Cuneyt Arkin is one suave motherfucker.

There could hardly be a better representation of this inherent suaveness than the 1983 crime flick EN BUYUK YUMRUK, wherein our man Arkin displays devastating levels of both disarming charm and bone-cracking ass-kickery. Directed with a brilliant haphazard verve by Turko-flick vet Cetin Inanc, this little film is as essential an introduction to the wild, wild world of Anatolian Cinema as one could want. It may struggle with its crippling lack of budget, but more than makes up for that with insanity, creativity and the Movie Star God appeal of Worldweird Cinema’s #1 icon Cuneyt Arkin (who also produced and wrote the script; what a renaissance man!)

I can’t really give you a synopsis of the plot, since I don’t (unfortunately) speak Turkish and my copy bore no English subtitles. And heck, you don’t really need to know what’s going on here. Cuneyt Arkin beats up bad guys. Cuneyt Arkin shoots bad guys. Cuneyt Arkin blows up lots and lots of bad guys. Cuneyt Arkin occasionally makes passionate love to his equally ass-kicking girlfriend. Cuneyt Arkin does what Cuneyt Arkin does.

Beyond that there are many instances of typical Turkish insanity. Ridiculously evil villains, casual sadism, misogyny by the boatload, child endangerment, and footage stolen from other movies (a common trait of the Arkin/Inanc films of the early 1980s see also DEATH WARRIOR and THE MAN WHO SAVES THE WORLD). For example, when Cuneyt stages his climatic raid on Villain HQ his bullets and bombs seem to find victims in the form of cowboys from a western and Nazis from a WWII film, no doubt both culled from cheap Italian productions. It only adds to the utter surrealism of the whole thing. This is really an amazing movie for those who dig on the magick of Z grade sinema. The Turks really knew how to do it up right, and it doesn’t get any more right that this Cuneyt Arkin star vehicle.

You must get. You must watch. You must worship.