1001 films you must see before you die Part XII: 1980-1984

Yol (Turkish for "The Road" or "The Way") is a 1982 Turkish film. The screenplay was written by Yılmaz Güney, and it was directed by his assistant Şerif Gören, who strictly followed Güney's instructions, as Güney was in prison at the time. Later, when Güney escaped from prison, he took the negatives of the film and edited it in Switzerland.[citation needed] The film is a portrait of Turkey in the aftermath of the 1980 Turkish coup d'état: its people and its authorities are shown via the stories of five prisoners given a week's home leave. The film has caused much controversy in Turkey, and was banned until 1999 due to Yılmaz Güney's involvement rather than its content.
Yol tells the story of several prisoners on leave in Turkey. Seyit Ali (Tarık Akan) travels to his house and finds that his wife (Şerif Sezer) has betrayed him and went on prostitution. She was caught by her family and held captive for Seyit Ali to honor-kill her. Although seeming determined at first, he changes his mind when his wife start to freeze while traveling in the snow. In spite of all the efforts to keep her alive, he eventually fails. The wife's death relieves Seyit Ali from pressure from his family, and he is saved from justice since she freezes but he has an internal struggle and has to return to jail.

One of the touchstone movies of the 1980s, Tootsie stars Dustin Hoffman as an out-of-work actor who disguises himself as a dowdy, middle-aged woman to get a part on a hit soap opera. The scheme works, but while he/she keeps up the charade, Hoffman's character comes to see life through the eyes of the opposite sex. The script by Larry Gelbart (with Murray Schisgal) is a winner, and director Sydney Pollack brings taut proficiency to the comedy and sensitivity to the relationship nuances that emerge from Hoffman's drag act. Great supporting work from Teri Garr, Dabney Coleman, Charles Durning, Bill Murray, and pre-stardom Geena Davis. But the film finally belongs to Hoffman, who seems to connect with the character at a very deep and abiding level.