KADIN DUSMANI

KADIN DUSMANI

(A.k.a. WOMAN DESPISER)

The film opens with a wonderfully atmospheric scene wherein a pretty brunette lady is attacked in her bedroom by an assailant wearing a devil mask. The woman is killed as smoke fills the screen.

Then we follow two schoolgirls walking home one evening, growing increasingly nervous of the sinister-looking moustachioed man who appears to be following them. The girls discuss how two local women have been found murdered in the last week, and rush to the safety of their homes.

Or so they think. The taller of the girls, Leman, is also attacked in her bedroom when a monstrous figure appears at her window. Her murdered corpse is found shortly afterwards by a visiting friend.

Unsurprisingly, the police decide it's time they intervened. The Commissioner warns them that the killer is also a sex maniac and a necrophiliac. What's more, between them they deduce that the murderer is slaughtering girls whose names begin with the same initial of the district they're from.

Emini is sent to interview Leman's housemates in the district of Laga (Leman from Laga, see?), while keen young Kemal (Ekrem Bora) scoots away to interrogate the first victim's lover.

The interrogations follow, in which each policeman bizarrely homes in on demanding to know whether the male suspects like poetry or not. It appears they have concluded that the killer must be a keen poet, purely because of the pattern emerging from the initials of the victims matching their districts.

Kemal's own line of questioning leads to him interviewing the victim's fiancée Kenan. It is here that Kemal is reintroduced to Kenan's sister Oya (Sema Ozcan), a gorgeous old acquaintance who is as unlucky in love as he is (both are mourning the loss of dead partners). An afternoon stroll through the woods together soon cements their relationship once more ...

Meanwhile the murders continue, with a young girl spurning the advances of her horny beau at her door, only to become the next to be slaughtered by the masked murderer (this time disguised as Frankenstein's monster).

Naturally, the boyfriend joins the increasing line of suspects, and the plot thickens with each fresh murder. In the meantime, Kemal and Oya build on their romance while contending with familial issues raised by her elderly mother and grieving brother.

Eventually the shifty Ahmet emerges as a clear suspect ... but have the cops got the right man? Could it be one of the boyfriends? Kenan? Kemal? The moustachioed man who follows people silently on a night? And, crikey, if the cops really do have the wrong man, will that put Oya in jeopardy?!

Shot in decently lit black-and-white, KADIN DUSMANI is a more sober effort than most Turkish films. It's still ripe with choice dialogue and amusingly deadpan subtitle translations, but the tone is a more considered one; the pace is more leisurely.

It's actually a surprisingly well-crafted film. The plot is convoluted and at times sloppy, but no more than the Italian gialli of the 1970s which it closely resembles. The mystery element is moulded well with more typical Turkish themes such as honour and family commitments, helping keep an emotional hook throughout - for once, you'll actually care about what happens to the protagonists.

Performances are wooden but enthusiastic, and such giving actors are impossible not to like.

Ilhan Engin's direction is largely of the static variety, offering little camera movement or atmosphere during the many "talky" scenes. This affords the viewer ample opportunities to home in on the cheesy dialogue, hammy acting and cheap sets. All of which are great fun, albeit in a more subtle manner than the bulk of Onar Films' offerings.

But the film bursts into life with style and imagination whenever the woman despising killer is on screen. Suddenly the camera slithers like a snake for stylish POV shots and dry ice permeates across the screen while the melodramatic score adds to the Gothic atmospherics.

The use of masks for the killer is a simple but effective device, with sharply contrasting torchlight shining on them during night scenes, creating a truly alarming effect. ONIBABA and AT MIDNIGHT I'LL TAKE YOUR SOUL both sprung to mind during the murder set-pieces, as did THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMAGE - despite this film predating Argento's debut effort by some three years.

The film's pace does take a dip in the mid-section - yes, we do get the obligatory foray to a nightclub where we can witness some traditional Turkish dancing - and overall it's perhaps a little too long. Those looking for the hoots that a lot of Turkish cinema provides may be surprised (or possibly even dismayed?) to find that this film is, for the most part, a rather competent blend of TV cop show-style drama and no-budget spooky horror.

Well worth catching for some truly striking set-piece scenes, some decent moments of tension, the lovely Ozcan and a weird brief moment late in the film where a very well-known pop song can be heard on a radio (surely without the artist's consent?!).

The black-and-white full-frame transfer is quite soft and does exhibit some shimmer in darker scenes. Minor grain is evident, as are occasional specks.

Audio is presented in a largely decent Turkish mono track. There is very little in the way of hiss evident and dialogue levels seem consistent for the most part. Given the film's age (1967) and it's scarcity, this is a solid playback that overall remains loud and clear.

Optional subtitles in English and Greek ensure that we don't miss any of the wonderfully cheesy dialogue.

The disc is another strong offering from Onar Films, who continue to unearth these rare Turkish obscurities and given them the special edition treatment.

Beyond the opening animated main menu page, is an attractive animated scene-selection menu allowing access to the main feature via 8 chapters.

The main extra is an excellent documentary entitled "Turkish Fantastic Cinema - Part 3". This lasts 11 minutes and covers the country's efforts in the field of sci-fi and horror cinema. Consisting of many film clips interspersed with the odd interview snippet, this zips along at a fair pace offering glimpses of Turkish variants of STAR TREK, ET, THE EXORCIST, SUPERMAN and DRACULA along the way.

The highpoint is definitely the clips from the fantastic-looking ET rip-off. The horror clips, relegated to the final 4 minutes of the featurette, look surprisingly effective - I'd be keen to see more of the films hinted at here.

The documentary is presented in 1.33:1 in Turkish audio with optional English and Greek subtitles. There are no credits on the documentary but it is presented by a Turkish narrator.

A photo gallery offers 12 stills from KADIN DUSMANI played out over the course of 1 minute.

Next up are trailers for CASUS KIRAN YEDI CANLI ADAM, ALTIN COCUK, KIZIL TUG CENGIZ HAN and KARANLIK SULAR.

Finally on the disc itself we have well-written biographies and filmographies for Ekrem Bora (7 pages) and Ilhan Engin (4 pages). Both are offered in English text.

Looking towards the packaging, it's worth noting that inside the keepcase there's a very attractive fold-out reproduction of the film's original theatrical poster art. Also, bear in mind that each cover is individually numbered - there are only 500 copies available.

Another fine effort from Onar Films, and an unexpectedly stylish film.

Review by Stuart Willis

KADIN DUSMAN can be ordered direct from Onar Films website here.


 
Released by Onar Films
Region All - PAL
Not Rated
Extras :
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