For you, should he have accepted the money or did he behave well?
I personally think he was so arrogant and proud (it seems that in this movie, Ismail, Nihal and Levent are so similar that they could be twins)he couldnt even in his mind react to a generosity act without feeling upset. Your thoughts?
Rationally speaking, it's an irresponsible act. Imagine all the good things that could be done with the money.
But philanthropic generosity is just another tool in the kit of the powerful. Ismail undermines the power relationship between landlord's wife and poverty-stricken tenant in one of the few effective ways that the dispossessed have left: by resorting to a liberating irrationality. In that moment his act banishes the almost sacred power of money and places other values above it, however worthless values like arrogance and pride may be at the end of the day. The power of this blasphemous gesture can be seen in its ability to shock Nihal, and I'm guessing quite a few viewers too.
I don't think it really was a generous act. It was money that Aydın gave her which she didn't want and wanted it to hurt him. Nihal was childish (she proved that with her little temper tantrum not unlike a toddler does), and what Aydin said to Nihal was actually quite true even if he didn't put it nicely. Aydin gave her an out, time and time again. These fights have happened before and will keep on happening because she won't leave him, she has a choice, she can go and work for the first time in her life and live like those people she is "saving" but she has it too cushy where she is. Nihal was the kind of philanthropist who only gave to her own charity, remember the disdain she expressed for the charity Aydin wanted to give some money/time to because they thought he was some kind of king who needed bowing to.
İsmail had pride and although was an arrogant buffoon, there are limits to how much dignity you can take from someone (his brother however had little dignity and it was embarrassing the lengths of arse kissing he went to). Burning it was the best thing all round. It would get back to Aydın and taking it would humiliate the family beyond belief. Aydın was constantly tormenting and humiliating Hamdi both privately and publicly through the paper; what would he do when he found out? How would they suddenly explain this huge lottery win? Stolen money from the ex-con? Say there was an anonymous donor out there? How long before people connect the dots? Would accepting the money restore his respect in front of his family? His son? His village? The village was siding with them at this time (number of complaints about the articles Aydin wrote about Hamdi) and the fact that Aydin and Nihal did not accommodate survivors from the earthquake but took in paying aid organisations.
Interesting point of view. I thought, though it may not restore their dignity, it would have probably helped to pay what was left of the rent and so they could go somewhere else, at least, manage to live under better circumstances. Who knows...
shareI think burning the money restored all that was took away from them in different ways. His son saw him get beat up, but theres a shot after the burning where the son sees his dad. I think at that point "dignity" was restored. It's not always about money.
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Eyes Wide Shut deserves more recognition.
I'm kinda ambivalent on this. While I think Ismail had a point, I think his way to express it was wrong. Had he stood up to Nihal and harshly declined her offer -since her money couldn't buy his happiness- would've been, as far as I'm concerned, the right way for him to show that he was better than her. And it would have given me the impression that, maybe, he was wise and mature enough to put his life back on track and move on. Burning the money felt more like an unnecessary and petty revenge. I just don't think inflicting grief and humiliation to another person is ever the ideal way to feel better.
Personally I thought the movie was so great because all characters were complex. While I don't think Nihal's act was 100% generous, I don't think it was just her way to get back at Aydin, but also something she needed to do to escape her sense of guilt. Living in Aydin's world had clearly caused her to feel at war with herself regarding several important things. And, while the character may be naive in some situations, there are moments in which she genuinely shows a more modern way of thinking (like in the conversation with Necla) that is admirable.
Ismail is another character I have mixed feelings on. While he had motivations to act the way he did, all that attachment to his pride and all that rage are unhealthy. Despite saying some meaningful things to Nihal in the end, acting like an animal instead of a thinking man isn't the solution for his problems. He's obviously so unable to forgive and forget and so bent on self-destruction that I don't foresee any nice future for him and Ilyas.
I am glad I started this thread since its getting little by little more attention and its a nice way to see different peoples perspectives.
I agree with most of what you said, especially here:
Burning the money felt more like an unnecessary and petty revenge. I just don't think inflicting grief and humiliation to another person is ever the ideal way to feel better
there are moments in which she genuinely shows a more modern way of thinking (like in the conversation with Necla) that is admirable.
He only cared about his own ego, not what was best for others.
shareI somehow thought, though Necla was herself a very resentful woman, she, Nihal, wasnt that perfect either. It looked to me Necla hit right on the nail head when somehow calling her an hypocrite or letting her know she was somehow rude, pretentious or that she thought herself smarter than others for feeling "empathy" towards others people.
Pretty sure if he was the one working two jobs to keep the family afloat, he wouldn't be burning the money.
He was a selfish egoist lost in pride.
It would have been interesting to see Hamdi's reaction.
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