Kerem and Aslı as An Eastern Narrative and Melodramatic Turkish Cinema

Authors : Emre Doğan

Pages : 469-486

Doi:10.22559/folklor.3842

View : 137 | Download : 54

Publication Date : 2025-05-01

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :The Eastern narrative tradition represents an output of the world of Eastern cultural mentality. Oral, open-form, interactive, replete with superficial contrasts and tenuous constructed rational cause-and-effect relationships, Eastern works are considered technically flawed, yet creative in content. These characteristics of the Eastern narrative are similar to those of the cinematic melodrama genre. Melodrama, one of the most performed genres of Turkish cinema, conveys moral messages, superficially reiterates various patterns/clichés, appeals to emotions and employs contrasts, and frequently includes elements such as coincidence and surprise, with a narrative that is largely devoid of cause-andeffect relationships. In this study, I tried to analyze the relationship between Eastern narrative and Turkish melodrama through the story of Kerem and Aslı, and the film (1971). The conclusion I reached is that the formal and contextual elements of the Eastern narratives have commonalities Turkish melodramas. I believe that this is because the mentality of the Eastern cultural circle feeds from the same source or has similarities with the traditional mentality that constructs melodrama. In the study, I suggest that this similarity should be considered as an opportunity for creativity. In the study, I used the descriptive method and genre film criticism.
Keywords : doğu anlatı geleneği, melodram, Kerem ile Aslı, Türk sineması