l_rawjalaurence Set in the Black Sea area of Turkey, BAL is a vivid depiction of village life under threat. Yakup (Erdal Besikcioglu) tries to make a living collecting honey, but finds that there is no money in it. He travels to another part of the region in search of better prospects, but meets a sticky end. His fellow-villagers eke out an existence through traditional pursuits such as rope-making, but they cannot really survive. The main focus of the action is on Yusuf (Bora Altas) a young boy who feels unable to communicate with the outside world; possessed of a stammer, he is frequently laughed at by his classmates. The only was he can survive is through dreams of a better life - whether it be in the Black Sea region, or as symbolized by the elements (such as the moon). The cinematic style is slow, with plenty of long shots allowing viewers to contemplate the characters' reactions within the frame. However director Semih Kaplanoglu uses this style to make an acute commentary on a declining way of life, as well as showing the ways in which children are often forced to do things they don't want to, both at home and at school. A complex film that befits repeated viewings.

bulie19 after watching hundreds of grate classic Hollywood films, Italian and French unforgettable masterpieces , it's amazing that this specific Turkish movie made it to the top of my list. It is made accurately and neatly , you can see how specific was the directors planning. The story touches the viewer using less words and a more gestures.the connection to nature is very beautiful. the opportunity to get inside a Childs world is as always magical. actors don't even feel as actors , so that is also well done. I never heard of this director before , hope to see some more of his work in the future. I think this movie is intended for film lovers who watched European films before and are use to the slow timing and long cuts , for those who have not watched these before i recommend watching this one if you are trying to get started. waiting for more!

o_pekdemir Although I'd really love to do some promotion for this movie, it's a bit hard to do so. At least I can't recommend it to "normal movie viewers". This is definitively not your regular, entertaining popcorn flick that you can go and watch with your buddies on a Saturday evening before you start your tour through the bars. It's even not the right movie to drag your new girlfriend to in my opinion. There IS a chance, that she will like this kind of arty stuff, but there's a bigger chance that she won't. OK, let's unfold this a little bit. What I liked about this movie is, that it's painting quite an interesting portrait of the pristine "Karadeniz" people in (north) Turkey. But then again: This could have been done in a much more original way. The few introduced characters are too simple for my taste and they don't feel real. I'm a Turk myself and I have travelled many places in Turkey ... and for me it just doesn't add up to a realistic picture. Some of the shown landscapes and locations are really gorgeous and fantastic - that's for sure. But most of the time I couldn't shake off this feeling that I'm watching a terribly slow slideshow of somebodies last summer vacation. The story is thin and fuzzy ... I really wanted to like this film. And I also don't think that I'm an idiot who "just didn't see the point". If you have read other (positive) reviews about "Bal" before, let me tell you: Yes, it is a moving story of a child and his father. But it's also a VERY VERY slowly moving story. In fact sometimes it's hard to tell if anything on the screen is moving at all. For minutes. And minutes. That's not my understanding of entertainment or how movies should be done. This could have been a great short movie. 15 or 20 minutes. Maybe 30. Enough time to tell everything that was important in this movie in my eyes. I went to a theatre here in Germany to see "Bal" - together with my parents (my father is 73, my mother is 62 - And I'm 35). We were all more than willing to give this film a chance. My father was even a little bit angry when some woman left the movie after half an hour or so. But when the credits finally rolled in we made our jokes about how clever that woman was - leaving in time. OK, so why did I give it 5 stars? Here's my explanation: 1 Star goes for the nice locations and some of the impressive pictures. The second star would be for making a movie about a slowly vanishing lifestyle and habitat. And the last two stars are for the two tears I secretly shed during the film (one during the scene where Yusuf finally get's his award for reading and the other one when he's drinking his milk to cheer up his mother). The fifth star is there because I'm a Turk and I don't want to feel like traitor. ;-) No, honestly. Many people really seemed to enjoy and love this movie. I'm just stating that it's not quite my cup of tea. BUT... If you also tend to be bored easily, prefer entertaining movies over arty dramas and if you think that a movie is called like that because it has constant movement in it ... then this movie is probably not for you. On the other hand: It has won an important award in Germany and it's definitively something different. If you're unsure, you should wait until it's out on DVD or Bluray so you can skip the long scenes if needed.

kosmasp It is noble of the director filming his story and finding peace within himself by telling his story. Unfortunately I can't say the same about my viewing experience. I know the movie has made many fans (it even won a Golden Bear in Berlin in 2010), but even when I got on with the repetitiveness of some of the themes, I couldn't really take it as seriously as it was meant.It never felt lyrical either (it's shot too down to earth for that), it never really gets fantastical either. It tells its story as cold as winter time can be. Which is strange considering there is a boy in the main role and you should feel for him. The fact, the boy does not really act did not help either.But than again that's me talking. Read another review and you will read the complete opposite. I like slow moving movies too, but they should at least have some substance to them. Loss of innocence in your youth has been filmed in way better style, so that is almost feels like loss of my time ...