A few words about the music. It took some getting used to. I never pay much attention to the music in the shows I watch in English because it's ingrained in me It adds to the feel of the scene, like it's supposed to of course, and I am too familiar with the instruments. Sitar, gypsy violin...these are new and my ear starts to pay attention. I'll have to start listening more critically to American and Canadian shows but I suspect they are less dramatic overall. The music in Binbir Gece seemed almost intrusive at first, not just because of the new kinds of sounds but it's louder, more attuned to the culture it comes from. Possibly t.v. music in other countries is noticeable in general, a character in its own right.
Aside from the now popular trend of a regular radio play song at the end of the show to act as denouement, I don't recall being impacted much by the music in what I watch. I'm curious now just how used to the intrusion of music I am in US shows.
At any rate, the new stuff took some getting used to. They great thing though is that now that I am familiar with the standards, I can tell what the music is heralding. My Western eye might not understand a character's relationship to the situation based on a cultural reference. But the music helps me to watch the scene as a tender moment, an ominous one, playful one.
Our show culture trains us. In US shows, if a character--male or female--is walking through a parking garage alone at night, something bad is about to happen. I had several anxious moments for characters (especially in a Ukrainian show called Sniffer--the man has an entire level to himself) until I realized I was falling under an American cultural reference. In Turkey though, it could simply denote a passing of time, the end of the work day and mark the transition to home. 'Oh, she left the building. We saw her walking through the parking garage.'
I might think nothing of the swift transition of a character sitting at work and then seeing them on the couch in their apartment. I have been trained to accept this. Turkish viewers however (or Ukrainian ones) might be confused by seeing the same things happen to Sherazat. Europeans have a habit of changing out of their work clothes. But seeing her at the office, in her suit, and then at home in different clothes, without that intermediary scene, could throw viewers for a loop. 'Is it the next day? Did I miss something?'
These cues are subtle but important. Even earlier shows from the same culture have a similar effect. Watch Dirty Harry again. The transitions are 1970's and it shows. Curt, gruff, no small talk--these are traits of Harry and the movie, but the plot was supposed to feel fluid. It's not meant to be disjointed. The sensibilities about fluid have changed though. Dirty Harry today is as foreign as foreign television is in general. 80's movies are notoriously bad for transitions. Or too long on mediocre plot relevant events.
Here's a breakdown of the most recurrent compositions:
There's the Boss Music, usually accompanying Onur and Kerem as they walk down the corridor to a meeting or pop out of the offices. Boss Music is like a drum cadence--staccato, direct and definite. It means business and signifies importance.
An orchestra dirge: usually when Onur is riding through the woods. Signifies aristocracy, reliving tough moments.
Violin & acoustic guitar, mournful song: when Onur regrets the night and wants to take back time, talking to Firdevs, after Onur visits Sherazat for the cd, Bennu and love is hard, talking to Mirhaban about Onur's proposal, troubling thoughts, uneasy decisions
And my favorite, the BWAAAAH! music that signifies a big announcement or reveal. It's ominous, awestruck and denotes a critical junction. It's sometimes paired with my favorite special effect of the show too (the only special effect maybe?): the widening lens of realization. The figure stays the same size but the camera pans out around them causing an effect of being gobsmacked. It happens to Onur the moment he finds out why Sherazat needed the money--twice actually it happens to him in that scene and once goes out, then in and out again. Double whammy.
The synthesizer: low grade tension such as when Onur shows up at Sherazat's doorstep, or the transfer of chairman of the board to Kerem
The opening music is snare drums, strings, symbols, synthesizer cresendo, heavy. It's telling us to expect drama.
A single hand, tinkling minor key piano symbolizes devious thoughts and masked masked tensions.
Acoustic guitars are for tender moments like Sherazat and Kaan, budding romances and sisterly confidences. It makes your brain say, "awwwww."
Fast violins: tension, about to explode, someone gets the upper hand
Plinking guitar playing down the scale means surprising new info
Monday, July 2, 2018
Sunday, June 24, 2018
Lead Up to A New Proposal
After their meeting at the movies, Onur begins anew to take an interest in Sherazat. He feels remorse for his behavior, but at the heart of his interest, even before his indecent proposal, was his attraction to her.
The company has an Eid party; Kerem and Onur both voice their well wishes with La Bises--a kiss on each cheek. Kerem is first, and not to be outdone, or to let his intentions be unclear, Onur whispers a low, extra greeting in her ear after the second kiss, which also happens to be on the opposite side from Kerem, so he can't see it. A meaningful if small stare passes between them. It's the first time he can be even slightly intimate with her since the night they spent together.
But all the while, as the days pass, he is reliving her accusations about asking him for the money and his reply: that she ought to feel a great benevolence in asking for such a sum from a company she just started working for. He wants to take it all back--that night, his response, his incredible gall and assertions. He wants to have that night not have happened. Firdevs advises him, sometimes you regret something you did; sometimes you regret you didn't do something. He interprets this as that he must take a step. And later, he confides again that he needs to make up for something he did and she tells him to be brave. He resolves to make a grand gesture.
At the office, Kerem says he'll work with Sherazat on the big new project but then later, Peride recruits Sherazat for work with the foundation. Then Kerem wins the Chairman vote. Even though it swings back and forth and has since they've been partners, it adds to the tension of the dynamic. Onur gets testy and possessive. Sherazat is the company's employee, she can't work for the foundation too much. All right then, Kerem asks his mother to invite Sherazat to her house for a meeting on a Saturday. Onur immediately starts thinking of what this means: a piece of her weekend, away from Kaan, and a symbolic acceptance of Sherazat not unlike a daughter-in-law. The music backs him up. And Kerem says he has fallen in love with Sherazat.
