Fratricide
(2005)
Picture: C+ Sound: B- Extras: C- Film: C+
Yilmaz
Arslan’s Fratricide (2005) is an
ambitious attempt to tell a story of much violence and lost innocence where two
sets of brothers (one Kurd, one Turkish) land up fighting each other when
brother starts to threaten than kill brother.
Though the unknown cast is excellent, this is helmed well by Arslan and
his screenplay is smart in trying to get deep into the situation, it still goes
down the same road we have been down before in youth violence.
However,
I give him credit for focusing on the violence as such instead of it being
purely an ethic racist thing. Traces of
the Hip Hop “Gangsta” culture that glorifies this behavior transposed halfway
across the world combines with other sick power-play ideas from the area (anal
rape, eating and excrementing the guts/body of the killed) to the extent that
they have a mythic connotation to them.
Oddly, the Hip Hop factor is a new mythos mixed in.
Ultimately,
despite the accolades, it feels too familiar, though it is a formidable start
for Arslan. Worth a look for the
curious.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 is stylized and soft, though this is as much a
part of the shoot as the transfer, though Arslan and cinematographer Jean-Francois
Hensgens do not get carried away. The
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo has strong Pro Logic surrounds, suggesting the 5.1
version of this mix is likely even more impressive. The only extra is a trailer.
- Nicholas Sheffo
