Three Monkeys, a 2008 film directed by the acclaimed Turkish filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan, presents a narrative of political intrigue and family turmoil. When an ambitious politician is involved in a hit-and-run accident, he coerces his chauffeur, Eyup, into taking the blame to safeguard his election prospects. As Eyup serves time in prison, his son Ismail and his wife Hacer grapple with the consequences of his sacrifice. Hacer's affair with the politician adds another layer of tension to the already strained family dynamics.
The film delves into the complexities of truth and morality as the family chooses to turn a blind eye to the reality of their situation, embodying the principle of the Three Monkeys — see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. However, as tensions rise and secrets unravel, the facade of ignorance begins to crumble. Ceylan masterfully avoids explicit violence, instead focusing on the psychological and emotional toll of the characters' actions. Winner of the prestigious Best Director prize at the Cannes Film Festival, Three Monkeys is a visually striking and emotionally resonant exploration of the consequences of moral compromise and familial betrayal.
Three Monkeys suffers from a bit of an identity crisis at times. While the plot is fairly straightforward, the director often uses thriller and psychological elements to stretch these moments out. It sometimes works beautifully, but creates long moments of nothing in other instances. Three Monkeys has excellent cinematography throughout, especially its subtle use of color, but this isn’t enough to carry the film in-and-of itself. While straightforward, the plot takes so long to play out and is so disconnected at times that it’s easy to lose track of what’s happening. World cinema lovers will thoroughly enjoy this film, but the average drama viewer may find this film a little too hoity-toity. In all, Three Monkeys is an interesting drama, a decent Turkish film, and a poor crowd-pleaser. Recommended.