Which makes Onur act rashly, and he shows up at Sherazat's doorstep, under the guise of needing a cd for work. They same thing Benu has offered to do for Kerem, so not out of the question, but an odd circumstance for these two.
And Sherazat is pissed. To be there, it means he looked up her address, came over because her phone was turned off, because she wasn't at work any more, and wants a copy of the work that she was planning to give him early in the morning. Now he is hounding her not just at work, but inserting himself into her private life as well. He sees Kaan and says hello, asks if he remembers him from the theater and says how cute he is. Sherazat looks at him furiously. How dare he come to her home, talk to her child and remark how cute he is when he was the one who made demands on her for the money to save him. Especially now that he knows why she needed the money. What he meant as way to ingratiate himself has only provoked her.
But she does invite him and will make a cd copy for him. He tries to be pleasing, saying she can take her time, trying to show her he can be congenial. And in walks Mihriban. He is unaware of who she is but smiles and says a friendly hello. Sherazat introduces her as Kaan's second mother. And we see the confusion on Onur's face. Kaan's bone marrow donor, she elaborates, with some satisfaction at being able to throw this back at him. He wanted to see her private life, then he will get more than he bargained for. Not the sweet, evening at home he thought he might stumble on, but fuel for the fire of all his feelings of remorse. He continues to try to redeem himself however--for that is the course of our story--and takes it in stride. That he accepts this status without question is redeeming.
There is a wall of photographs of Sherazat's late husband Ahmet and Kaan sees Onur looking at it.* Sherazat comes in and sees his open stares too. One thing the show does really well is take its time with glances, notices, watching, long looks. Onur asks if it is her husband--present tense. She affirms that "He is"--not just 'yes'--also present tense. He realizes something in that moment: she still thinks of herself as married to this man, as bound to him, and she feels like she cheated on him in spending the night with Onur. He apologizes...for calling so late. But of course, the long look says he is truly sorry for her loss, for putting her through that, and he knows now, how much more it was than just despicable. How much it cost her personally. In acknowledging her as a widow, in looking at and acknowledging the photos of her husband, he is seeing her as a person, validating her. He shows her he recognizes that there are things he does not know about her, and even if he thinks he happened to glimpse something in the night they shared, that he is not so arrogant now to think he knows anything about her that she does not let him see. He is saying, in effect, "I see you not as I want to, but as you are".
He rubs Kaan's cheek and ruffles his hair as he passes him on his way out. And the boy has seen Onur's acknowledgement of his father.
And then, Onur's grand gesture: he proposes to Sherazat.
A side note: There's a great 2 second look when the girls (Sherazat and Benu) end up joining the boys and their mothers for lunch at the company cafeteria. One of the mothers makes a joke about how whenever they want to do something with a charity, the boys only ask, "How much?" Sherazat, sitting next to Onur, smiles pleasantly and looks at him, as one would in polite conversation. But he looks at her, notices she is looking at him and does a double take. Maybe he's wondering, "Why is she smiling?" and then thinking, "She's smiling at me!" and maybe even wondering if she's thinking about how there's always this subject of money hanging between them and it can come up even in conversations not related to their situation. In the next instant it's forgotten and Onur is looking a different way, but it's fantastic. I love this show for gems like that.
*A note about Onur's relationship with Kaan: It is not the immediate fun and superficial connection with kids that others affect, but a more deliberate and personal path that builds. Onur notices he has learnt some words from Mihriban, who speaks another language, and congratulates him, showing the boy he thinks he is smart, rather than the nondescript gushing Kaan usually gets from adults.
The company has an Eid party; Kerem and Onur both voice their well wishes with La Bises--a kiss on each cheek. Kerem is first, and not to be outdone, or to let his intentions be unclear, Onur whispers a low, extra greeting in her ear after the second kiss, which also happens to be on the opposite side from Kerem, so he can't see it. A meaningful if small stare passes between them. It's the first time he can be even slightly intimate with her since the night they spent together.
But all the while, as the days pass, he is reliving her accusations about asking him for the money and his reply: that she ought to feel a great benevolence in asking for such a sum from a company she just started working for. He wants to take it all back--that night, his response, his incredible gall and assertions. He wants to have that night not have happened. Firdevs advises him, sometimes you regret something you did; sometimes you regret you didn't do something. He interprets this as that he must take a step. And later, he confides again that he needs to make up for something he did and she tells him to be brave. He resolves to make a grand gesture.
At the office, Kerem says he'll work with Sherazat on the big new project but then later, Peride recruits Sherazat for work with the foundation. Then Kerem wins the Chairman vote. Even though it swings back and forth and has since they've been partners, it adds to the tension of the dynamic. Onur gets testy and possessive. Sherazat is the company's employee, she can't work for the foundation too much. All right then, Kerem asks his mother to invite Sherazat to her house for a meeting on a Saturday. Onur immediately starts thinking of what this means: a piece of her weekend, away from Kaan, and a symbolic acceptance of Sherazat not unlike a daughter-in-law. The music backs him up. And Kerem says he has fallen in love with Sherazat.
Which makes Onur act rashly, and he shows up at Sherazat's doorstep, under the guise of needing a cd for work. They same thing Benu has offered to do for Kerem, so not out of the question, but an odd circumstance for these two.
