Film Review: Bliss

This film has become one of my top 10 movies EVER! Released in 2007, Bliss (also known as Mutluluk) is a gripping Turkish film about legalism, mercy, and love with an underlying theme of grace. The film was adapted by Zülfü Livaneli's best seller novel. It takes place in a small Turkish village where a young girl named Meryem, played by Özgü Namal, (pictured above) is found by the side of a lake. She appears beaten and disheveled; a shepherd finds her and brings her back to the village.

Her father and step-mother put her in the barn. She is left in the barn and her step-mother gives her a plate of food and tells her to eat. Her father's cousin is the head of the village and discusses with her father how they will handle the scandal. They cannot ignore the fact that she has been "tainted" since she was raped but they believe it is her sin and their custom is to kill her. Her father's cousin's son who is Meryem's third cousin, Cemel, played by Murat Han (pictured below) is returning from war. He decides that he will order his son, Cemel, to tell Meryem  there's a suiter in Istanbul. When Cemel returns, he is then ordered by his father to kill her on the way to Istanbul. Until this point, Meryem hasn't had a tender moment but the night before traveling to Istanbul, her grandmother (pictured above) is allowed to see her. She is finally hugged, kissed, cleaned up, and loved the way she should have been initially.  Cemel is stricken with whether to obey his father or listen to a woman. He is also confused with the possibility that she may not have been raped. He takes her to Istanbul and what unfolds will cause your jaw to drop. It is unexpected and will cause at least one tear to fall.

The cinematography is incredible. There is more than enough to look at with regards to the Turkish scenery; blue waters, glorious landscapes, and unique camera angles. The music score is minimalistic and very effective. It primarily features a double bass and female voice but there are some orchestral sections as well. The simplicity of the music conveys an emptiness Meryem feels throughout the film. Directed by Abdullah Oğuz, 105 minutes long, in Turkish and subtitled in English, Bliss is a real gem. I'm so happy I found a good one! Let me know what you think! .-_-