Samet is stuck in a rut. Consigned to a teaching job at a rural middle school in the Turkish hinterlands, he begrudgingly goes through the motions each day while he dreams about getting reassigned anywhere better. Writer/director Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s latest film sets up a relatable tale of workplace boredom before transforming into something else entirely…twice.
Buy About Dry Grasses Blu-rayIt’s initially difficult to discern any forward plot momentum, as we follow Samet (Deniz Celiloglu) through his cynical conversations with fellow teachers, observe his listless classroom performance, and see his spartan living arrangement with his closest friend and co-worker, Kenan (Musab Ekici). Slowly, hints of an inappropriate relationship with a girl student begin to emerge, threatening his and Kenan’s careers when the girl and one of her friends report them to the principal.
The assumption is firmly conveyed that we’ll be following the downward spiral of a man caught up in an accusation that may not be entirely without merit. Ceylan lets the scenario play out to increasingly uncomfortable ends, especially when Samet ferrets out the identity of his accuser and delivers direct retribution to the girl during class time. And yet, just as we seem to have passed a tipping point, Ceylan reveals his ace in the form of female teacher Nuray (Merve Dizdar, Best Actress winner at Cannes), an object of suitable adult affection for both Samet and Kenan.
The character of Samet is difficult to admire but impossible to ignore, and Celiloglu plays him with suitable detachment and narcissism. Here’s a guy who thinks he’s too good for his environment, and yet is so underhanded that he tells his friend Kenan to go for Nuray before later deciding he wants her for himself. He also enjoys flirting with his student and clearly harbors inappropriate thoughts about her, but is all too eager to employ any devious means to escape blame that comes his way.
The film hinges on an impassioned dialogue between Samet and Nuray where she attempts to peel back the layers of his conflicted character, laying bare his shortcomings and calling him out about his future aspirations. It’s a spellbinding extended scene, and in fact Ceylan mentions in the bonus feature that the film was written entirely around it. Dizdar is magnetic as her character tears into Samet, even as he meets her fiery determination and refuses to be cowed by her, eventually reaching some sort of mutual understanding that ends in the bedroom.
Samet’s overnight dalliance with Nuray is of course immediately reported back to Kenan against her wishes, driving a wedge between the roommates that is further exploded when she drops by and confronts both of them. With his friendship and career in tatters, Samet is forced to finally stop complaining about his life and determine its future trajectory.
Shockingly, the film is well over three hours long, but is so engrossing that it feels much shorter. Ceylan’s pacing is impeccable, baiting the audience with the humdrum workplace dynamics of the opening scenes before dropping the hammer with the investigation into Samet’s conduct and then switching it up again with the emergence of Nuray as a major force. The cinematography is also excellent, not as much in the interiors but radiant outdoors, especially during a couple of montages of exceptional portraits purportedly taken by amateur-shutterbug Samet. Ceylan is so in control that he obliterates the fourth wall in one scene just for the sheer chutzpah of it, sending Samet through Nuray’s bathroom door into a warren of sets on a soundstage, complete with the film’s assorted crew hanging out backstage. His explanation for this in the bonus feature isn’t entirely convincing, but it is the mark of a filmmaker completely at ease with his muse.
The Blu-ray is presented in 2.39:1 aspect ratio, capturing the epic scope of the remote Turkish countryside in the snowy winter season. The 5.1 surround doesn’t get much of a workout aside from environmental range during exterior shots, but all dialogue is crystal clear. Aside from a trailer, the only other bonus feature is the aforementioned interview with Ceylan where he discusses his own character and his inspiration for the film, a revelatory and rewarding insight into its production.
While a three-hour Turkish film about a grumpy rural school teacher may not sound like a treat, Ceylan’s stunning plot structure and surprising character development combine for an unparalleled cinematic achievement.
