In my constant endeavour to watch good foreign language films, I have taken the support of subtitles to understand them, and I find myself comfortably placed to keep pace with the plot while carrying out the dual tasks of watching the movie and also reading the subs. The list of such movies may not be huge but I am very glad that I have not missed watching them. One such movie happens to be a Turkish one, and I wouldn’t shy away from it, especially since it had high ratings on IMDB. Mucize (am unable to home on to how its pronounced, though one website lists it as Mu-ji-za), meaning Miracle, is based in a rural Turkish backdrop with all their problems and pleasures, rolled and presented in to one.
The film starts with the transfer of a school teacher in to a remote village, a settlement rather, disconnected from the rest of the world save for the blue transport. A bus which stops two mountains away from the village since the government didn’t make any road further. The problems do not end when he reaches the village, baggage in his hands. The village has no school and all the efforts to wake up the administration to this fact are futile, largely due to the instability in the government. The children of the village are forever destined to illiteracy as the teacher thinks he is not up to the task. We live under the will of God for eight months(when it snows) and at the mercy of the government for rest of the four months. These words from the village elder, sums up the harsh reality of their community life.
But things change. And they change in a big way when the teacher and the villagers take up the task of building the school themselves. The education starts.
But there are other issues too.
The village chiefs son Camilo has fled to the mountains a decade back, from the fear of being caught for a murder he committed back then. His son and his wife wait for him endlessly. Is it time for him to finally come back and make peace with his destiny?
The youngsters in the community get married one by one, to a bride chosen by the elders. The bride selection ritual is quite interesting and funny at times(Apologies to anyone who takes offense here. I just meant that the scenes are funny and not the actual ritual). The groom humbly accepts the bride chosen for him. But how will such a pair fare?
The eldest eligible bachelor is handicapped and not fit for marriage as thought by his father. But destiny had another course written and the most beautiful girl is married off to the handicapped man, on account of a promise made by the girls father to the grooms father. Life gets difficult for Mizgin(the wife) and Aziz(the handicapped husband) as the community thinks that they are not a fit couple. Will this couple overcome the taunts and prove their love for each other or will they break apart. That’s what remains to be seen.
Finally, will the teacher fulfil his duty here, or will he fall short?
The location and the scenery in the film is breathe taking. Just like the dream getaway village. The dresses are colorful and the traditions rich. The film has a soothing effect on oneself.
Initially it seems that the movie is centred on the school teacher, Mahir. It doesn’t take much time to realise that the film is centred on the village and the villagers their culture and traditions, their humility, their problems. The film is a kaleidoscope in to the life of the community and the individuals who make up the community.
My Rating : 4/5