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Yilmaz Güney - Umutsuzlar AKA The Hopeless Ones (1971)





Fırat, his mother and his younger sister grew up in poverty while his father died in prison. He supported the family by selling sesame rolls on the street. Later he founded a gang with his friends and became famous as the feared leader and gunman of a Mafia group. (In the film you never see the group´s criminal activities, in fact they act as a sort of Robin Hood organization, with the people appealing to the group which sits in a large room in their villa like in a sort of court, with Fırat presiding and passing judgment.)

Like all his group members, Fırat has remained a bachelor, he had never even looked at a woman before he met Çiğdem, a classical dancer from a bourgeois family. They have a passionate relationship, then Çiğdem leaves him, because she cannot stand his Mafia background and his gun-craziness.

The film starts after more than a year has passed, but neither Fırat nor Çiğdem are able to forget each other, they remain passionately in love. They resume the relationship which does not please the gang members. They appeal to Fırat to put an end to it, Fırat refuses and in return asks them if they had never been in love, if they had never longed for love, family life and children.

Fırat´s sister is going to be married, Çiğdem visits his mother and sister. They had originally planned a double wedding, but they both know why Çiğdem cannot marry Fırat, they agree with Çiğdem, but are sad about it. Still the wedding takes place, but it´s a sad affair.

Meanwhile, with the relationship being on and off several times, Fırat is attacked by members of a rival Mafia gang while being out alone in a phone booth talking to Çığdem. The talk about Fırat being in love had already undermined the group´s reputation, and they agree with the rival gang to have Fırat killed. 


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