Overview
In the harsh landscape of eastern Turkey, survival becomes a battle against time and fate for a group of soldiers.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- tense
- harrowing
- patriotic
- serious movie night
- war cinema marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film's realist technical craft, immersive atmosphere, and emotionally forceful depiction of Turkish soldiers, while finding its patriotic heroism and loose political perspective divisive.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The remote patrol station, ambushes, snowbound terrain, and continuous threat place viewers directly inside the soldiers' battlefield experience.
The patrol station's small group of Turkish soldiers relies on camaraderie while facing near-certain death.
The film remains patriotic and centers Turkish commandos, while reviewers note its deliberately murky political stance toward the PKK conflict.
The soldiers defend an isolated patrol station in the mountainous eastern Turkish landscape during winter conditions.
Films like The Breath, and why
Full Metal Jacket
shared military realism, squad camaraderie, combat anxiety, and disturbing depiction of warfare
The Hurt Locker
shared war drama intensity, remote battlefield isolation, and morally charged soldier perspective
Black Hawk Down
shared patriotic military drama, escalating combat tension, and immersive battlefield realism
Platoon
shared small-unit camaraderie, fatalistic combat atmosphere, and graphic war realism
Movie Details
- Director
- Levent Semerci
- Release Date
- 2009-10-15
- Runtime
- 128 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (146)
Cast
- Mete Horozoğlu
- İlker Kızmaz
- İbrahim Aköz
- Serkan Altintas
- Okan Avcı
- Birce Akalay
- Ertunc Atar
- Baris Aydin
- Engin Baykal
- Muharrem Bayrak
Common questions
- What is The Breath about?
- A snowbound Turkish military outpost becomes a pressure cooker of brotherhood, patriotism, and mortal fear as a small squad awaits an overwhelming attack.
- What is The Breath like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Breath as measured, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Breath violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Breath as graphic.
- What did critics think of The Breath?
- Critics broadly praised the film's realist technical craft, immersive atmosphere, and emotionally forceful depiction of Turkish soldiers, while finding its patriotic heroism and loose political perspective divisive.
- Which films are like The Breath?
- Films with a similar feel include Full Metal Jacket, The Hurt Locker, Black Hawk Down, and Platoon.
- How long is The Breath?
- The Breath runs 128 minutes.
