IMDb user comments for
Gegen die Wand (2004)

advertisement

Filter:

Best Chronological Prolific Authors Loved It Hated It Hide Spoilers:

Page 1 of 7:

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

Index

63 comments in total

---

93 out of 105 people found the following comment useful :-
Splashy chronicle of a generation in revolt against tradition (worth watching), 24 January 2005
Author: Chris Knipp from Berkeley, California

Head On (Gegen die Wand), winner of the top prize "Golden Bear" at the 2004 Berlin Festival, is occasionally interrupted by a panoramic shot of a singer performing in front of a small Turkish orchestra on the banks of the Bosphorus across from Istanbul. It's a simple, at first incomprehensible, little device that provides punctuation and clarity amid the chaos and melodrama that otherwise dominate this story of a Turkish man in his forties and a twenty-year-old Turkish woman who meet in a psychiatric facility in Germany when both have attempted suicide -- he by crashing his car into a wall ("head on"), she by slitting her wrists. Cahit Tomruk (the sublimely attitudinizing Birol Ünel) is a purposeless rock 'n' roll loving boozer with a dead-end job collecting bottles at a club, and Sibel Güner (the wiry, intense Sibel Kikulli) is a young woman with conservative Turkish parents who wants to escape family pressures.

Both are total drama queens and both are German-born Turks. Cahit is more assimilated; his Turkish isn't even good. Sibel figures if he'll agree to marry her that'll get her away from her family. This is the irony of their situation: she must capitulate to the conventions of their culture in order to gain some freedom from it, and he must capitulate to society in order to get some sense of purpose. So they do get married -- he somehow passes muster with the stuffy family, baulking all the way -- and they eventually even fall in love. Her joie de vivre is exactly what he needs, and she's essentially just as wild in her way as he is in his -- but his nihilism and violence continue unabated and so does her promiscuity, and his brutal attack on one of her one night stands leads to jail and scandal, which in turn forces her to go to Istanbul. While he's incarcerated she writes him sustaining letters from Turkey -- their relationship, like the staid orchestra on the Bosphorus, is a stable element amid the surrounding chaos -- and after jail he goes to Turkey to find her.

To say this turbulent, brightly colored, lurid story is a "realistic picture of Turks in Germany" would be a total distortion of the truth. But somehow the situation of Cahit and Sibel reflects the unstable moods this half assimilated, half alien population experiences, and however melodramatic and unresolved the saga is, the two main characters are very well realized. The actors are strong, especially Birol Ünel, whose charismatic brooding and ravaged good looks make him irresistibly watchable. Both feel real to us -- he sardonic and gloomy, she dangerously spirited and full of life-- despite her dramatic suicide attempts, of which there's more than one. The story, as much as the images through which it's told, is both dark and vibrant.

We need the Brechtian, Greek-chorus device of those orchestral interludes on the Bosphorus, though: without an occasional break the drama and darkness would be too much. We also need to go with the flow of this movie, and not expect it to be more polished or more organized, or even better looking, than it is. It looks unlike most films we're seeing now, but that doesn't mean the cinematographer hasn't done the best possible job. What it has is life, tumultuous with incident, strong personalities, and a milieu we've not seen before. There's also a loud, authentic-feeling rock-pop soundtrack and a cunning contrast between Cahit's punk-rock sensibility and Sibel's love of good grooming and dance. Arguably the movie is too long, but that length gives it the feel of a saga, which it must have, because that's what it is, the confused, tawdry epic of a generation. Like all first films by a whole subculture, it has a lot to talk about. When Sibel and Cahit discover they still love each other, after everything, it's the Turkish Germans discovering that they have self-worth. The last scenes are open-ended: this generation's future is anybody's guess.

Seen in Paris 17 September 2004. Opening in the US in January 2005. First German film to win a Golden Bear in Berlin in eighteen years.

