Review of Once Upon a Time in Anatolia (2011) by Pj P — 04 Aug 2012

From dusk to dawn three vehicles journey through the bleak Anatolian landscape. They carry a prosecutor, a police chief, a doctor, gravediggers, militiamen, a murderer and his retarded brother, and these people are looking for a body. The murderer cannot remember exactly where the body is buried â" is it here? Yes, oh no, somewhere like this. The group break for refreshment in the middle of the night in a village where the mayor feeds them and asks for the influence in getting resources the village needs. The journey resumes as dawn approaches. They find the body which is then given an autopsy, splashing the doctor with juices to an accompanying narrative. The victim's wife waits in the corridor.

Throughout it we find out more and more about these people: the ill-health of the police chief's son, the vanity of the prosecutor, the compassion of the doctor. The humanity of everyone, and oh yes, the murderer and, conclusively, the victim carved on the slab. Humorous and horrific, Once Upon a Time in Anatolia is 2 hours and 37 minutes long. I was totally amazed when I found this out at the end (actually I usually know this in advance), it seemed nothing like this long. I saw it at a local cinema. It might be ok watching it in the home, but the wonderful landscape shots with the tiny vehicles scream out for the big screen.

Wonderful film making by Nuri Bilge Ceylan and one of the best things I've seen for quite a while. Watch it if you get the chance.