Best Movies You've Never Heard Of : Edge of Heaven; one to savor.
Written: Oct 17 '09 (Updated Oct 17 '09)
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Product Rating:
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| Bang For The Buck |
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Pros: Superb Acting, compassionate story, visually stunning
Cons: none
The Bottom Line: On DVD since 2008, winner of some film festival awards this one will give you much to discussi, enjoy, remember.
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| ChrisJarmick's Full Review: The Edge of Heaven |
The Edge of Heaven (2007) is a multi-layered, complex, superbly acted, visually rich beautiful film from Germany made by Turkish-German director Fatih Akin. It is an astonishing film worth contemplating, discussing with your spouse, friends and acquaintances. It is one of the best films of the decade.
The structure of Edge of Heaven may seem a bit complex even though it never plays like that as we watch it. After a brief prologue and credits we are told by a title that a character is going to die. We will be introduced to several characters, and some suspense is created when we realize which character may die. Will that actually happen, we wonder? Do we trust that it will? How will it happen? We will meet a father and son, whose close relationship creates a path both must follow. And both Father and Son will search for a partner, a love that they believe will make their life better, less lonely.
Later, we are told by a title that another character will die.
Edge is divided into three parts, introducing two sets of characters whose lives will connect in a variety of ways. We will spend time in the German city of Bremen, Istanbul, Turkey and a smaller village in Turkey.
The story builds out from the seemingly coincidental meeting of the characters and increasing number of encounters and missed encounters that result. What we will eventually witness is how several of the characters receive grace.
In Bremen, Germany, an elderly, rascally Turkish man really enjoys the company of a Turkish prostitute, Yeter (Nursel Kose) and suddenly makes a rather surprising bargain with her. He will pay her what she is currently making as a prostitute if she will move in with him, and sleep exclusively with him. He does not specifically mention love, though he does care for her. As she thinks about this offer, two men accost her on a bus and warn her to change her ways because she is bringing shame to her people. There is a definite threat of violence to their warning. We discover that Yeter has a daughter, in Turkey, who is supposedly going to college; but the daughter doesn’t know that mom is a prostitute. The daughter believes that Yeter makes her living working in a shoe store. Recently, Yeter has lost contact with her daughter and is very concerned about this.
Meanwhile we learn about Ali's son Nejat (Baki Davrak), who lectures on German literature, at a University. He visits his father often. When he was a young boy, Ali became a single father, being both mother and father to his son. He has never re-married. Now Nejat is essentially the father to Ali—looking after his sometimes mischievous father. The introduction of Yeter into Ali’s life might change that and Nejat has several thoughts about Yeter.
Eventually, circumstances change Ali and Nejat’s life and Nejat will go to Istanbul, looking for Yeter's missing daughter Ayten (Nurgul Yesilcay).
We are introduced to Yeter’s missing daughter Ayten (Nurgul Yeislcay). She is a radical activist on the run who is changing her name. She decides to visit Germany and look for her mother even though she has almost no money. Ayten meets Lotte (Parycia Ziolkowska) a young student. They are attracted to each other and become lovers. Lotte realizes Ayten needs a place to stay and even though Lotte’s mother Susanne (well known Fassbinder actress Hanna Schygulla) does not approve, Ayten moves into the house with Lotte and Susanne and applies for political asylum. Several more turns and unexpected twists occur as we become completely involved in these characters lives.
The movie is in German, Turkish and English. The story may seem complicated and complex, but never does it overwhelm, confuse or seem far-fetched. We are watching the lives of interesting people we come to care about. The film is honest and despite multiple tragic occurrences it is much more optimistic and hopeful than you might expect, without ever feeling false or compromised.
The film was re-titled by a British distributor as The Edge of Heaven, which is not as fitting as the actual translation of its German Title Auf Der Anderen Seite, which is On the Other Side. On The Other Side could refer to Turks in Germany, or activist in Turkey being On the Other Side of a majority. It could also refer to death or about breaking though obstacles or pessimistic self-defeating attitudes—all of which are a part of this remarkable film.
Nejat (Baki Davrak), the second-generation Turk who is a University professor specializing in German Literature has attained what could be considered the ideal, something that could be made into an advertising campaign for cultural assimilation and how the system works at its best. A second generation Turk, who teaches German literature at the University. However, Nejat’s self assessment and purpose will be shattered with the circumstances that occur. He knows he has climbed a mountain and accomplished a lot, but he does not have true satisfaction in his life. He has given up the pursuit of love and creating his own family so that he can make his father proud.
His father, Ali, is a real character who refuses to act his age. After losing his wife and raising Nejat for many years it his time to find someone to keep him company, make him happy and he turns to the Turkish prostitute Yeter (Nursel Köse) offering her money to be his roommate and lover. She has recently been seen by some Muslim activists in the red light district who have threatened her because they believe she would be a disgrace to her race if she continues working as a prostitute. So the timing of Ali’s offer allowing her to stop working as a prostitute could not be at a better time. It also turns out that she has a grown daughter (who thinks she is selling shoes to make her living) who recently has gone missing. Perhaps, Yeter can spend more time trying to find her daughter as she takes care of Ali. When she sees what a good son Nejat is to his Dad (he does not live with his dad, but spends a lot of time with him), she figures she is hooking up with a good man. Unfortunately Ali is also an alcoholic with a temper and old world attitudes about women and his health rapidly deteriorates.
The relationship of Susannah, her daughter Lotte and Ayten is just as important to the film, and eventually to us in the audience as the lives of Nejat, Ali and Yeter.
Politics and a catch 22 involving government policies also figures into the plot. There’s a believable pessimistic even cynical message about the lack of compassion in government policy, but this message never interferes, or intrudes or interrupts our focus on these people and their lives. In fact the characters tested faith and hope becomes more poignant in the midst of the circumstances they find themselves in. The characters are what we care about, not any of the issues that have been touched upon in the film. I found myself gaining some insight and understanding into these characters lives that didn’t seem to have much connection to my own at first, but reveal many similar motivations, concerns and attitudes to my own.
This is the rare film that successfully translates the coincidences and seeming randomness of life into a film with characters you care about and unlike a television program the conflicts and various threads of the story are not all wrapped up by the time the movie ends. If an attempt was made to suddenly (and quickly) resolve most of the story threads and conflicts, the film would wind up betraying its authenticity. Instead, the film’s open ending is exactly what it should be, although some might be let down by it.
Edge of Heaven was a film I accidentally stumbled upon and it turns out to be one of the best films I’ve seen in the last several years. I will be recommending it to my friends and acquaintances wholeheartedly and suggest you rent or buy this beautiful film in the near future.
Recommended:
Yes
Movie Mood: Serious Movie
Viewing Method: Other
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ChrisJarmick
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Member: Chris Jarmick
Location: Seattle
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With or-w/o hat,writing quality reviews,encouraging-others-to-do likewise-since-the-'50's.
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