There’s no official order for Kenan (Berk Hakman) to be handcuffed for the duration of the ride to Matalya where the lieutenant in the Turkish army is set to be interrogated and arraigned for assaulting a fellow soldier in “Edge of Night,” but nonetheless Sinan (Ahmet Rifat Sungar), the officer assigned to accompany him, insists on them. Others may be surprised at the request or even the fact that he’s on the job when the two are brothers, but Kenan is not since the two have been long estranged, ever since their father, a military man himself, faced trial and Sinan gave the testimony that would’ve put him away if he didn’t take his life shortly after, so it can’t come as a shock that he accepted the assignment from Colonel Demirkan (Ahmet Kaynak).
What does end up taking both by surprise sets up a provocative potboiler in Türker Süer’s accomplished feature debut when the overnight transport is interrupted by news that a military coup is in progress, throwing the country into chaos but just as readily the position of the two brothers whose status is tied so strongly to their national allegiances. Whereas Kenan was prepared to leave Turkey altogether, having lost faith in the system which the family had devoted so much to over the years with multiple generations serving their country, Sinan has to start thinking about an escape plan himself when it’s possible that Colonel Demirkan is part of the coup, not taking his phone calls after violence breaks out in Istanbul and Ankara, yet couldn’t in good conscience join Kenan on the run.
There’s not much time to weigh options when “Edge of Night” takes place over a fraught 48 hours, and following Sinan’s every move closely, often trailing him pacing about as if trapped in a maze with a claustrophobic spherical lens, the film offers a bigger picture of Turkey’s contemporary political situation where expressing even mild dissent is tantamount to being considered a traitor. “This is just a regular, harmless task,” Sinan can be heard telling his wife Eda (Eda Akalin) upon getting the undesirable assignment to transport his brother to a military tribunal, yet there’s the sense that such contentious discussions regarding family matters intertwined with political considerations are happening all over the country over less obvious conflicts. The sheen of cool, colorful lighting of “Thief”-era Michael Mann (not to mention a Tangerine Dream-esque synth score from Ozan Tekin) offer a way in for the casual viewer to see what a dark place everyone is in.
Both Hakman and Sungar bring conviction to the headstrong brothers who don’t give each other an inch, but their back-and-forth is enough to keep the thriller going at an engaging clip and Süer impresses with wringing out tension from as little as possible. A scene in which Sinan loses track of Kenan employs sound in particularly affecting fashion and throughout the film takes a less is more approach when fear becomes a far more overwhelming obstacle than what’s immediately in front of anyone. In a place where there’s a growing feeling of disconnection, “Edge of Night” makes them.
“Gecenin Kiyisi (Edge of Night)” will screen again at the Venice Film Festival on September 7th at 9 am at Sala Corinto.