FM4 WORLD CINEMA

Urban Stories
Thematic Comparison

Themes to Compare
Context of time and place
Production
Film

Representation of the city

The city as a character in itself
The influence of the urban environment on the characters

Representation of Power
Physical / Authority / Power / Gender / Social Class / Money /
Family

Representation of Poverty
Material / Emotional / Education / Opportunity

Representation of Conflict
Physical / Psychological (of the mind!) / Emotional / Material /
Social & Cultural / Family & relationships

Context of Time & Place

Production where and when it
was made
Head On
2004, Germany / Turkey European
Union & Turkish Immigration

Context of Time & Place

Films setting
where and when it
is set
Head On
2004 Hamburg,
Germany & Istanbul,
Turkey
Begins with life in
Hamburg and then
grows and develops
to show life in
Istanbul

Representation of the City

The city as a
character in itself
Head On
Graffiti / late night bars
& night clubs / empty
dark streets / rundown
apartment / blocks of
flats / dark
Wide open spaces /
mostly light

Representation of the City

The influence of the urban
environment on the characters
Head On
Sense of entrapment & addiction to the
environment & the escapism from reality
that it can offer
They are able to escape at the end as
they use the urban environment for their
own personal means, rather than it using
them

Representation of Power
Physical
Head On
Anger & aggression
physical harm offers a
release
Sexual power & use of
sex to gain a feeling of
power

Authority
Head On
Psychiatrist / Law
(prison)

Representation of Power
Gender
Head On
Male family members
appear to hold power
Women actually hold power
Sibel , her mum & cousin
are all powerful in their own
way & are able to
manipulate the men &
different situations to their
own advantage it isnt
without some compromise
though

Representation of power
Social class
Head On
More about ethnicity than social status
Cahits social status is unclear but he
chooses to live & look like hes part of
the underclass & he doesnt want the
power associated with being middle class

Representation of Power
Family
Head On
The traditional Turkish
family exert power but
Sibel (and Cahit) feel
repressed by this.
Sibels instinct is to
rebel. Cahit is
respectful but
opposing.

Representation of Power
Relationships
Head On
The love affair between
Cahit and Sibel is powerful,
destructive and addictive.
The film is centred around
their relationship, its
development and how each
character is changed by it.

Representation of Poverty

Material
Head On
There is a sense of
material
impoverishment
with Cahit. His
apartment is a
wreck but this is
something he
chooses , he prefers
to spend his money
on drugs and
alcohol.

Representation of poverty
Emotional
Head On
Cahit is emotionally
impoverished. His
need for drink,
drugs and his sense
of destruction can
all be seen to be a
reaction to his
inability to express
his emotional pain.

Representation of Poverty
Education
Head On
They appear to be educated and
knowledgeable but Sibel seeks other
experiences and Cahit is too depressed to
care. We know that he is educated about
music though.
Education isnt important to Cahit when
asked why his Turkish is so bad he replies he
threw it away.

Representation of Poverty
Opportunity
Head On
Sibel is denied opportunity to express
herself by her family and Cahit denies
himself opportunity to feel alive / have
fun. Through meeting they are able to
create new opportunities that help each
other.

Representation of Conflict
Physical
Head On
Conflict between Cahit & man at bar,
Marienne, Nico and himself.

Psychological
Head On
Cahit wants to hate the world & die but
ends up loving Sibel & wants to live

Representation of Conflict
Emotional
Head On
Sibel wants to lead her
own life and encounter
new experiences but
doesnt want to bring
shame on her mother or
family for fear they will
kill her.
Cahit wants to help Sibel
but he doesnt want a
relationship, although he
finds himself falling in
love with Sibel, she is
oblivious to this for a
while and this emotional
conflict is a source of pain
for Cahit.

Representation of conflict
Material
Head On
Cahit shuns all material
possessions and Sibel
just wants experiences.
Neither of them have
material conflict the
conflict they experience
is physical and
emotional.

Representation of Conflict
Social / Cultural
Head On
Cultural conflict is
evident Sibel wants to
live a western life but
her parents practice
Turkish traditions.
Cahit threw his Turkish
away but ironically
finds peace at the end
when he goes back to his
roots.

Representation of Conflict
Relationships
Head On
Sibel & Cahits relationship is a
source of conflict they are in
flux of wanting each other but
not being able to be together at
different stages of the film. The
film is driven by their desire to
be together but it ironically
ends with them being apart.

Representation of Conflict
Family
Head On
Sibels conflict with her family is what
drives her without the conflict (and
fear) with her father and brother, she
wouldnt have asked Cahit to marry her
and their relationship would never
have happened.