Errington_92 The slow pace of Bal works to great affect as it explores the tribulations of a young boy not only with the conventional use of a storyline narrative but also with a range of beautiful compositions which equals the sophisticated style of vivid portraits.Yusuf is a young boy who is an outsider yet vastly intelligent. He is at odds with his school life never fitting in amongst his peers, constantly watching them from a distance along with struggling in parts of his studies. When Yusuf stutters through a reading in class minimal techniques are used, only the camera slowly tracking towards Yusuf and multiple POV shots of school peers focusing on Yusuf in awkward silence contain the scenes vibe yet it strikes such an impact emotionally feeling Yusuf's embarrassment. Whereas watching Yusuf with his Father in a simple static shot as they work and explore in the local woodlands shows his deep connection with nature by knowing the names and mannerisms of various plants, it is wonderful to witness the bond the pair have and to feel Yusuf's tranquillity. The techniques used to capture these moments are simple yet effective showing the brilliance of Bal.Bal contains strong visual elements not only in the minimal techniques used to capture Yusuf's story but in the compositions which are styled with outstanding detail. Yusuf sat alone in a barn facing the camera in mostly dark lighting to inhabit his depressing mood before the head of his Father's donkey appears from behind Yusuf to provide comic relief convey his mood in the same manner a later dream sequence. After his Father goes missing Yusuf begins to have haunting dreams, one of which is himself stood alone in the forest with the visuals being one of a greyish palette before dead bees drop into his hand as a foreboding of his Father's death.In a way it is hard to describe Bal as a film because its much more. Bal is a piece of visual art that transcends from its quiet storyline to present the atmosphere and emotions embedded in Yusuf's life as well as those around him with striking use of compositions and ingenuity. Bal is not a viewing experience for everyone, only those who appreciate the visual sophistication celluloid can offer will be moved by this film.

dominus1642 In order to make a film deep and engaging, it doesn't always require a philosophic brilliance in the idea or an alien avant-garde approach to it.specifically if its to be in the domain of realism like this drama does all the depth and beauty of the art depends on the simplicity and reality which the filmmaker invest in his work. its the third of Semih Kaplanoglu's Yousuf trilogy; the final one. and like the previous ones it pretty much relies on the same approach. The simple yet emotionally developing life of a kid is beautifully portrayed. Throughout the movie one finds himself passing through a subtle experience, a slow, deeply rich performance something which is more of the characteristics of European cinema.Besides the director has done good cinematography and a concise script that fits brilliantly with the nature and country side.I would recommend it to all those that hold cinema higher than the source of mere recreation. its simple yet powerful you will definitely enjoy it.

Atreyu_II 'Bal' is an interesting Turkish drama with inspiration on European cinema and they really managed to make it look European.Overall, it's a neat movie, with no unpleasant surprises and nothing offensive or questionable. Interesting it is, but could be a little more involving. It's a touching story but moves very slowly, maybe too much for its own good. However, the biggest problem is that it lacks something, perhaps more soul and emotion. Also, it is much too repetitive, with way too many scenes which nothing special happens, most scenes are basically more of the same, many of which show nothing but the boy walking very slowly and looking around empty rooms. Much of it is pretty silent, as there are few dialogs.There is beautiful cinematography and settings.The little boy of the film, Yusuf, is quite cute and the actor who portrays him (Bora Atlas) does a fine job but he must have felt awfully bored with this role, as it prevents him from doing so much he could do. The boy in the film must be one of the shyest children I've ever seen in a movie. He is very very quiet and calm, talks very little but seems to suffer from a serious lack of ability to read. You can tell he's feeling awful for not being able to read properly but he can't help it.A reasonable movie but not as remarkable as it should be. I enjoyed it but something's missing.

kosmasp It is noble of the director filming his story and finding peace within himself by telling his story. Unfortunately I can't say the same about my viewing experience. I know the movie has made many fans (it even won a Golden Bear in Berlin in 2010), but even when I got on with the repetitiveness of some of the themes, I couldn't really take it as seriously as it was meant.It never felt lyrical either (it's shot too down to earth for that), it never really gets fantastical either. It tells its story as cold as winter time can be. Which is strange considering there is a boy in the main role and you should feel for him. The fact, the boy does not really act did not help either.But than again that's me talking. Read another review and you will read the complete opposite. I like slow moving movies too, but they should at least have some substance to them. Loss of innocence in your youth has been filmed in way better style, so that is almost feels like loss of my time ...