"Duvar" is certainly my favorite Yilmaz Güney film after "Umut" (Hope). The director mainly tries to describe the prison conditions in Turkey after coup d'état in 1980. Being very political himself, he draws a dark picture of a Turkish prison where most people are stuck because of their political activities.
Here we see men, women and children living in different sections; but we are confronted with the tragic story of children, while the adults have to watch them anxiously behind the windows. In their attempt to change to another prison for better conditions; the children try petition, escape and mutiny. In return, they are faced with continuous beating, harassment and even death. In their section, there is never good food, enough bread or water for bathing. In the film, the only likable person is the guardian "Áli Emmi" (Tuncel Kurtiz), who gets his prize by being humiliated and getting fired at the end.
Güney's dark film shifts between (many) bad and (some) good experiences in the prison context, which makes keeps the audience always interested. He uses some interesting techniques and many references to the political context of early 80's Turkey, which makes the film gripping, especially for the contemporaries.
Here we see men, women and children living in different sections; but we are confronted with the tragic story of children, while the adults have to watch them anxiously behind the windows. In their attempt to change to another prison for better conditions; the children try petition, escape and mutiny. In return, they are faced with continuous beating, harassment and even death. In their section, there is never good food, enough bread or water for bathing. In the film, the only likable person is the guardian "Áli Emmi" (Tuncel Kurtiz), who gets his prize by being humiliated and getting fired at the end.
Güney's dark film shifts between (many) bad and (some) good experiences in the prison context, which makes keeps the audience always interested. He uses some interesting techniques and many references to the political context of early 80's Turkey, which makes the film gripping, especially for the contemporaries.