The Turkish Bath – Hamam

Interior designer Francesco (Gassman) leaves Rome and his fading marriage and travels to Istanbul to assess the inheritance left to him by his aunt: an old-fashioned Turkish bath ('hamam') on a quiet backstreet. Lodging with the establishment's kindly retainers, he falls under the spell of the alien city, and strikes up a relationship with the son of the family which promises a freedom he may not have enjoyed at home. This first feature conveys the relaxed rhythm of life in Istanbul with assurance, while the warmth of Francesco's welcome, the story's sexual undercurrent and the film's ethnic influenced score complete a persuasive (if somewhat dramatically unfocused) package.