---

67 out of 85 people found the following comment useful :-
among the best movies I've ever seen, 25 August 2004
Author: Itýr Sezik (citir84) from Istanbul, Turkey

I haven't watched such a great movie for a long time and it is really great to see that this is a Turkish movie. After Nuri Bilge Ceylan's success with Uzak in Cannes Film Festival, Fatih Akin made a very successful move in contributing to Turkish cinema. First of all, the movie explains the life of the Turkish immigrants in Germany in a perfect way. We see how they cannot be neither German nor Turkish anymore. They are stuck in between and they act as punks. For instance, it is really true that most of the young Turkish people in Germany cannot speak Turkish, like Cahit. We also see the ridiculous pressure of Sibel's family: For instance, while her married brother threatens&beats her whenever she has a boyfriend, he and his friends can comfortably speak about how they sleep with prostitutes! Also the cast is very good, especially Sibel Kekilli and Birol Unel. I loved the scene where we can see the smile in Sibel's eyes in the amusement park: she is so much in love... In addition, there are so many things to say about the movie.. The story is a very striking one itself. The hopelessness of the characters in a world without love and moral values are explained so well-without making it dramatic. Also, Sibel's life in Istanbul, her cousin's life-like many of us: still single and waiting to be promoted!- are also judgements beside the main genre. The music is also very nice, with Depeche Mode and also traditional Turkish music. Faith Akin has really made a good job.. The script is excellent and the scenes are all pieces of artwork. I wish the best for him and all the cast and I hope to see movies perfect like this in the future too...

---

52 out of 64 people found the following comment useful :-
I was riding in that car with Cahit, 14 March 2005

Author: genghis_khan from Izmir, Turkey

This is one of the best love films ever made. Actually I'd call it 'the best' but some would accuse me of exaggerating but trust me it is much better than artificial and unrealistic examples of Spanish, French and Italian romance cinema. This film has a heart inside that pumps blood to ever sequence of it. I think Faith Akin did a great job keeping this film 'organic' and 'earthly'.

There is despair, hope, love then despair and hope once again. I could easily relate to the characters. Speaking of characters, Birol Ünel is the most charismatic actor I've seen lately, he dominates the screen along with Sibel Kekilli. Sibel Kekilli is an angel, pure acting, it is unfortunate what she had to go through in real life but she is stronger than most people and she had to prove it many times. In supporting roles there is Güven Kirac, who is one of my favorite actors in Turkish cinema and Meltem Cumbul who provides good acting.

By the way despite of all the tragedy there is also ethnic humor in this film which goes hand-in-hand with the story. Especially the scenes with Birol Ünel and Guven Kirac are quite amusing, especially if you know Turkish.

Anyway, all I have to say is "I feel you, your sun it shines, I feel you within my mind, You take me there, You take me where the kingdom comes, You take me to and lead me through Babylon" ... I was riding in that car with Cahit.

Tebrikler Faith Akin, WE WANT MORE OF THESE!

---

31 out of 35 people found the following comment useful :-
Bitter, Sad, Heavy, Unpleasant – But Also Original and Realistic Non-Hollywoodian Love Story, 17 January 2006

Author: Claudio Carvalho from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

In St. Pauli, Hamburg, the alcoholic, drugged and hopeless German with Turkish roots Cahit Tomruk (Birol Ünen) lives like a pig in a small dirty apartment and survives collecting empty bottles in the night-club "Der Fabrik". One night, he gives up living, and hits his car against a wall. However, he survives the crash and is sent to a clinic, where he meets Sibel Güner (Sibel Kekilli), a younger German Turk, with suicidal tendencies. Sibel is the younger daughter of a conservative Turkish family, and proposes a fake marriage to Cahit, in order to permit her to leave her family; in return, she would share the rent of the flat, and she would cook and clean the place, and they could have independent lives. Cahit accepts, but while living with Sibel, he falls in love for her, until a tragedy happens.

