Mustang: A Character Driven Film That Subverts Genre

Mustang is a beautiful character driven film, telling a tale of the realities of forced marriages in the country of Turkey. The film is a drama but subverts the genre, especially in the third act. The five sisters in the film are described by the director, Deniz Gamze Ergüven as, “One main character with five heads”. They all have different character traits and distinct personalities. All five girls could also be seen as different responses to or possible outcomes of forced marriages.

The title of the film accurately describes the main characters’ nature. The young girls are curious, free spirits, much like a mustang or wild horse. The sisters are kept inside, which also keeps all five of them from enjoying youth. Their grandmother’s house becomes a prison when bars are put up and they are not allowed to leave. When they finally break out of their prison, the girls roam free like a horse finally released into the wild.

Each sister responds differently to forced marriage. Sonay has a boyfriend and refuses to be married to some random boy her family selects for her. Refusing to marry some random suitor, she happily marries her boyfriend. Selma is unhappy at her wedding shared with her sister. She just wants to be left alone, not be pestered by people who are trying to determine or prove that she is a pure virgin before marriage. Lale is the character who goes through the most notable change. She goes from a young girl who loves soccer, watching her older sisters getting married off and sent away, to a strong leader who successfully escapes from the house with her sister, Nur. Both of the youngest sisters refuse to participate in the forced marriage tradition. Ece responds to life in the strict household and Uncle Erol abusing her by committing suicide. Some girls go along with the marriage tradition and some fight for their freedom from “captivity”.

The film is primarily a drama movie but moments of levity and laughter are included throughout. This makes the film all that much more beautiful and touching. The audience feels sympathy for the five sisters. The serious, sad scenes hit much harder after being shown the girls having fun together and bonding. The scenes with the girls having fun at the soccer game and enjoying a drive together in the back of a truck help give the film a much more hopeful feel. Ece provides comedy at the dinner table, playing with her sisters which is much needed not just for the characters in a tense situation but the audience as well.

The third act of the film is drastically different from the first two acts of the movie. The final act of the movie resembles more of a suspenseful thriller horror, starring Uncle Erol as the monster. The audience is left with extreme tension, hoping the girls will escape the house but fearing they will be captured by their uncle. None of the female characters are villains. Only Erol, who is abusive, bad tempered, strictly controlling and violent. The grandmother protects her granddaughters from Erol; cutting out the power so the girls are not spotted on the televised soccer game they snuck out to attend.

The film does a wonderful job at creating real, compelling and sympathetic characters. The transition to a horrifying third act is powerful; successfully painting a picture of the serious, dangerous and harsh reality of forced marriages. The culture and pressure amongst peers can also force people to become overwhelmingly conservative and cruel like Erol, who marries off his nieces so they are not seen as inappropriate girls who pleasure themselves before marriage. When, what really could damage these girls is the denial of their youth and their ability to just be kids, exploring and experiencing different things. Luckily, the last two sisters living at home make their escape and make it to freedom. Freedom to enjoy youth once again.