Biyograficim
As Abdulhamid Falls (Abdülhamid Düşerken)

As Abdulhamid Falls (Abdülhamid Düşerken) (translated)

Movie · 2002 · 26 people

Ziya Öztan wrote and directed Abdülhamid Düşerken (As Abdulhamid Falls), a Turkish period film from 2002 that runs 125 minutes. Adapted from Nahid Sırrı Örik's novel Sultan Hamid Düşerken, it opened in cinemas on April 18, 2003. With a cost of more than a million dollars it is remembered as the most expensive Turkish film made up to that time. It brought together many prominent actors on a serious budget.

The film tells the story of the reign of Abdülhamid II, whom some praised as the "Great Khan" and others called the "Red Sultan", through a love story. Set in the stormy years of the proclamation of the Constitution and the Ottoman push toward democracy, it follows Major Şefik, a Committee of Union and Progress member active in the events of the time, caught between his love for a minister's daughter and his hunger for power. The cast includes Halil Ergün, Tarık Akan, Meltem Cumbul, Fikret Kuşkan and Erdal Özyağcılar, and Ayberk Pekcan is also listed.

Real locations were an important part of the shoot: scenes were filmed at Yıldız Palace and Maslak Mansion. The large sets recreating old Beyoğlu and İstiklal Avenue were built in the garden of Marmara University, bringing the period back in both historic buildings and streets built from scratch.

DirectorZiya Öztan
As Abdulhamid Falls (Abdülhamid Düşerken) As Abdulhamid Falls (Abdülhamid Düşerken) As Abdulhamid Falls (Abdülhamid Düşerken)

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Cast

Ayberk Pekcan Ayberk Pekcan Actor · died at 51 Halil Ergün Halil Ergün Actor · 80 years old Talat Pasha Meltem Cumbul Meltem Cumbul Actor · 57 years old Nimet Tarık Akan Tarık Akan Actor · died at 66 Mahmut Şevket Pasha Can Kolukısa Can Kolukısa Actor · died at 92 Kaan Girgin Actor · 59 years old Sedat Bey Güven Kıraç Güven Kıraç Actor · 66 years old Cavit Bey Mehmet Kurtuluş Mehmet Kurtuluş Actor · 54 years old Bnb. Şefik Bey Cezmi Baskın Cezmi Baskın Actor · 77 years old Ahmet Rasim Nur Sürer Nur Sürer Actor · 72 years old İzzet Hanım Yavuz Selekman Yavuz Selekman Actor · died at 67 Ceyda Düvenci Ceyda Düvenci Actor · 49 years old Zekiye Memet Ali Alabora Memet Ali Alabora Actor · 48 years old Lieutenant Arif Levent Ülgen Levent Ülgen Actor · 64 years old Muhammed Cangören Muhammed Cangören Actor · 75 years old Oktay Kaynarca Oktay Kaynarca Actor · 61 years old Hüseyin Cahit Yalçın Şebnem Sönmez Şebnem Sönmez Actor · 58 years old Çeşmifelek Kalfa Serdar Orçin Serdar Orçin Actor · 50 years old Cüneyt Türel Cüneyt Türel Actor · died at 69 Hüseyin Hilmi Pasha İsmet Ay Actor · died at 79 Kamil Pasha Kutay Köktürk Actor · 78 years old Ahmed Rıza Erdal Özyağcılar Erdal Özyağcılar Actor · 78 years old Avlonyalı İsmail Kemal Bey Savaş Dinçel Savaş Dinçel Actor · died at 65 Tevfik Pasha Ali Poyrazoğlu Ali Poyrazoğlu Actor · 80 years old İslam Bey Fikret Kuşkan Fikret Kuşkan Actor · 61 years old Enver Bey Müjdat Gezen Müjdat Gezen Actor · 83 years old Karagöz Oynatıcısı

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Through different eyes

History & Society Lens Asks about the period, the social background and what the work reflects.

Abdülhamid Düşerken tells of the period that began with the proclamation of the Constitution and spanned the stormy years of the Ottoman push toward democracy, through the story of Major Şefik, a member of the Committee of Union and Progress. That Abdul Hamid II was praised by some as the Great Khan and called the Red Sultan by others shows how contested the era remains even today, and approaching that duality through a love story is a smart choice. Filming at Yıldız Palace and Maslak Mansion, together with sets recreating old Beyoğlu, gives the period's atmosphere real substance. Still, it should be remembered that this is a novel adaptation; the film is best watched not as a history lesson but as a screen interpretation of Nahid Sırrı Örik's novel.

Cinephile Looks at script, editing and directing choices; keeps a distance from formula films.

Remembered as the most expensive Turkish film of its time, at more than a million dollars, Abdülhamid Düşerken knows how to put its budget on screen: real locations such as Yıldız Palace and Maslak Mansion, plus the Beyoğlu sets built in the garden of Marmara University, offer a production scale rarely seen in Turkish cinema in those years. As both director and writer, Ziya Öztan marshals a large and strong cast; bringing together Halil Ergün, Tarık Akan, Meltem Cumbul, Fikret Kuşkan and Erdal Özyağcılar is an ambition in itself. But the effort to fit a romance, a hunger for power and an entire political era into one narrative weighs the structure down; the 125-minute running time strains under that load, and the grand settings at times get ahead of the dramatic flow. Visually impressive, but a film that would have benefited from tighter editing.

Yeşilçam Nostalgic A viewer raised on the classics, looking for warm storytelling and strong acting.

Seeing Halil Ergün and Tarık Akan in the same period film is a special pleasure for anyone who knows how the old masters fill a scene. Its roots in Nahid Sırrı Örik's novel also open a familiar door for lovers of literature. A Unionist major caught between love and power is the dilemma I love most in classic melodrama: the heart or ambition? The real halls of Yıldız Palace lend the story a genuine dignity. Yet when the language of politics takes over, the warmth of the love story can slip into the background; those hoping to be moved may find it a little distant.

These are not reader reviews: they are short editorial takes written from different viewer perspectives with AI assistance. Reader reviews are below.

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