And Sherazat is pissed. To be there, it means he looked up her address, came over because her phone was turned off, because she wasn't at work any more, and wants a copy of the work that she was planning to give him early in the morning. Now he is hounding her not just at work, but inserting himself into her private life as well. He sees Kaan and says hello, asks if he remembers him from the theater and says how cute he is. Sherazat looks at him furiously. How dare he come to her home, talk to her child and remark how cute he is when he was the one who made demands on her for the money to save him. Especially now that he knows why she needed the money. What he meant as way to ingratiate himself has only provoked her.
But she does invite him and will make a cd copy for him. He tries to be pleasing, saying she can take her time, trying to show her he can be congenial. And in walks Mihriban. He is unaware of who she is but smiles and says a friendly hello. Sherazat introduces her as Kaan's second mother. And we see the confusion on Onur's face. Kaan's bone marrow donor, she elaborates, with some satisfaction at being able to throw this back at him. He wanted to see her private life, then he will get more than he bargained for. Not the sweet, evening at home he thought he might stumble on, but fuel for the fire of all his feelings of remorse. He continues to try to redeem himself however--for that is the course of our story--and takes it in stride. That he accepts this status without question is redeeming.
There is a wall of photographs of Sherazat's late husband Ahmet and Kaan sees Onur looking at it.* Sherazat comes in and sees his open stares too. One thing the show does really well is take its time with glances, notices, watching, long looks. Onur asks if it is her husband--present tense. She affirms that "He is"--not just 'yes'--also present tense. He realizes something in that moment: she still thinks of herself as married to this man, as bound to him, and she feels like she cheated on him in spending the night with Onur. He apologizes...for calling so late. But of course, the long look says he is truly sorry for her loss, for putting her through that, and he knows now, how much more it was than just despicable. How much it cost her personally. In acknowledging her as a widow, in looking at and acknowledging the photos of her husband, he is seeing her as a person, validating her. He shows her he recognizes that there are things he does not know about her, and even if he thinks he happened to glimpse something in the night they shared, that he is not so arrogant now to think he knows anything about her that she does not let him see. He is saying, in effect, "I see you not as I want to, but as you are".
He rubs Kaan's cheek and ruffles his hair as he passes him on his way out. And the boy has seen Onur's acknowledgement of his father.
And then, Onur's grand gesture: he proposes to Sherazat.
A side note: There's a great 2 second look when the girls (Sherazat and Benu) end up joining the boys and their mothers for lunch at the company cafeteria. One of the mothers makes a joke about how whenever they want to do something with a charity, the boys only ask, "How much?" Sherazat, sitting next to Onur, smiles pleasantly and looks at him, as one would in polite conversation. But he looks at her, notices she is looking at him and does a double take. Maybe he's wondering, "Why is she smiling?" and then thinking, "She's smiling at me!" and maybe even wondering if she's thinking about how there's always this subject of money hanging between them and it can come up even in conversations not related to their situation. In the next instant it's forgotten and Onur is looking a different way, but it's fantastic. I love this show for gems like that.
*A note about Onur's relationship with Kaan: It is not the immediate fun and superficial connection with kids that others affect, but a more deliberate and personal path that builds. Onur notices he has learnt some words from Mihriban, who speaks another language, and congratulates him, showing the boy he thinks he is smart, rather than the nondescript gushing Kaan usually gets from adults.
Tuesday, June 5, 2018
They Start Falling For Each Other
This is always my favorite part: the beginning.
There is chance meeting of Sherazat and her son with the two men at the movie theater. Kerem has convinced Onur they should go do something, act like they did when they were kids. So it's coincidental that they meet another kid, but also fitting.
We are keyed in to the exact moment Onur sees them. He stops so suddenly Kerem notices and follows his gaze. Onur says her name on a smile. But having the boy actually in front of him, he is overcome, putting his fingers to his lips. The slight action does not go unnoticed by Sherazat. Kerem has crouched down to talk to Kaan but Onur can't bring himself to.
He does however smile affectionately, unabashedly, at Sherazat.
While Kerem is the one talking to Kaan, picking him up, Onur is clearly taken aback by meeting them and can't express himself. It's one of the first times we've seen him be silent not out of severity or reserve--a tamping down of emotion--but rather by being overwhelmed by emotion.
He has shown her kindness at the office since the news got out, offering to let her go to be with her son rather than work late. (He learns the boy's name and that he has a nanny. And asks with some force, where is the father? and finds out Sherazat is a widow.) But we have not seen this open affection from him before. He secretive, coy interest in her still, but not such a clear, open warmth. The Shah is melting.
It is obvious to Sherazat that Onur is riveted, that it is a struggle to contain himself. As Kerem picks the boy up, Onur has completely turned to look at them, to watch Kaan. And when finally Kerem makes a mock introduction to Onur, he shakes Kaan's hand with a caress and cannot resist placing his other hand over the boy's. But it is too much and as he slowing strokes his hand away from Kaan's he sucks in a breath. He is on the verge of tears. More than words can say, his actions, his looks, convey how much he is ashamed of what she has endured at his bidding, both the night they spent together and the times he berated her at the office. Even more so, how he is cognizant of all the worry and hardship she has gone through because of her son's condition--while maintaining a demanding job, as a widow without the help her husband, and without the aid of his family to lean on. He controlled the only salvation she had access to and and he exploited it--exploited her. He is heartily ashamed of himself.
