Heaven's Edge

Ena 2022-01-28 08:23:56

Fate, is the edge, but also fate.

-"Do you do French?" he asked.
-"French, Italian, Greek, I'll do it international for you," she answered.

A few days later:
-"I'm looking for a woman to live with. I would pay as much as you earn here. In return, you only sleep with me. Agreed?"
- "Have you fallen for me, old man?" And

so the story begins.

He is an old German. She is a prostitute from Turkey. But if you think their story is what the movie is all about. Sorry, I misled you. The stories of three groups of single-parent families are linked by fate and coincidence. Ali accidentally killed Yeter, for which his son Nejat went to Istanbul in shame to find her daughter Ayten. Ayten's girlfriend Lotte, whom Ayten met while taking refuge in Germany, was also killed in Istanbul to help her. A coffin goes over, a coffin comes over. Lotte's mother, Susanne, came to the Istanbul residence where her daughter lived, and decided to fulfill her daughter's wish after reading her daughter's diary. . . In a Babel-esque narrative, the camera is gentle without exaggeration.

If you think I'm giving too many spoilers, don't worry. The charm of the film will make you watch it even if you know the fate of the characters. In fact, the writers and directors are so confident that they tell you the fate of the main characters with subtitles at the beginning of each segment.

But I didn't mean to mislead you plainly. One of the great advantages of this film is that it carefully depicts life, the relationship between the older and younger generations in the context of Turkey's accession to the European Union. At the heart of the story are two tragedies. The performance and handling of the scene where Susanne cried in the hotel was enough to break the heart of any audience member. But it's not deliberately heavy, not deliberately sensational. Instead, there are some moments of life that make people smile. Like the scene quoted earlier. Every character in it, the old man who recruits prostitutes, the manic and attractive young woman, etc. has her own missing character, and they are not perfect people. But it's these imperfections that lend more credibility to the goodness of the story, and that keeps it out of the weave of mere coincidence.

And the most prominent theme of the film is forgiveness and the power of forgiveness. With Susanne's forgiveness and help to Ayten, Nejat eventually forgives his father. After the earthquake, the human nature described in this film is even more worth seeing. Forgiveness, as Nejat's Islamic story alludes, puts us on the edge of heaven—the edge of heaven, is the film's English title.

After all, we don't want to live alone.

- "Only God is entitled to solitude."
- "Bravo."

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Extended Reading

The Edge of Heaven quotes

  • story: After telling the story of Abraham that was willing to sacrifice his son, Ismael, to show God his obedience. Before Abraham could slay his son God sent a lamb to sacrifice instead.

    Nejat Aksu: I asked my dad if he would have sacrificed me as well.

    Susanne Staub: And what did he say?

    Nejat Aksu: That he would even make an enemy of God to protect me.