I saw "Gegen die Wand" yesterday and I am still very impressive with this powerful German movie. It is bitter, sad, heavy, unpleasant – but also an original and very realistic non-Hollywoodian love story. The location in St. Pauli, close to the famous Reeperban Street, could not be more perfect as the environment for such depressive story of losers. The precise direction of Faith Akin (obs: IMDb dictionary does not allow to write correctly the name of the director) is stunning, and the performance of Birol Ünen and Sibel Kekilli are outstanding and deserved nominations to the Oscar. When the character Sibel reaches the bottom of the well in Istanbul, Sibel Kekilli shines with a mesmerizing performance. Unfortunately we will never see Hollywood shooting this type of story, which is recommended for very special audiences. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Contra a Parede" ("Against the Wall")

---

30 out of 34 people found the following comment useful :-
A Human Story Crashing the Walls ; Truly Amazing ,, 15 March 2004

Author: serdar from Ýstanbul , Turkey

Turkey premier of the movie has been held here just a few days ago but even before that all the attention was taken on the pornographic past of the lead actress neither on the golden bear nor on the success it has gained internationally (Which I hated the way media approached) ... I have seen it recently and should say its a must see movie. A classic story of the 3rd generation of Turks in Germany outlined very well around a love story. Lead actor Birol and Sibel Kekilli have done a good job . The basic story takes you in and makes you feel all the sadness, craziness, happiness, joy and deep depressions of the characters. The bitterness of the reality spread all over the movie and kind of depressing. The story is also politically and socially a very good point expressing maybe thousands of peoples true lives stucked between two cultures. I would love to watch it once again. This was Sibel's first movie and I believe she will be a very good actress and wishing her luck;

I admire her posture towards all the criticism so much .

---

35 out of 44 people found the following comment useful :-
A Thrilling Roller Coaster Ride of Love and Loss, 16 February 2005

Author: noralee from Queens, NY

"Head On (Gegen die Wand)" is a completely original love story and shames conventional Hollywood romantic comedies with its fresh take on love and loss as rich as Rhett and Scarlett.

The closest I can think of a dysfunctional couple meeting so oddly cute and playing out an unusual relationship is in Christopher Fry's "The Lady's Not for Burning" which shares self-destructive lovers. The German literal title of "Against the Wall" is more resonant of how they feel, but the American distributors probably thought that had too much political implication.

The completely self-involved he and she here are innately off-kilter because writer/director Faith Akin sets them within a diverse Turkish immigrant community of Germany, so that their personalities are circumscribed by cultural expectations and restrictions, she chafing against binds on women and he lost in the nihilistic punk rock underground.

The rocky journey of how they find their own individuality within their sexual and emotional needs and ethnic identity and what each means to the other is an unpredictable thrill ride as each unexpected action leads to tears, laughter, poignancy and regret of bad timing. This is a baldly brash and frank exploration of the meaning of love and marriage, as individuals and within a web of family, friends and culture.

Craggy-faced Birol Ünel is riveting as the older, burned-out case whose past we only glimpse. Sibel Kekilli at first seems like just another pretty young thing, but brings spunk and sympathy on her maturing roller coaster ride. Evidently, deleted scenes that are available on the European DVD help to expand on the hints as to what her closing motivations are.

Dependant on the English subtitles, I'm sure I lost some significances as I wasn't sure when characters were speaking Turkish or German, let alone able to discern their fluency in either, with the added fillip of recognition of globalization with a sudden concluding discussion in Istanbul in English of their future.

The chapter introductions by an ethnic band playing a traditional sad love song adds to the timeliness of the tale that is reminiscent of old folk ballads of tragic love stories. In between, the punk rock and contemporary world fusion selections are terrific, including the moving closing song.

---

30 out of 39 people found the following comment useful :-
One of the most SINCERE movies I ever seen., 14 March 2004

Author: (hinc@hotmail.com) from Istanbul, Turkey

As I mentioned in the subject if you ask me to describe this movie only in one word, this word would be SINCERITY, or may be HONESTY.

Turkish people as a conservative society mostly do not get used to approaches towards Turkish culture in this movie by Fatih Akin. He successfully describes the boundaries formed around Sibel originated by her culture in an opposite-culture dominated country Germany. Fatih Akin has a free approach towards the life of Sibel surrounded by the WALLs built by her Turkish origin.

I believe the reason of the free & brave approach in Fatih Akin lies in his free social and cinematographical development as a later generation Turk at Germany. In Turkey, we have no chance to get that approach he has, from our local directors because of legal, social and market dominated factors in local Turkish cinema.

