the naked and authentic reality, you risk falling into a vortex from which it is difficult to come back to the surface. Even more so what surrounds our life is not satisfying and is only a crystal castle that can break into a thousand pieces at the slightest breath of wind. What can save us? Knowing how to separate what is true from what is not. The epicenter of Ashes (Kül) starts right from here: the new Turkish film, which Netflix is now fond of, uses it as a narrative pretext to sew a story whose thriller shades form the backdrop to a romance genre with erotic tinges, with the intent to polarize an ever-increasing audience. Ashes (Kül) is directed by Erdem Tepegöz and stars Funda Eryiğit, Alperen Durmaz, and Mehmet Günsür.
Ashes Review Netflix Film: The Story Plot
Gökçe is a beautiful woman from Istanbul, wife of the rich publisher Kenan, mother of a little girl, and the proud owner of a fashion shop. Her life is the picture of perfection. If you expect just one detail. Her dull look hides more than sadness. What she experiences is real dissatisfaction. On the evening of the party for her tenth anniversary of marriage, however, something changes. The woman finds among her manuscripts intended for her husband a book destined to turn her life upside down. It’s called Ashes (Kül) and tells the story of an impossible love between R. and M., narrated from R.’s point of view. Gökçe lets herself be overwhelmed by those passionate pages and driven by an unidentified intuition, convinces herself that it’s all true. She thus decides to go to the places mentioned in the novel, to discover the man’s identity. She thus comes across a mysterious carpenter, Metin Ali, who unconsciously attracts her. After a brief acquaintance the two become lovers, but Gökçe has no idea that she has ended up in a gigantic nightmare.
There are many secrets that Metin Ali hides from his new beloved. Through the vivid and frenetic pages that narrate an intense love story between a woman and an enigmatic man named M., Gökçe makes a surprising discovery. The story resonates powerfully in her mind, reawakening her curiosity, her enthusiasm for life, and her desire for love, emotions that have long been dormant. As she delves into reading, Gökçe remains fascinated and tormented, finally deciding to investigate the real existence of that mysterious carpenter called M. She thus undertakes a journey to Istanbul, in search of the places described in the novel, trying to distinguish fiction from reality. During this internal and physical journey, Gökçe meets the carpenter Metin Ali, the supposed M of the novel. Soon, Gökçe finds herself overwhelmed by passionate instincts for the man, losing herself in a dark and compelling love story.
Ashes Review Netflix Film and Analysis
Who is M. and why does Gökçe find him irresistible? Why is that woman who would have everything to be happy willing to believe in fiction rather than live her real existence? The meaning of this Turkish film revolves around these two questions, created for the use and consumption of an audience that loves enigmatic stories. And above all, he likes to be led by hand into the depths of a plot with a trap. We can’t reveal the final twist of Ashes (Kül) to you, because we would take away much of your viewing pleasure. But we can certainly underline the fact that although well placed, it arrives very very late. So late as to lead directly to the closing of the film, with a truly hasty and insufficient explanation. An interesting element of Ashes (Kül) is the focus on a female character that refers to the classic heroines of the great 19th-century novels. The name that is repeated most often is that of Anna Karenina and Gökçe has more than one point of contact with Leo Tolstoy’s creature.
Both wealthy and happy in their marriages, they however cultivate a restlessness that they believe they can resolve in their relationship with another man. These are superficial similarities because in Ashes, as we will see in the next paragraph, Gökçe’s pain does not have that power that we find in the pages of the 1877 novel. On the contrary. There is the constant feeling that the film’s protagonist is at the mercy of an unknown entity that deprives her of any identity. Ashes (Kül) is supported by a mechanism of Chinese boxes in which the protagonist (a disoriented Funda Eryiğit) projects herself into another world to escape the flatness of a life without love. However, the play of references between her present and the story she reads about her, which slowly takes possession of her and turns out to be more disturbing than expected, is too didactic to be truly engaging. At more than one moment we seem to be faced with the story of a bored woman looking for easy emotions. This is not the case, obviously, but the fact that this aspect largely emerges does not help us to participate.
In short, Ashes (Kül) is sold as a romantic drama with strong erotic overtones, but there is more. This, however, was not handled intelligently, resulting in a somewhat insipid story. All in all, Erdem Tepegöz’s film is an enjoyable product, supported by highly refined (sometimes too sophisticated) direction. It’s a shame, however, that apart from a beautiful cast to look at and a sufficiently intelligent twist, there is little else. These introductory sentences, present at the beginning and resumed after the feature film, summarize the significant essence of “Ashes (Kül)“, a film that is divided into two distinct interpretative levels: one highly dramatic and one intrinsically symbolic. The film plays with the concept of “suspension of disbelief”, a mental disposition that leads the viewer to “temporarily” accept improbable or fantastic events or situations within a narrative. Thanks to this implicit agreement between the author/filmmaker and the audience, we can emotionally immerse ourselves and identify with the characters and situations narrated.