Yet despite having learned more about Onur's past, in the face of his such obvious regret and the tenderness he shows her son, Sherazat doesn't want to acknowledge that he could be capable of this transformation. To her, he is the Black Night they shared. But just as he is seeing how it was an aberration of her character to have gone through with it, she begins to have an inkling that it might have been an aberration of his to have suggested it. And she doesn't want to unpack that notion or open herself up to the possibility.
Kerem is the one who gets to hold Kaan, kiss his cheek, say how cute he is, banter with him, but Onur is definitely the one more touched by him. He even stuns Kerem by saying he'd like to be a father as they watch Sherazat and Kaan walk out of the theater.
And he's already thinking about being a father to Kaan specifically. Later that day he asks Firdevs, his housekeeper, if she thinks it's possible to be a father to someone else's child. The music gets ominous. How can one man love another's progeny? But Firdevs comes though. Yes, love is love and giving it is a good thing. But it does mean giving everything.
And we get a rather long quote from 1001 Nights (paraphrased):
It's hard to be voiceless when you have a tongue (I want to tell her but I can't)
My heart is full (I love her)
But she denies me even her bitterest glance because I broke her heart. To erase that black night, I would give up my fortune.
And here we're hearkening back to Firdevs advice and the music that says 'tough question, it's not usually done'. Onur's mother Peride gives him a lot of flack for not being married, for being careful to find a good sort of girl, even instructing him to find someone from an old family (i.e. a rich, equal status). He will be going against the grain if he pursues the idea of becoming Kaan's father.
Side note: tickling noises in Turkish sound the same as the US: ticka ticka ticka!
There is chance meeting of Sherazat and her son with the two men at the movie theater. Kerem has convinced Onur they should go do something, act like they did when they were kids. So it's coincidental that they meet another kid, but also fitting.
We are keyed in to the exact moment Onur sees them. He stops so suddenly Kerem notices and follows his gaze. Onur says her name on a smile. But having the boy actually in front of him, he is overcome, putting his fingers to his lips. The slight action does not go unnoticed by Sherazat. Kerem has crouched down to talk to Kaan but Onur can't bring himself to.
He does however smile affectionately, unabashedly, at Sherazat.
While Kerem is the one talking to Kaan, picking him up, Onur is clearly taken aback by meeting them and can't express himself. It's one of the first times we've seen him be silent not out of severity or reserve--a tamping down of emotion--but rather by being overwhelmed by emotion.
He has shown her kindness at the office since the news got out, offering to let her go to be with her son rather than work late. (He learns the boy's name and that he has a nanny. And asks with some force, where is the father? and finds out Sherazat is a widow.) But we have not seen this open affection from him before. He secretive, coy interest in her still, but not such a clear, open warmth. The Shah is melting.
It is obvious to Sherazat that Onur is riveted, that it is a struggle to contain himself. As Kerem picks the boy up, Onur has completely turned to look at them, to watch Kaan. And when finally Kerem makes a mock introduction to Onur, he shakes Kaan's hand with a caress and cannot resist placing his other hand over the boy's. But it is too much and as he slowing strokes his hand away from Kaan's he sucks in a breath. He is on the verge of tears. More than words can say, his actions, his looks, convey how much he is ashamed of what she has endured at his bidding, both the night they spent together and the times he berated her at the office. Even more so, how he is cognizant of all the worry and hardship she has gone through because of her son's condition--while maintaining a demanding job, as a widow without the help her husband, and without the aid of his family to lean on. He controlled the only salvation she had access to and and he exploited it--exploited her. He is heartily ashamed of himself.
Yet despite having learned more about Onur's past, in the face of his such obvious regret and the tenderness he shows her son, Sherazat doesn't want to acknowledge that he could be capable of this transformation. To her, he is the Black Night they shared. But just as he is seeing how it was an aberration of her character to have gone through with it, she begins to have an inkling that it might have been an aberration of his to have suggested it. And she doesn't want to unpack that notion or open herself up to the possibility.
Kerem is the one who gets to hold Kaan, kiss his cheek, say how cute he is, banter with him, but Onur is definitely the one more touched by him. He even stuns Kerem by saying he'd like to be a father as they watch Sherazat and Kaan walk out of the theater.
And he's already thinking about being a father to Kaan specifically. Later that day he asks Firdevs, his housekeeper, if she thinks it's possible to be a father to someone else's child. The music gets ominous. How can one man love another's progeny? But Firdevs comes though. Yes, love is love and giving it is a good thing. But it does mean giving everything.
And we get a rather long quote from 1001 Nights (paraphrased):
It's hard to be voiceless when you have a tongue (I want to tell her but I can't)
My heart is full (I love her)
But she denies me even her bitterest glance because I broke her heart. To erase that black night, I would give up my fortune.
And here we're hearkening back to Firdevs advice and the music that says 'tough question, it's not usually done'. Onur's mother Peride gives him a lot of flack for not being married, for being careful to find a good sort of girl, even instructing him to find someone from an old family (i.e. a rich, equal status). He will be going against the grain if he pursues the idea of becoming Kaan's father.
Side note: tickling noises in Turkish sound the same as the US: ticka ticka ticka!
Monday, June 4, 2018
Binbir Gece, The Black Night
The Black Night: the night Onur and Sherazat spend together, his condition for giving her $150,000.
They meet in a hotel. Onur has been secretive about his plans for the evening, not happy with the way it came about but also not wanting to call it off. Sherazat prepares for the evening by closing herself off, literally shutting herself in her bedroom to get ready. She shuts out her son, her new friend, the rest of her home, almost as if to turn herself off and compartmentalize the coming hours.