Besides movie tells a love story happened in an environment between, behind, among and surrounded by the WALLs. Sibel marries with an alienated looser man Cahit to break down the WALLs. But she forgot to plan about love. Love damages both of their lives in an unfortunate realistic way.

As a result, Gegen die Wand - Head-on - Duvara Karþý is a must see SINCERE movie by a Turkish director from German cinema.

---

28 out of 38 people found the following comment useful :-
Finally a good European movie, 30 December 2005

Author: Zamolxe from Bucharest, Romania

I expected a typical immigrant drama from this one, but fortunately, the movie proved out to be a lot more than that. Gegen die Wand is the story of a man who loses faith in everything (love, God, nationality, and ultimately life itself), only to regain it in unusual circumstances. If that sounds cheesy, well, it is anything but.

The movie always feels real, never descending into patheticism, and the 2 lead actors portray attractive, interesting characters that totally transcend immigrant archetypes.

Faith Akin was worthy of the best European movie award he got here, as the film succeeds on all levels: immigrant drama, love story, and meditation on different ethical principles.

---

37 out of 56 people found the following comment useful :-
Very unique, profound, and touching, 13 September 2004

Author: Exiled_Archangel from Istanbul, Turkey

Gegen Die Wand is a major success of Turkish cinema, or rather Turkish and German cinema together. Yet another masterpiece created by Turkish-German synergy after the outstanding Lola + Bilidikid. Of course that one is more "subculture specific", but in the end the two deal with the lives of German Turks who are both German and Turkish, or more like neither German nor Turkish. So it seems like Turks and Germans can create great things together when they give up the Gastarbeiter vs. local attitude ;-)

Faith Akýn must be congratulated for his cast selection! Nobody could play Sibel better than Sibel Kekilli. Apparently, she doesn't only act, she adds something from her actual life. One way or another, she deserves an Oscar with her performance! The others are nowhere behind her, especially Birol Ünel makes you feel for his character. The "German Turks subculture" depiction is brutally realistic too. I don't think anyone shall have a single bad thing to say about this movie, that would be plainly ridiculous.

A love story, a profound depiction of social issues regarding the "German Turks", a virtual cultural journey. Everything, and everything good, exists in this flick! Thanks to Faith Akýn and the entire crew for bringing such a delight to life!

9/10

---

16 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :-
just brilliant, 26 February 2005

Author: ohohseven from London, United Kingdom

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

I saw this movie last Saturday and have been thinking about it a lot over the last few days. It is truly a brilliant film. I loved the raw power and violent emotions that the characters experience and which hit the viewer like a ton of bricks.

the two leads who play Cahit and Sibel are just amazing, Birol Unel especially manages to convey the despair, self loathing and loneliness of his character with a physicality that's just striking. it is to his credit that we, the viewers, can never despise him despite his violent and frequently obnoxious behaviour. In the beginning of the movie, Cahit is a wreck and although it would be simplistic to say that love "saves" him, it is certain that the collision of his life with Sibel's is cataclysmic.

the movie's real power lies with the fact that the characters are truly multidimensional and complex, they experience conflicting emotions and desires and ultimately it is their incapacity to understand what is happening to them which leads to their downfall. They are so used to suffering and struggling and to using people and being used that when suddenly they fall in love, they can't even recognise what is happening to them until it is too late.

I don't think you need to be Turkish, or an immigrant, to feel deep empathy with Sibel and Cahit. Their story is not just the story of two people "lost in translation" and suspended between different cultures. they are just a man and a woman who don't really know who they are or what they want and are looking for a slice of happiness in all the wrong places, until they happen to stumble upon each other. And even then, their love cannot save them from falling back through the cracks.

In summary, a magnificent achievement and a truly brilliant film. I look forward to seeing more from Faith Akin, Birol Unel, and Sibel Kekilli.

---

---

Page 1 of 7:

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

Add another comment

---

Related Links

Plot summary	Plot synopsis	Ratings
Awards	External reviews	Official site
Plot keywords	Main details	Your user comments
Your vote history