Mustang Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Mustang Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman May 17, 2016

This probably goes beyond the bounds of even political incorrectness, but I’ve sometimes wondered how things might be different if men in certain cultures, cultures which tend to oppress women (and sometimes at least probably not so coincidentally also tend to engage in terrorism), suddenly woke up one morning to the realization that they had been magically transformed into females, now forced to live under the same harsh conditions they had previously foisted off on the women in their lives. “How do you like things now?” I hear someone asking them in this admittedly outlandish fantasy. Women in Western cultures often decry at least perceived (and probably real) injustices suffered by their gender in supposedly “advanced” societies, and (to cite just one example) point to understandably contentious history where American women only relatively recently were granted the right to vote, but even a cursory glance toward several Middle Eastern (and even further eastern) countries shows just how bad things can be in other regions. Part of what will make Mustang so shocking for some Western viewers is how “innocently” everything starts, in a fashion that is at least somewhat reminiscent of Timbuktu, another Cohen release of a foreign film which depicts an oppressive society and apparently minor behaviors which then create almost epochal waves of repercussion. In the case of Mustang, it’s some co-ed frolicking at the end of a school year that leads to unexpected consequences for a gaggle of sisters. The film somehow manages to refrain from outright sensationalism and/or melodrama despite having perhaps ample opportunities to indulge in both. Mustang was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the most recent Academy Awards.

Mustang begins with some piquant commentary courtesy of a voiceover which details how quickly things can change from wonderful to— well, pretty miserable (the actual term used is a euphemism for “crap”). It’s the last day of school in some semi-rural locale in Turkey, and Lale (Güneş Şensoy) is obviously highly distraught at the thought of her beloved teacher Dilek (Bahar Kerimoglu) moving to Istanbul. Dilek’s older sisters make a little fun of her, but the girls are soon on to “real” fun when they decide not to take a van home from school, but to walk instead since it’s such a nice day. The scene immediately segues to a gorgeous beachside where the girls begin playing “horse” in the water with a bunch of boys. Everything seems fine, and indeed the only hint of trouble comes courtesy of the sisters fighting over who may or may not be cheating.

Things seem to be turning even more ominous when the kids (both the girls and the boys) start pilfering some apples from a nearby orchard, only to be met by an extremely angry farmer bearing a rifle pointed straight at them. That conflict quickly dissipates, but the girls are shocked when they return home and their Grandmother (Nihal Koldaş) starts punishing each of the girls one by one, starting with the eldest. Initially the girls think it’s over the apple “issue”, but it turns out they were seen goofing around with the boys in the water, and their Grandmother is aghast at the shame the girls have brought on the family. Even more aghast is the girls’ martinet Uncle Erol (Ayberk Pekcan), who berates his mother (the girls’ grandmother) for having been overly lax in disciplining the girls over the years. (Mustang elides some potentially important information with regard to what happened to the girls’ parents, seemingly just one of several traumas the Grandmother has suffered in her life.)

The girls are forced to undergo “virginity tests” and Erol more or less barricades them inside, not wanting to risk further scandal. Perhaps a bit surprisingly, the girls manage to adjust to the new situation relatively well, though it’s obvious all of them yearn for their former, freer lives. The oldest sister, Sonay (İlayda Akdoğan) is the most brazen in her attempts to stay “normal”, sneaking out of the house to meet her boyfriend at regular intervals. Lale, however, is near panic when she’s prevented from watching her beloved soccer on television and decides if Sonay can sneak out, she can, too, something that leads to a curiously ill fitting comedic sequence when the elder women spy the girls at the game, which is being broadcast on television, and then conspire to deprive their village of electricity lest the menfolk see the sisters and react violently.

That relatively brief foray into near slapstick seems especially odd given some outright tragic events which ensue, including more "traditional" issues of child abuse, leaving parts of Mustang chafing a bit uneasily up against each other. What rescues this film and gives it its undeniable power is its fascinating depiction of rural Turkish society, as well as the believable performances by the quintet of young women playing the sisters. There’s a refreshing naturalness to the interplay between these supposed siblings, something that helps to establish the “you and me against the world” ambience that informs the film’s plot. The film, co-written by (female) director Deniz Gamze Ergüven and Alice Winocour (Augustine) can't help but seem a little screed like at times, but given the historical and societal context, that's not necessarily a bad thing. (Those interested may want to check out my Interview with Alice Winocour, tied to the release of Augustine, since it deals at least tangentially with issues of female empowerment.)

With a third act that tips precariously close to that aforementioned melodrama on at least one occasion, Mustang’s proffered “salvation” in its closing moments seems facile at best and unconvincing at worst. But even if the destination doesn’t strike the emotional chords the rest of the film does, the journey is compelling and well worth taking, especially for those who are inclined to moan about First World Problems.

Mustang Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Mustang is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Cohen Media Group with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. Digitally shot with the Arri Alexa plus, Mustang struggles occasionally with some contrast deficits which are exacerbated by the tendency of director Deniz Gamze Ergüven and cinematographers David Chizallet and Ersin Gok to shoot directly into lighting sources. When that involves scenes where the camera is placed directly at the bright Turkish sun, highlights can bloom and areas of the frame don't provide much detail due to being bathed in such effulgent amounts of glowing light. The overall look here is in fact a bit softer than many digitally captured films tend to be, with a gauzy ambience that contrasts (no pun intended) with the increasingly gritty subject matter. That said, detail levels are generally commendably very high throughout the presentation, offering nice textures in elements like the costumes and some of the kind of shabby accoutrements scattered throughout the girls' house. There's very little if any color grading going on, and the palette is natural looking and quite warmly suffused most of the time. There are no compression issues and no signs of image instability.

Mustang Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Mustang features a nice sounding DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix in the original Turkish. The film has good and consistent use of ambient environmental effects, something that effectively establishes the girls' isolation while also detailing the ironic loveliness of the Turkish countryside. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly, and Warren Ellis' interesting score delivers some good emotional support and surround activity.

Mustang Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Interviews with the Cast of the Film (1080p; 8:02)


• Director Deniz Gamze Ergüven's Early Short Film, "A Drop of Water" (480i; 18:49) looks to have been sourced off of an old videotape and is not in the best shape.


• Theatrical Trailer (1080p; 2:01)

Additionally, there's a hard plastic card reproducing the film's winning poster art which includes a download of Warren Ellis' soundtrack music, as well as an insert booklet featuring biographical data and an interview with the director.

Mustang Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Mustang wants to deliver its pint sized heroine(s) after a gauntlet of outrage and (in at least one case) outright horror, but that deliverance is probably too easily arrived at to achieve the emotional resonance that was obviously hoped for. That said, the film is often incredibly moving and it's certainly going to be an eye opener for Western women decrying discrimination "over here". Technical merits are strong, and Mustang comes Highly recommended.