When they go up to the room they will share for the night, she is like a statue, stopping immobile just inside the door. Onur takes her wrap, release her hair from its band. He is mesmerized, so close to the object he desires, and she is in torture, putting herself through an abhorrent experience out of necessity. He reaches to take the shoulder of her dress down and she raises her hand in an involuntary attempt to clutch the dress back to her chest. They both realize what she's done but it doesn't stop him. He proceeds what he perceives to be tendresse.
In the morning she leaves while she thinks he is still asleep, taking the bag of money he has left. He watches from the balcony as she walks out of the hotel and get into a taxi. She goes immediately to the hospital to give the money over to the doctor for her son Kaan's treatment. She then spends the morning walking around wretchedly and curled up on her bed in the evening. For his part, Onur believes she asked for a loan simply out of gall after getting her promotion. He never considered she had a specific reason for such a sum. And she leaves without a word, taking the money, that he assumes she conducted a transaction that had no emotion behind it.
A meeting in Dubai takes the both of them to a hotel again, alone after the meeting is over, and overnight because there are no flights available. Having misunderstood her motives and unable to stop thinking about her, Onur offers her double the sum for one more night. This time however, she doesn't need the money and can show her true feelings about the proposition. She rejects him with the full force of her disgust. And he has the opportunity to see her unguarded reaction. He apologizes immediately and has to beg her to stay the night--in her own room--and finish out the trip. Once back in Istanbul, before going back to the office though, he forces a stop off for coffee to give them a chance to calm down. He apologizes again, profusely, and sincerely but without really understanding the extent of his transgression. He begs her to not think of it again, that she will never hear anything like this from him again.
He immediately breaks that promise by asking, earnestly baffled, "Why did you sleep with me?"
Because he can't figure it out. He doesn't know if he was mistaken about her motive originally and her repugnance at the thought of a second night gives him pause. As they had been working together since spending their Black Night together he has seen more of her character and begins to feel she is possibly different from other women, despite her actions that night and the morning following. Even to the extent that he asks his housekeeper and confidant, is he a bad person? He is doubting his truths.
Unfortunately in making such supplications only to then demand a reason in the next breath he has completely lost all respect in Sherazat's eyes.
Over the course of Kaan's treatment Sherazat brings him to a foundation event for kids with leukemia. They say hello to major donors, are generally available as an example of what good the foundation can do. And Sherazat is happy to be a part of it. She and Kaan have benefited from the work they do, and she is the kind of person who wants to foster relationships that will help more people. However two of the attendees to the fundraiser are Peride and Secal, Onur and Kerem's mothers. They meet Kaan and Sherazat , not realizing she is the award-winning architect they have been hearing so much about from their sons.
And then it all comes together. Onur's mother is in his office for a visit and in walks Sherazat. Peride explains all about Sherazat's son, his costly operation and how they met at the foundation event. The other three are speechless. Kerem is stunned that she has a son, and that they didn't know the burden she was under. Onur of course suddenly realizes what he has done. He not only assumed she was arrogant enough to ask for a loan based on some small success but also that she thought so little of him that she might sleep with any one who made the offer.
To his credit he cannot look her in the eye while she, defiant, looks straight at him, daring him to show her he knows. He goes into the bathroom and takes a long, hard look at himself in the mirror.
Later that evening the men and their mothers discuss what to do now, having an employee who lied about having a child. Kerem insists they change their rules.
"We're not ruthless people, are we?" Onur's eyes flash to Kerem. Strike one.
Onur asks, will break their business principles? There is a foundation of many years of business practice and will they throw it all out for one woman, however deserving? It mirrors the thoughts he's had all day.
Kerem replies that they are the ones who made the rules, they can change them. Strike two.
Onur agrees off-offhandedly. The mothers are pleased.
"Put yourself in Sherazat's place," Kerem offers. "You need a vast sum for an operation. What would you do?" Onur, of course, has no answer.
"Without thinking for a second, I'd do the same," says Peride. Boom! Strike three.
His mother, who constantly bemoans his father's weakness in allowing a woman to lure him away from his family, has unwittingly taken the side of a woman he paid to spend the night with him. Because she was doing what she had to for her son. And the music confirms the gravitas of the moment.
It's here that we get the vindication we have been waiting on. For even though the whole story is overall a romance and we've witnessed his budding interest and even some small measure of tenderness, (though born of an unhealthy obsession,) here is where we see the full effect of his realization take hold. We need this catharsis to be able to believe in the hero of the romance. We watch a montage of their conversations play out as each of them lay in bed at night and relive moments they regret.
Even after Peride's interjection and Onur's subsequent understanding, he is still only thinking of his behavior towards Sherazat, of his interest in only her. Kerem brings up the question of the boy's father. Where is he? He's checked her file: she's single. So she is either divorced or widowed; which does Onur think it is? Imagine leaving your son in the hospital to come to work; how could she do it? It's only when Kerem brings these questions up that that Onur starts to think about more than just his behavior toward her that one night. Becoming interested in her life, taking a real interest in her son, these are things that will eventually make him fall in love with her. Sherazat also hears about Onur's father, his generosity, the circumstances of his death, all when Onur was just 12 years old. A crack opens for her as well. Some understanding if not affection. Just as in 1001 nights, the more they learn about each other, the more they begin to change.
They meet in a hotel. Onur has been secretive about his plans for the evening, not happy with the way it came about but also not wanting to call it off. Sherazat prepares for the evening by closing herself off, literally shutting herself in her bedroom to get ready. She shuts out her son, her new friend, the rest of her home, almost as if to turn herself off and compartmentalize the coming hours.
