Hot Picks
|
|
|
Tarkan
Turkey 1969
produced by Nahit Ataman for Arzu Film, Acar Film
directed by Tunç Basaran
starring Kartal Tibet, Zuhal Aktan, Lale Belkis, Oktar Durukan, Ahmet Danyal Topatan, Mehmet Ali Akpinar, Mümtaz Ener, Moris, Birsen Ayda, Aynur Aydan, Nil Basak, Sevgi Can, Behçet Nacar, Kayhan Yildizoglu, Deniz Gürsoy, Yusuf Sezer, Mustafa Yildiz, Hüseyin Kutman, Zeki Alpan, Ihsan Yüce
written by Sezgin Burak, based on his comicbook, music by Tuncer Aydinoglu
Tarkan, Attila the Hun
review by Mike Haberfelner
|
It's the time of Attila the Hun's (Oktar Durukan) campaigns against the
Eastern Roman Empire and expansion of his own Empire. Of course, both the
Romans under Emperor Valentinian III (Kayhan Yildizoglu) and the Vandals
under Genseriko (Mümtaz Ener) fear the brave Huns, but they have heard of
the legendary sword of the war god Mars that makes its bearer ruler of the
world, and of course want to get their hands on it. But of course, Attila
has learned of the sword as well, so he sends Tarkan (Kartal Tibet), a
lone drifter but patriot and expert fighter, and Tarkan's dog Kurt, to
track it down. Tarkan soon runs into a former Roman gladiator who's also
after the sword, and at times they team up, at times the are rivals, at
one time Tarkan's captured by the Romans, then by the Vandals - where he
escapes by sleeping with Genseriko's daughter (Lale Belkis) - and
eventually he ends up in a castle under siege by the Vandals who have
taken his fiancée hostage and use her as human shield ... but of course
he always knows a way out, and eventually finds the sword, and manages to
kill Genseriko and his craziest henchman retrieving it, and he ultimately
delivers it to Attila - but chooses to remain a drifter rather than become
the Emperor's subject ... Tarkan is, objectively
speaking, not a good movie: Its plot is overly simplistic and
unnecessarily convoluted at the same time, and seems more like a vehicle
for its action scenes rather than betting on narrative stringency. And
let's face it, the action scenes aren't really that good, the stunting is
a bit too obviously done in a way so nobody gets hurt, while the weapons
and armour used are a bit too obviously fake to give the fight scenes any
sense of real danger. But that's not to say one can't get some enjoyment
out of the film still: Basically, the film just seems to take great
pleasure in spinning its rather naive yarn, the direction is actually
rather slick, at least partly glossing over the shortcomings mentioned
above, and the use of mostly bright and primary colours throughout make
this look comicbook-like in a good way (and after all, this movie's based
on a comicbook), while the film's very sketchy and primal
characterizations only add to its naive charm. Sure, any serious cineaste
will probably choose not to touch this with a stick, but those who can
enjoy exotic pulp cinema should really try to track it down ...
|
|
|