Teyzem

Space can be a factor that directly affects not only the atmosphere of a cinematic piece but also its main contents such as characters. While space is used in many different films as a means of setting the tone, some of these films prove that characters too are influenced by the presence of space. As can be seen through the film Teyzem, space could determine the mental state of people depending on how it is incorporated into their storyline. 

By confining Üftade between four walls her whole life, her mental prosperity deteriorates. The walls she is forced to surround herself with both literally and mentally lead to the collapse of her rational thinking. As she fades into the realm of make-believe by obsessing over the one that got away, Erhan; she loses her sense of reality. The walls grow longer every day and it gets even harder for her to escape although she is very adamant about doing so until the very last scene of the film.

The key spatial factor that puts an end to Üftade’s reasonable state of mind is displayed to the audience during the opening scene of the film as Azade, Üftade’s older sister, moves back to perhaps what can be described as the main villain of Üftade’s story: their childhood home that is occupied by their birth mom and her vile second husband. Azade’s only child Umur, begins the film by describing how enchanting Üftade was at first sight. He was intrigued by her beauty which he depicts by saying something along the lines of “surpassing the beauty of his mother” which puts into perspective for the audience how alluring her physical appearance is at first sight for most young sons there is no beauty that rivals that of their mothers. Perchance, according to her parents’ outlook on life, her beauty is the root of her problems since beauty poses a danger to finding suitable bachelors who are not only interested in her for her looks. For her parents, beauty only means trouble. For Üftade, beauty means nothing as long as she can have Erhan by her side. She strives for freedom but unfortunately, her beauty and her parents’ ideals tie her legs to the place she deems as home. 

As the film progresses, it can be seen that Üftade had no way of leaving the house freely to do whatever she pleases which in this case was to meet Erhan. That all changes when Umur proposes a new path for her. Through manipulation and gaslighting, Üftade escapes the prison she calls her home thanks to her secret little trips with Umur. Alas, this does not last long as Azade moves out yet again taking Üftade’s gateway to the outside world with her. Üftade finds herself exactly where she started: stranded and lonely. This departure starts to take a toll on her mental health as she grows impatient without her little visits to see Erhan. 

With the coming of her sudden marriage, she transfers from being imprisoned inside her childhood house to her newlywed one. Nothing changes for her; not her aspirations or her stance. The subject of reaching Erhan, which would therefore free her, never leaves the table even when she is married with a child. 

While there is always a constant change of scenery in Üftade’s life, she never seems to arrive where she seeks to be. Her journey is never ending but it all leads to the same dead end. The space around her keeps switching but it is almost as if nothing shifts. 

Throughout the whole film, the setting is Üftade’s touchstone. As Üftade ascends to insanity, the thing that drove her to that is what seems like the same story told through different mediums for dramatic effect purposes. It is always a house that she does not feel safe in, thus a place that cannot be classified as a home. 

Moving back and forth between places she cannot quite feel comfortable enough to reveal her desires, she always ends up repressing her true intentions. Even when she is in a lot where she should feel safe because Azade went through the same oppression under her parents, Üftade does not feel like she can ever be free of her demons. These places start haunting her like ghosts. Places take the bodies of those she does not trust, rooms she suffocated in all her life becomes the mother of all that is bad for her. She is not herself anymore. Space consumes her until there is no more Üftade to look for. Until the last scrapes of her sanity leave her body, Üftade is told to do what is appropriate for those close to her. Her child shuns her, and the nephew who idolized her at first curses her out. She has no one, no one but the insanity that derived from isolation. She attempts to go after Erhan countless times and fails time after time. Erhan comes to her in a whisper in the bathroom.

Erhan is no longer an entity that is bodied by the man she loves but just a mere reflection of what could absolve her of this mad life. Erhan is now having suicidal thoughts. A love that drove her mad when it was supposed to set her free. The more they try to confine her to save her from herself, the more she loses her sense of self. Space destroys Üftade. Madness consumes her. There is no helping her or going back now as she is forever ruined by the images in her head. The images that tried to rape her, the images that hurdled her when all she wanted was to be set free. 

With all of that taken into account, it can be argued that space ended what was once Üftade. Her character began with a potential that could have blossomed under different circumstances but ended with a tragedy caused by the walls that were built around her for the duration of the film by people surrounding her. Had she had some freedom as she desired instead of being imprisoned, everything would have turned out differently for her. This shows that Teyzem is the prime example of a film where space has a dire effect on its characters.