When they go up to the room they will share for the night, she is like a statue, stopping immobile just inside the door. Onur takes her wrap, release her hair from its band. He is mesmerized, so close to the object he desires, and she is in torture, putting herself through an abhorrent experience out of necessity. He reaches to take the shoulder of her dress down and she raises her hand in an involuntary attempt to clutch the dress back to her chest. They both realize what she's done but it doesn't stop him. He proceeds what he perceives to be tendresse.
In the morning she leaves while she thinks he is still asleep, taking the bag of money he has left. He watches from the balcony as she walks out of the hotel and get into a taxi. She goes immediately to the hospital to give the money over to the doctor for her son Kaan's treatment. She then spends the morning walking around wretchedly and curled up on her bed in the evening. For his part, Onur believes she asked for a loan simply out of gall after getting her promotion. He never considered she had a specific reason for such a sum. And she leaves without a word, taking the money, that he assumes she conducted a transaction that had no emotion behind it.
A meeting in Dubai takes the both of them to a hotel again, alone after the meeting is over, and overnight because there are no flights available. Having misunderstood her motives and unable to stop thinking about her, Onur offers her double the sum for one more night. This time however, she doesn't need the money and can show her true feelings about the proposition. She rejects him with the full force of her disgust. And he has the opportunity to see her unguarded reaction. He apologizes immediately and has to beg her to stay the night--in her own room--and finish out the trip. Once back in Istanbul, before going back to the office though, he forces a stop off for coffee to give them a chance to calm down. He apologizes again, profusely, and sincerely but without really understanding the extent of his transgression. He begs her to not think of it again, that she will never hear anything like this from him again.
He immediately breaks that promise by asking, earnestly baffled, "Why did you sleep with me?"
Because he can't figure it out. He doesn't know if he was mistaken about her motive originally and her repugnance at the thought of a second night gives him pause. As they had been working together since spending their Black Night together he has seen more of her character and begins to feel she is possibly different from other women, despite her actions that night and the morning following. Even to the extent that he asks his housekeeper and confidant, is he a bad person? He is doubting his truths.
Unfortunately in making such supplications only to then demand a reason in the next breath he has completely lost all respect in Sherazat's eyes.
Over the course of Kaan's treatment Sherazat brings him to a foundation event for kids with leukemia. They say hello to major donors, are generally available as an example of what good the foundation can do. And Sherazat is happy to be a part of it. She and Kaan have benefited from the work they do, and she is the kind of person who wants to foster relationships that will help more people. However two of the attendees to the fundraiser are Peride and Secal, Onur and Kerem's mothers. They meet Kaan and Sherazat , not realizing she is the award-winning architect they have been hearing so much about from their sons.
And then it all comes together. Onur's mother is in his office for a visit and in walks Sherazat. Peride explains all about Sherazat's son, his costly operation and how they met at the foundation event. The other three are speechless. Kerem is stunned that she has a son, and that they didn't know the burden she was under. Onur of course suddenly realizes what he has done. He not only assumed she was arrogant enough to ask for a loan based on some small success but also that she thought so little of him that she might sleep with any one who made the offer.
To his credit he cannot look her in the eye while she, defiant, looks straight at him, daring him to show her he knows. He goes into the bathroom and takes a long, hard look at himself in the mirror.
Later that evening the men and their mothers discuss what to do now, having an employee who lied about having a child. Kerem insists they change their rules.
"We're not ruthless people, are we?" Onur's eyes flash to Kerem. Strike one.
Onur asks, will break their business principles? There is a foundation of many years of business practice and will they throw it all out for one woman, however deserving? It mirrors the thoughts he's had all day.
Kerem replies that they are the ones who made the rules, they can change them. Strike two.
Onur agrees off-offhandedly. The mothers are pleased.
"Put yourself in Sherazat's place," Kerem offers. "You need a vast sum for an operation. What would you do?" Onur, of course, has no answer.
"Without thinking for a second, I'd do the same," says Peride. Boom! Strike three.
His mother, who constantly bemoans his father's weakness in allowing a woman to lure him away from his family, has unwittingly taken the side of a woman he paid to spend the night with him. Because she was doing what she had to for her son. And the music confirms the gravitas of the moment.
It's here that we get the vindication we have been waiting on. For even though the whole story is overall a romance and we've witnessed his budding interest and even some small measure of tenderness, (though born of an unhealthy obsession,) here is where we see the full effect of his realization take hold. We need this catharsis to be able to believe in the hero of the romance. We watch a montage of their conversations play out as each of them lay in bed at night and relive moments they regret.
Even after Peride's interjection and Onur's subsequent understanding, he is still only thinking of his behavior towards Sherazat, of his interest in only her. Kerem brings up the question of the boy's father. Where is he? He's checked her file: she's single. So she is either divorced or widowed; which does Onur think it is? Imagine leaving your son in the hospital to come to work; how could she do it? It's only when Kerem brings these questions up that that Onur starts to think about more than just his behavior toward her that one night. Becoming interested in her life, taking a real interest in her son, these are things that will eventually make him fall in love with her. Sherazat also hears about Onur's father, his generosity, the circumstances of his death, all when Onur was just 12 years old. A crack opens for her as well. Some understanding if not affection. Just as in 1001 nights, the more they learn about each other, the more they begin to change.
