Itiraf (2002)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Zeki Demirkubuz

Writer:

Zeki Demirkubuz (writer)

Release Date:

3 May 2002 (Turkey)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A man suspects his wife of being unfaithful, but he's not prepared for what her confession will do to him. |

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Taner Birsel	...	Harun
Basak Köklükaya	...	Nilgün
Iskender Altin
Miraç Eronat
Gülgün Kutlu
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mirac Eronat

Also Known As:

The Confession (USA) (informal English title)
The Confession: Tales About Darkness II (International: English title)

Runtime:

100 min | France:91 min (Cannes Film Festival)

Country:

Turkey

Language:

Turkish

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Ankara, Turkey

Company:

Mavi Film

Movie Connections:

Followed by Bekleme odasi (2004)

When love and guilt go hand in hand.

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

What an interesting movie. I did not expect to be surprised this way. There are certainly some imperfections but the script works fine for the most part, the acting is unanimously good and the unfolding story is different. Also... I believe the use of lighting indoors and in night times somehow doubled the feeling of voyeurism ( the 'I am not supposed to watch this' feeling) I experienced when the couple were either fighting or pretending to be asleep when they weren't. What derived from this feeling was an enhanced interest in their lives.

Step by step we are being drawn into the dark core of a man twisted by both love and guilt. Consumed with guilt, he can't sustain a normal relationship with his wife who eventually leaves him for another man. Consumed with love he breaks every rule and damns himself to a vicious cycle of love and hate. He believes salvation will come thru confession ( this is also why he forces the wife to confess her adultery) but is confession really all that soul-cleansing? or is it equally beneficial for both parties involved? If you have a secret sin eating you out Itiraf will give you something to think about.

I have to say I loved the part of the male character. He was very much real, with a lot of defects and a weak personality but he also had a huge ego and a pretentious act ( Wasn't he the one betraying his best friend in the first place?). Oh yes! Flawed characters are a bliss, they make me forget my own shortcomings!

The themes of unreciprocated love and socially incorrect women come back in Itiraf too. And it is precisely what I hated about the film. It is a bit boring and slightly off balance to see Nilgun go from what looks like upper middle class to low class in a matter of minutes as the direct result of her being unfaithful. I understand the need to lower the wife's standing so the husband can go back to her but it borders sexism therefore not nice, nor is this an old fashioned Turkish movie where all kinds of incredibly horrible things happen to people.

All in all Itiraf is a decent movie worth the watch. I definitely recommend it.