Hanna Schygulla transforms it into art.
Added 7/13/2009
On an online message board about this movie, I found a thread headed by the question, "Am I the only one who thinks this movie sucks?" I almost answered it before I finished watching the movie, but I decided to wait it out and see if it improved, and it did.
My problem wasn't with the slow, lyrical pace of the movie (I actually loved that), the numerous gut-wrenching near-misses, the section titles that gave away key plot points before they happened, or all the loose ends and questions left unanswered when the credits rolled. I like movies that don't follow the Hollywood blockbuster formula, and the farther they depart from the formula the better I usually like them. But I pretty much have to care about somebody in a movie to care about the movie, and I just didn't care about a single one of these characters until very near the end.
With very few exceptions, my enjoyment of any movie depends on how deeply I get involved with the characters in it, and I just wasn't getting involved with these. The old man and both young women were so shallow, selfish, and stupid that all I wanted was never to have to see any of them again, and that didn't change at all in the course of the movie. To me, they were just three obnoxious, uninteresting losers who never learned from their mistakes. (A selfish, mean-spirited old man crying does not fill me with sympathy. It reminds me too much of somebody I know.)
The young man and the prostitute were a little better than the other three, only because they weren't selfish and obnoxious; but they were nearly as shallow, not much realer to me as human beings than the others were. I didn't dislike them, but I didn't care much about them either.
So, around 20 minutes from the end, when the old man pulled his put-the-book-down-slowly-and-weep-into-the-camera shtick, I was ready to write on that message board, "You're right--this movie sucks!" But immediately after that, Hanna Schygulla (I'd forgotten she even existed) rose slowly and gracefully out of the muck and brought a flesh-and-blood human being to life in this movie at last.
Her radiant but deeply grounded performance almost made the whole movie worthwhile, made even some of the other characters seem not so bad after all. Once her character fully appeared, even her welcoming the still-obnoxious Ayten into her life didn't ruin it for me, nor did her prompting Nejat to run off pathetically after his self-pitying jerk of a father. Hanna Schygulla saved this movie from tedium and transformed it into something worth watching--all by herself.
For her performance, and for the beautifully poetic pace of this movie, I give it several more stars than I would have if I'd stopped watching it 20 minutes before the end.
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"Head-On" was Akin's masterpiece, but 'The Edge of Heaven' is another winner
Added 5/30/2009
The writer/director (and sometimes actor) Fatih Akin again mines the depths of the complex and intense interrelationship between the peoples of Germany and Turkey. Akin's previous film - Head-On [Gegen die Wand] - was a masterpiece. It won the European Film Award (2004) and swept the German Film awards for best film, actress, actor, direction and cinematography. It's easily one of the top five movies on my list. So, Akin set the bar very, very high for himself. 'Edge of Heaven' doesn't quite reach those heights, but is impressive and memorable nevertheless.
The film is constructed as a circular arc of near-misses, split-second tragedies and new beginnings as the characters move back and forth - sometimes legally, sometimes furtively - between Germany and Turkey. I was especially wowed by Akin's simple filming of two caskets: one being unloaded on a plane landing in Turkey just landed from Germany; and, subsequently, one being unloaded on a plane in Germany just landed from Turkey. In each case, the piece is wordless, but speaks volumes to the personal tragedy that has befallen one of the protagonists.
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A rare combination of quality
Added 4/20/2009
How many movies show Germany and Turkey and focus on the esoteric concerns depicted here? None. This is a very high quality production about parent-child relationships, political issues and what it's like to live in modern day Turkey. Beautiful camera work. Every scene is a painting. Unknown actors only enhance the authenticity of the intelligent script.
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Perfection in Camera Work
Added 3/24/2009
The most remarkable part of Edge of Heaven for this reviewer, is the camera work. It is the rare film in the past 30 years that includes absolute ROCK steady camera work. The film opens with one of the most beautiful tracking shots at a gas station that harkens back to Orsen Welles' perfection in camera movement in The Magnificent Ambersons and Citizen Kane.
The framing in every single shot is perfection. Lotte, in the chapter, Lotte Dies, is shown up close in a single shot talking on the phone with her mother. The framing is close to her, and gives no hint to where she is sitting. The conversation starts friendly and nicely with her mother. The camera begins to move back to reveal more and more of where Lotte is sitting. As this happens, her mother starts to say that Lotte is on her own. As she slams the phone down, the viewer realizes Lotte is sitting in a cramped phone booth, and ultimately looks imprisoned in her surroundings. The viewer knows she is going to die, it's clear that this moment is the turning point.
This film could serve as a semester course in film study. The richness and perfections of the framing, camera movement, story line, editing is incredible. Place this against a backdrop of politics, love, family, happenstance, and this is a formula for a classic masterpiece. Although this will never be an important film in cinema history, it is one for film students to understand and use.
The story is told in three acts, The Death of Yeter, The Death of Lotte, and The Edge of Heaven. Each is virtually a short story of it's own, almost stand as individual films. However, each is bound by, what at first, appear to be happenstance. The director has woven these subtle moments that make complete sense later in the film. Each story overlaps from a timeline viewpoint. The second act starts before the first act ends in strict linear time.
Much has been written about the political aspect of this film. Frankly that all seems to be a red herring to this reviewer. This is a film more like Lelouch's A Man and A Woman, where seemingly random events happen that drive the story toward it's logical conclusion. Politics is simply a pretext, or another of those random events.
A very well told story. Supported by incredibly cinematography. Editing that is spot on. Characters that are so believable that the viewer knows them well by the end of the film. Focus that is perfect in every single shot. A rare film today. Camera movement and production that means something.
This is not a film for everyone. It's an art film, it is not pure simple entertainment. It requires a certain level of thinking and careful watching to fully appreciate. For the person willing to pay attention and think, this is a hugely rewarding film.
This would be an R rated film if the MPAA rated it. There is absolutely no nudity, however the film opens with a very mature subject matter, prostitution and a man asking and receiving. The moment is probably the farthest in the world from being purile, no act is ever shown. This moment could not be changed, it is critical to the story. There is some violence, and a bit of strong language. Again, all perfectly constructed and with reason.
Edge of Heaven really harkens back to the art house film of the 70's and early 80's. But this is a modern perfectly done film. Anyone that is a student of film, or loves film for film sake will adore this film. It represents all that can be good in film.
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Excellent work!
Added 2/25/2009
We have been closely watching everything made by Fatih Akin in last a few years. This is one of his best. It is a very interesting story. Fatih Akin touches every taboo subject in Turkish culture and almost forces Turkish society to face with its controversial dealings. I recommend this film to anyone who wants to know more about Turkish/German cultural integrations and clashes.
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