Thursday, May 31, 2018
Binbir Gece, the proposition
A bit of background: This Sherazat is widowed, estranged from her husband’s family who blame her for his death, now a single mother to her young son who has cancer. We find out that a bone marrow donor has been found but the operation will cost $200,000. She has come up with some of the funds but also exhausted every other possibility of obtaining more including braving humiliation twice from her father-in-law when asking for his help both in his home where is the patriarch and at the company he owns.
She is in a dire situation.
She is also a strong, determined, resourceful, kind person. And not without friends, including an old college chum, and another female architect at Binyapi, Onur and Kerem’s company. Aside from being late a couple times, she takes in stride her work for the firm and also being made the project coordinator, despite her bleak circumstances.
The idea has been floated by her college friend that she ask her bosses for a loan from the company. But she’s a temp and has a son which the firm does not know about. She has been refused by companies in the past when looking for work because of her son, the reason being that she will not be as devoted to work. (Not very empowering of women, this workforce environment.) So she would not only be asking a huge favor, let alone as a temp, but would also not be able to explain the reason why. If a child is cause for concern, a fatally ill child is probably grounds for dismissal.
And now for the good stuff.
Throughout the series there is a pattern of bosses working with their female counterparts, usually in the boss’ office, often putting in extra hours. It happens in 3 separate instances with female Binyapi employees. I cannot tell if this a Binbir Gece thing, a Turkish work culture thing, or a holdover from the 50’s. It could be as simple as soap opera mechanics. But in this series, it serves to demonstrate how similar circumstances can lead to very different outcomes.
Throughout the series there is a pattern of bosses working with their female counterparts, usually in the boss’ office, often putting in extra hours. It happens in 3 separate instances with female Binyapi employees. I cannot tell if this a Binbir Gece thing, a Turkish work culture thing, or a holdover from the 50’s. It could be as simple as soap opera mechanics. But in this series, it serves to demonstrate how similar circumstances can lead to very different outcomes.
Early in the 1st episode we are introduced to Onur’s disdain for unprofessionalism and his prejudice against Sherazat by witnessing his growing irritation at her being late for a meeting. Several staff have assembled and they are all waiting on her. Later a blonde woman named Jale fabricates an excuse to go to Onur’s office to try to create this kind of close working relationship by coming on to him. She purposefully waits until the secretary has left her post at her desk smack dab between Onur and Kerem’s offices. She also knows Onur is alone. She comes in under the pretense of not having had the opportunity to voice some ideas about the project. She is also a temp architect, like Sherazat. And there is no misinterpreting her motive. Onur shuts her down immediately, telling her to get out, and calling HR after she leaves to have her fired. The entire incident demonstrates Onur’s contempt, and it sparks a distrust of temp help, which fuels his doubt as to Sherazat’s competency to lead the project. He and Kerem banter about which of them will be in the lead for the Dubai project, which architect will be the project coordinator, all of which will of course put those two in the situation of working many long hours together. Onur even pretends to not remember Sherazat’s name. Kerem calls him on out it, because how could you forget the name of the one woman who changes the sultan's mind? Onur insists he will take lead on Dubai; It’s decided Sherazat will be the coordinator. But just before they make the announcementr, Jale makes her move. So Onur is doubtful, Kerem insists.
As they work together he seems to be over his doubts. We see them both working into the evening, even after the unflappable administrative assistant the two men share has been dismissed for the day. It’s late, Sherazat has not complained about being there so long, and Onur decides they are done too. She gathers her things but hesitates before leaving. Throughout their work he is direct, completely professional, and trusts his colleague’s knowledge. But when she hesitates to leave directly, he is visibly apprehensive. Is she going to try something? Did he make a mistake in trusting her?
She does leave but decides she must ask for the loan and goes back into his office. She keeps her distance as he sits at his desk. He is surprised to see here again but appears genuinely open to listen, thinking it must be about the project. Until the moment she asks for a loan. He stares and we see the change in his demeanor immediately by the drop in his gaze and the tucking in of his chin. She has just proved all his suspicions. His faith in even her work ability was misplaced and she is not worthy of his good opinion. (Mr. Darcy, anyone?) The whole time, she looks him straight in the eye, a show of sincerity. And he mocks her. With fervor.
She retracts the question and apologizes. He does not know what it cost her and she does not want him to. He continues, choosing to reprimand her instead. He wants to know why she needs the loan. Still she is ready to walk away. She will not expose her private life (and good for her) for his judgement. A third time he reproaches her. (Things in threes is very in keeping with fairy tales and stories like 1001 Nights. I hope it was intentional.) No company would do this; she turns to leave.
And we see him have an idea.
Why won’t she tell him? Why won’t she scheme? She knows she is out of line but something has forced her hand. Yet she is willing to drop it if the answer is ‘no’. Why? Is there honor in keeping her reasons to herself? Is she possibly the one woman who is worthy, like Sherazat in his beloved story? He can’t let her go. He decides he will test her.
He proposes the loan in full, with a price: 1 night with him.
It’s a despicable offer, to be sure, but when trying to stay true to the original story in a modern way, it certainly fits the bill.
He watches her reaction unflinchingly, as if playing Poker, ready to call a bluff. He wants her to pass this test. When she throws his offer back in his face and walks out, her vehemence gives him hope. He is genuinely happy.
His future brightens just as hers dims. Because she needs the money. She has no other means to save her son’s life. When she comes through the door again, he is still pleased by what he considers to be her honorable response. The second she agrees however, he becomes stony once again. She states her own conditions unflichingly.