If we consider a novel or a film as something fictitious or distorted, our interest in the story would vanish. When we read or watch a film, we engage in accepting the existence of the characters, feeling empathy and emotional involvement. “Ashes (Kül)” is based precisely on this concept of suspension of disbelief, creating a layered narrative in which the boundaries between reality and fiction blur through three narrative lines. First of all, there is the plot of the novel “Kul”, which tells a passionate and tormented story of betrayal and passion. Secondly, there is the story of Gökçe, whose internal change arises from reading “Kul”, so much so that it radically influences her life in response to the story contained in the manuscript sent to her husband’s publishing house. Finally, a third narrative line emerges centered on the writer Taner Alpar, whose intervention at the end of the third act completely revolutionizes the plot, destabilizing the viewer with a twist that raises fundamental questions about the very nature of existence: are we certain we are real, or are we just characters born from someone else’s narrative?
“Ashes (Kül)” stands out for its multiple narrative levels, but undoubtedly the most engaging and central one for the entire dramatic structure is the story of Gökçe, who emerges as the absolute protagonist within the cinematic narrative. From the first sequences that portray her, played with mastery by Funda Eryiğit, especially in emblematic scenes such as that of the “Tower”, the profound inner sadness that afflicts her is evident. During the tenth wedding anniversary party, we see her immerse herself in alcohol in a frenzy, a sign that her seemingly idyllic relationship with Kenan hides more than meets the eye, revealing an appearance that will be broken and destroyed by the arrival of the “Kul” manuscript. The latter will irremediably change Gökçe’s psyche and behavior, leading her through a journey of both positive and negative internal transformation, thanks to reading the novel and meeting the mysterious and enigmatic Metin Ali, a character shrouded in an aura of mystery and ambiguity, whose dark character remains elusive throughout the story.
Gökçe’s story drags the viewer into a vortex of rebirth and feelings, amplified by the erotic tone of the novel’s climax when she reads about her, leading to a deeper understanding of her marital situation with Kenan. This awareness pushes her to reveal her truth to her husband in a crucial scene for the development of her character after Gökçe fails to show up for a business meeting. This moment marks a turning point in the narrative climax of the film, transforming the tone from a markedly romantic feeling to one more similar to an investigative thriller, with Kenan and other characters launching themselves into the search for the truth told in the novel, which culminates in a conclusion dark, especially regarding the character of “M”, who has a relationship with Gökçe. Furthermore, Kenan’s plot highlights the negative transformations that Gökçe is going through if he initially embarks on a path of personal growth, accepting his inner sadness, in the finale of the second act, although it cannot be defined exactly like this, given that it could even be considered the beginning of the second act by Kenan.
The spectator realizes that the woman is now confused, afflicted by fictophyllia, a syndrome that leads her to confuse reality and fiction, to the point of losing herself within the world of the novel, believing that she has become the protagonist of the story, as demonstrated by some key moments of the scene set on the Tower, where Gökçe believes she has already visited the place when in reality she has only known it through the book. The theme of fictofillia reflects the thematic core of the film, which questions the boundary between reality and fiction, building a narrative that mixes dramatic, romantic, and investigative elements, first concentrated on Gökçe and subsequently on Kenan. From a technical point of view, the film does not stand out for any particular virtuosity, nor does it have obvious defects. The direction is characterized by its discretion, managing to skillfully narrate the story and effectively outline the characters, who are developed in a simple but incisive way.
The set design and photography are also well done, with skillful use of vivid and saturated colors, particularly in the costumes of the protagonist Gökçe, which range from bright red to intense blue, in tune with the chromatic atmosphere of the film. However, the secondary characters are little explored, and the character of Taner Alpar would have benefited from greater presence and development throughout the film, appearing more rarely than would have been desirable, with only two appearances, one at the beginning and one at the end of the story.
Ashes Review Netflix Film: The Last Words
“Ashes (Kül)” presents itself as a complex and engaging film that explores the boundary between reality and fiction through a plot full of nuances and well-defined characters. Despite some weaknesses, the strength of the narrative and performances manages to capture the viewer’s attention and leave a lasting impression. The film moves on different narrative levels, including the story of the novel “Kul”, Gökçe’s transformation, and Kenan’s search for the truth. This complexity adds depth to the plot and keeps the viewer engaged across various film genres.
Ashes (Kül) Review Netflix Film: Complex And Engaging Film That Explores The Boundary Between Reality And Fiction - Filmyhype
Director: Erdem Tepegöz
Date Created: 2024-02-09 18:59
3
Pros
- The film moves on different narrative levels, including the story of the novel "Kul", Gökçe's transformation and Kenan's search for the truth. This complexity adds depth to the plot and keeps the viewer engaged across various film genres.
- Funda Eryiğit gives a convincing performance as Gökçe, conveying the character's inner sadness and descent into fictophyllia in a believable and touching way.
- The film addresses complex issues such as the perception of reality, identity and the power of narrative, inviting the viewer to reflect on the boundary between what is real and what is imagined.
Cons
- The supporting characters, including Taner Alpar, could have been developed more thoroughly to add more dimensions to the story and interpersonal relationships.
- While the film addresses the theme of fictophyllia and the suspension of disbelief, it may lack a greater exploration of the distinction between fact and fiction and its impacts on the human psyche.
- While adequate, the cinematography and production design may be standard and lack distinctive elements that add visual depth to the story.
