- Director : Melih Gülgen
- Written by: Melih Gülgen
- Year : 1971
- Cinematography : Sertaç Karan
- Starring :
- Cihangir Gaffari, Feri Cansel,
- Behçet Nacar, Melek Görgün,
- Doğan Tamer, İhsan Gedik,
- Haydar Karaer, Kadir Kök,
- Ahmet Şenses, Erdoğan Seren,
- Ahmet Karaca, Ata Saka
- Studio: Topkapı Film (Yaşar Tunalı)
Melih Gülgen is a famous director of Yeşilçam. He made his debut with Aşkaların En Güzeli 1968. In 1972 the film Parçala Behçet became a breakthrough for him and a trendsetter for erotic adventure films in Yeşilçam also. Gülgen directed films in a few genres especially crime thriller. In our site a few articles were written about his movies including Adalet 1977 and Baba Ocağı 1978. Kanunsuz Sokak is one of his first work as a director.
Ali (Cihangir Gaffari), a member of a wealthy family, and his shared infatuation with a night club singer Tülay (Feri Cansel). They want to get married. Although his father initially disapproves of such a marriage, he eventually succumbes. The night club owner Debreli Ejder Hasan (Behçet Nacar) also has his eye on Tülay. He offers her a huge amount of money, so that she doesn’t marry Ali. When his father accepts the offer, Hassan resorts to other measures.
On the wedding day, he with the henchmen blocks the wedding procession. Ali’s father is killed. In retaliation, he kills several of Hassan’s henchmen and ends up in prison. Meanwhile, he rarely sees Tülay. In prison Ejder Hasan’s henchman Mustafa (Doğan Tamer) joins. During the transfer from the courtroom to the prison, Ali escapes with him in order to get revenge. Meanwhile, Ejder Hassan knows about his escape. He tries to catch him with the help of the police. Then he decides to kidnap Tülay. Ali speaks to Hasan, demands one hundred thousand lire to be released, in exchange for Mustafa. Ali and Tülay escape to the barn where he keeps Mustafa. However, Ejder Hassan demands to release him, but he is dead. Ali defeats him and Ejder is arrested on the spot.
Kanunsuz Sokak turns out to be wonderful with elements of a crime thriller and romantic action. It’s one of rare movies which mixed the romantic moments and action scenes. The fılm became an example of Melih Gülgen’s films, subsequently used the prison scenes for a few other movies including Babanın Oğlu and Babalık.
Ali is portrayed by Cihangir Gaffari in the first scenes was calm and kind. In the next scenes he was proud, daring and courageous. Esen Günay, who lent his voice for Ferdi Tayfur, Cüneyt Arkın and Bulut Aras was perfectly gorgeous for that role. The outfit, which Cihangir used in the last scenes, tries to copy Haldun Güvan, the first Turkish male model, known as «Male Twiggy». Tülay is portrayed by Feri Cansel who was excited and not so glamorous as in her previous movies, especially with the moments of experience.
Kanunsuz Sokak is one of the few movies where Behçet Nacar acts as the main villain. In the film Parçala Behçet 1972 was released as the hero. Agah Hün’s voice was perfect. Melek Görgün in the poster is credited as second heroine, but she appeared in a few scenes. She played a villain’s girlfriend Leyla, who never took part in his affairs. Doğan Tamer is one of the important characters of the film. His character Mustafa is a villain’s brother, who was a henchman.
In the opening credits sounds song «Dert Ortağım» sung by Semiramis Pekkan. The romantic scene features an instrumental version of «Je t’aime… Moi Non Plus» written by Serge Gainsbourg. In the prison scene sounds «Hapishanelere Güneş Doğmuyor». In the escape scene sounds instrumental version of song «In a Gadda da vida» by Iron Butterfly. In the club scene sounds «The Man with a Harmonica» composed by Ennio Moriccone from Sergio Leone’s film «Once Upon a Time in the West». In the final battle scene, Santana’s song «Jingo» is played. In some scenes sounds a song «Arım Balım Peteğım» performed by Behiye Aksoy.
I would like to thank my dear friends Sabahattin Bilgiç, Gokay Gelgeç and Utku Uluer, for their help in obtaining information about soundtracks and always sharing their ideas with me.
Stay with Yeşilçam. I hope, that you will like this film! Pleasant viewing!!
Author: Anna Järvinen – Cihangir Gaffari and Feri Cansel – Kanunsuz Sokak (1971)