When he agrees, he has the chance to come clean. He could say that he was glad for her response, that whatever her reasons he is willing to help her, he will keep her confidence and of course, apologize.
But he doesn’t. Instead he will go through with it because he wants to. She has captivated him and he will follow through with his scheme. He will be stronger than his father. The sultan will tame Sherazat.
Wednesday, May 30, 2018
Binbir Gece, obsession introduction
Technology is weird. It's fantastic and gives you access to a multitude of things you never had before, but is also limited by its database of information. You only have access to what--and how--information gets put in. So now I can watch everyday shows from Turkey, and not just the breakout films that make it to Cannes. But on the flip side, Turkish copyright laws might also apply, giving me access to only a partial episode list. Or, if I fancy doing a bit of research on said new interest, I can only go so far as what someone else has added to the net. Technology is wonderful, opens up new worlds, but in a strangely analog-limited kind of way. A flying car is still a car.
We are limited by the amount of information published even though there's vastly more information out there to sift through. If no one else thought it important to follow up, you get to a dead end pretty quick in your quest. It's like genealogy for entertainment. If there's no leaf, or no Wiki, you can't go any further.
Which is how I got exposed to a show from 2006. Practically ancient history. But brand new to me! Take Netflix for example: the Turkish soap opera Binbir Gece (1001 Nights) appeared in my queue, based on other titles and subject matter, and with a % rating to help guide me to more fulfilling choices. 92% match--you are more likely to like this than something else. Choose this!* it says. We've curated entertainment to your tastes. Regardless of when and where, here's what's best for you. And here's what I love about technology: I never knew about this fantastic thing out there that I would absolutely love. I don't have an interest in Turkish soap opera in general. But a romantic story arc loosely based on the 1001 Nights story and relationship turmoil? I'm in! Technology, I love you.
However, those possible dead ends? Ah yes...only 49 of 90 episodes are available. Boo! 49 ended at a real cliff hanger too.
And how do I know there are 90 episodes? Some of that aforementioned tv genealogical research. If I can trust the search results. The seasons of television are broken up differently in other countries. They don't follow your rules and they don't need to. But try to find out which episode 26 you are looking at, S1e26? or S2e26? or maybe even S1 + 1/2 of S2 = 40e total. You see? It's translated math looking through a foreign lens.
And where to source episodes 50 - 90? Nada. Nowhere. At least, not that my sleuthing could find. I ran across a few episodes in sketchy posts, unsure of where I was in the story arc, and without subtitles. (See bad math above.) Nor could any of my personal help desk arsenal. Even my technology has technology--we all have a friend or loved one we turn to with our computer problems. So I've exhausted my resources at this point. Technology, you left me wanting.
And Netflix, whazzup? Is my copyright law guess correct? I'm begging you, get those streaming if you can.
So, a soap opera based on 1001 nights...which is to say a sultan so paranoid and jaded by his wife's unfaithfulness that he swears off all women by means of genocide. The retelling stays pretty aware of its source text. No one goes on a psychotic murdering spree, but we do meet Onur, the head of a successful business along with his best friend and partner, Kerem. Both are legacies of the company their late fathers started. Both are rich, have society mothers, and good manners. However, while Kerem is more happy-go-lucky, Onur stands in for Sultan Shahryar. His father died in the bed of his mistress, his mother won't forgive or forget him, and she makes sure Onur never forgets his father's failing either, though the blame for it lies entirely with the trickery of the woman. She bewitched his father and led him astray. As a direct result of becoming fatherless in these circumstances, Onur has taken up the 1001 Nights as his own framework for relationships. Don't fall into the same trap, my son, he is told over and over again, to the point that reminds himself through his obsession with the tale of 1001 Nights.
Enter Sehrazat. Literally. She is an award-winning architect Onur and Kerem's firm hires through a temp agency as a means to win a bid for a very large project in Dubai. How could he not stumble over that? She has the very name of the sultan's saving grace.
Now you see where the romance comes in. For Onur knows how the story ends. And though he continues to fixate on the reasons to not fall in love, maintaining women's general folly, quoting the text to Kerem by heart, (or from the book--he carries it with him for crying out loud) he is secretly hoping to be won over. Looking for a spark of hope, for the one woman who is worthy. We see this as early as the 2nd episode when Sehrazat is called into Onur's office for the announcement that she will be the coordinator on this big new project. She is nervous, thinking it can't be good to get called into the boss's office, and declines the offer of a drink. She doesn't drink, thank you. Onur has been irritated, shifting his gaze around, upset that she was late to work and he's had to wait for her to arrive. Not the kind of behavior usually rewarded with a promotion. He is rankled further. Asks Kerem if they shouldn't reconsider. Barely looks at her as she comes in. But at that statement, his attention is arrested and he stares. Needs a moment to compose himself and continue with the agenda. Kerem takes note. The violin music begins to play in earnest. And Onur begins to wonder... A sign of purity, as she sits in a white dress. He tells her the news of her promotion and she looks him in the eye. He looks quickly away, unable to continue to meet her gaze. Already in the next scene he has sought out the classical piece of music, the Sherazat suite, and sits in contemplation of his discovery.
I'm going to lay out a general disclaimer which I will probably refer back to now again: I am of western culture. I have visited Europe; I have also been exposed to Eastern thought and philosophy. I may infer things but will surely misstep. My apologies up front. One does not learn from television shows if one is wise. But oh, Technology, you lead me on.
* I wonder what other things will pop up because I've added Turkish subtitles to the mix? Musings for another time. Algorithms, you fickle fiends.
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