About Dry Grasses (2023)

DVD CASE/ SIDE

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Length of film:  197 Minutes

Rated: 15

Genre: Drama

Director: Nuri Bilge Ceylan

Starring: Deniz Celiloglu, Merve Dizdar, Musab Ekici, Ece Bagci, Erdem Senocak

IMDB Rank:7.8 /10

Part 1 Time:  118 Minutes

Part 2 Time:   79 Minutes

Where does the first part end? Samet (Deniz Celiloglu) speaks with another teacher co-worker Tolga (Erdem Senocak) about his frustrations in regards to his professional misconduct accusations.

Final line of dialogue on the first part: “He thinks he can dump it in my lap. What a rat,” states Samet.

First line of dialogue on the second part:  No dialogue in the opening scene of the second part as Samet witnesses Kenan (Musab Ekici) and Nuray (Merve Dizdar) walking together in town. In the next scene, Kenan returns home and says; “Hi” to Samet.

How jarring is it when the first part ends? Minimal, Samet and Kenan both face professional misconduct accusations, which have no doubt spread across the remote village of Eastern Anatolia. Tension builds between Kenan and Samet as both look to impress Nuray.

Which part is better? Director Nuri Bilge Ceylan does a masterful job of showcasing the monotonous quality of rural life and the pursuit of understanding life’s purpose when living in isolation. The film is mostly composed of long dialogue scenes between characters and is not for every film viewer. Part two is given the slight advantage as tension builds between Samet, Kenan and Nuray resulting in complex conversations about individualism and collectivism within the human condition.

Academy Awards: None

Other Awards: 2023- Palme d’Or (Nominated)