Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- witty
- bittersweet
- cathartic
- political cinema night
- world cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as an affecting and politically sharp blend of social comedy, music, and drama about life under military rule.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The military delegation's carefully managed welcome ceremony turns official ceremony into a target of satire.
An instrumental anthem transforms the delegation ceremony because of its political associations.
Local musicians are compelled to perform state-approved anthems while their music remains entangled with opposing political identities.
The band is instructed to avoid political meanings even as the ceremony makes those meanings unavoidable.
Films like The International, and why
The Lives of Others
shared political repression, darkly comic resistance, and music as a vehicle for social meaning
Good Bye Lenin!
shared authoritarian-state satire, ensemble drama, and the collision of ordinary life with political power
Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
shared Turkish political context, family-centered drama, and emotionally charged social realism
Movie Details
- Directors
- Sırrı Süreyya Önder, Muharrem Gülmez
- Release Date
- 2006-12-29
- Runtime
- 106 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (60)
Cast
- Cezmi Baskın
- Özgü Namal
- Umut Kurt
- Bahri Beyat
- Meral Okay
- Nazmi Kırık
- Oktay Kaynarca
- Dilber Ay
- Sırrı Süreyya Önder
- Erdal Gülver
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The International about?
- A small Anatolian band turns a military welcome ceremony into a quietly defiant clash between music, memory, and authoritarian power.
- What is The International like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The International as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The International violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The International as moderate.
- What did critics think of The International?
- Critics broadly regard the film as an affecting and politically sharp blend of social comedy, music, and drama about life under military rule.
- Which films are like The International?
- Films with a similar feel include The Lives of Others, Good Bye Lenin!, and Once Upon a Time in Anatolia.
- How long is The International?
- The International runs 106 minutes.
- Where can I watch The International?
- In United States, The International is available to rent or buy from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube.
