Overview
A former bandit returns to a world transformed, seeking vengeance and redemption.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- melancholic
- propulsive
- sorrowful
- classic cinema night
- turkish film night
What critics said
Critics broadly admire the film’s detailed craft, sorrowful legendary storytelling, and energetic blend of Turkish traditions with American-style action, despite some reservations about its execution.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Baran emerges after 35 years in prison to find his village submerged and his traditional worldview alien in contemporary Turkey.
Baran is presented as a legendary bandit, and the film draws on eastern literary traditions of outlaw honor and vengeance.
Baran travels from the vanished village to Istanbul, where his old-fashioned methods contrast with Cumali and the city crime boss.
Baran discovers that dam construction has placed his former home village underwater, turning personal displacement into a concrete image.
Films like The Bandit, and why
Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
Shares a revenge-driven crime narrative, morally complex protagonists, and a mournful romantic atmosphere.
The Lives of Others
Combines crime, romance, betrayal, and emotionally charged revenge with a strong sense of national cinematic identity.
Unforgiven
Features an aging, legendary outsider confronting a transformed society through violence, loyalty, and retribution.
The Departed
Pairs criminal underworld danger with doomed romance, betrayal, and a propulsive action-drama structure.
Movie Details
- Director
- Yavuz Turgul
- Release Date
- 1996-11-29
- Runtime
- 128 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (375)
Cast
- Şener Şen
- Uğur Yücel
- Sermin Hürmeriç
- Yeşim Salkım
- Kamran Usluer
- Kayhan Yıldızoğlu
- Necdet Mahfi Ayral
- Güven Hokna
- Özkan Uğur
- Ülkü Duru
Common questions
- What is The Bandit about?
- A legendary Turkish bandit returns from a 35-year prison sentence to pursue betrayal, lost love, and criminal debts in a transformed country.
- What is The Bandit like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Bandit as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Bandit violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Bandit as brutal.
- What did critics think of The Bandit?
- Critics broadly admire the film’s detailed craft, sorrowful legendary storytelling, and energetic blend of Turkish traditions with American-style action, despite some reservations about its execution.
- Which films are like The Bandit?
- Films with a similar feel include Once Upon a Time in Anatolia, The Lives of Others, Unforgiven, and The Departed.
- How long is The Bandit?
- The Bandit runs 128 minutes.
