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Tövbekar

The Penitent (Tövbekar) (translated)

Movie · 1977 · 8 people

Tövbekar (the title means "the repentant") is a 1977 Turkish-Iranian co-production. Close to Yeşilçam's gangster stories, it mixes adventure, drama and action. Ertem Göreç directed, and the Iranian filmmaker Jamshid Sheybani is also credited as a director. The colour picture runs about 69 minutes and was made by Er Film and Sezer Film. It opened on 1 March 1977.

The story starts with a man once famed as a street tough who, after leaving prison, turns his back on his old life. Kadir İnanır plays Küçükpazarlı Murat. But the past will not let him go: old enemies and people he wronged are after him. Turgut Özatay plays the man Murat killed, and the dead man's brothers are played by Hakkı Kıvanç and İhsan Baysal. Murat's small son Sezercik, played by Sezer İnanoğlu, takes on a task far beyond his years to save his father from these people. Pouri Banayi plays İpek. Erol Taş is İlyas, Hasan Ceylan is Deli Sırrı and Sami Hazinses is Cemal.

The screenplay is by Safa Önal, drawing on a story by Erdoğan Tünaş. Berker İnanoğlu produced and Orhan Kapkı was the cinematographer.

DirectorErtem Göreç
Production companyEr Film, Sezer Film

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Cast

Kadir İnanır Kadir İnanır Film actor · died at 77 Küçükpazarlı Murat Pouri Banayi Pouri Banayi Actor · 86 years old İpek Sezer İnanoğlu Erol Taş Erol Taş Actor · died at 72 Sami Hazinses Actor · died at 76 Turgut Özatay Turgut Özatay Actor · died at 74 Hakkı Kıvanç Hakkı Kıvanç Actor · died at 83 Sezai Kaya

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Through different eyes

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

The repentant tough is one of Yeşilçam's favourite stories, and in our cinema the idea that the past never lets a man go has always come wrapped in conscience. Tövbekar sits firmly in that tradition, and what little Sezercik takes on for his father gives the film that familiar warmth of heart. On the other hand, the story hardly leaves the classic mould; an eye used to its kind will sense early where things are heading. Dubbed leads were normal for audiences back then, but they may sound strange to the ear today. For lovers of the genre it is still a fond keepsake.

Action & Thriller Fan Puts pace, tension and set pieces first; little patience for slow drama.

If you want a short, no-frills revenge story, Tövbekar does the job. The old enemies hunting a man fresh out of prison keep a sense of threat going from start to finish, and the film does not waste words. Just don't expect today's editing speed from seventies action. For anyone curious about Yeşilçam's tough-guy films, it is an interesting stop.

Family Viewer Asks whether the whole household can watch it; cares about humour and heart.

A small boy trying to save his father takes up a big part of the film. That may make it look like a film for children, but it is not. The story is built on revenge, feuds and death. Seeing a child drawn into something so dangerous could unsettle younger viewers. It is better watched with grown-ups who love Yeşilçam and with teenagers. The bond between father and son is the warmest thing in it.

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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