One
of the most puzzling mysteries concerns one’s sexual identity.
When does a man suddenly decide that he is gay? For many men
who have never had a sexual encounter with a member of the
opposite sex, the realization often comes quite early, before
puberty. What about the married man who suddenly has to tell
his wife that he is gay? This is the issue explored in the
Turkish film Hamam (Steam: The Turkish
Bath), directed by Ferzan Ozpetek. Francesco (played
by Alessandro Gassman) is a busy, successful interior designer
in Rome, though we later realize that has been through work
sublimating the fact that he obviously does not get along
too well with his beautiful, businesslike wife Marta (played
by Francesca d’Aloja), who is spending a lot of time with
her assistant Paolo (played by Alberto Molinari). Francesco
has just learned that his aunt Anita in Istanbul has died,
leaving him some property and personal effects to handle.
Although he asks Marta to go to Istanbul to take care of the
matter, she refuses, since she well understands that women
are not readily accepted in commercial transactions in that
Moslem country. When Francesco arrives in Istanbul, he stays
with the caretakers of his aunt’s property. Since his parents
have recently died, he is touched to be treated as a member
of the caretaker family, especially the son Mehmet (played
by Mehmet Gunsur). Wandering about the city, he discovers
friendly people in contrast with the impersonality of life
in Rome and the institution of the hamam, that is, the Turkish
bathhouse; when he enters one at the invitation of a stranger,
he finds Mehmet having sex with another man. Aside from his
Aunt’s personal effects, the major property that he inherits
is a building containing an ornate but closed hamam in need
of repairs. Although he at first tries to arrange a quick
sale so that he can return to Rome, the bid from ambitious
real estate developers is much too low, so he decides to refurbish
the hamam to increase the commercial value. However, as the
film’s tagline indicates, "What he inherited was a sexual
awakening . . . " Something inside him brings out his love
for the pace of life in Istanbul and his desire to have sex
with Mehmet, and soon they become lovers. Meanwhile, Marta
cannot understand why Francesco is staying on in Istanbul,
as he expected to wrap up his business affairs in a few days.
Marta then flies to Istanbul and learns that her husband is
not only having an affair with a man but also wants to become
a permanent resident of a country where he feels happy. Marta
has no choice but to accept her husband’s homosexuality and
decides to return to Italy without him. However, at the end
of the film, Francesco is killed, we suspect by the disappointed
real estate developers. Hamam, despite its cinematographic
postcard of Istanbul that can clearly serve to promote travel
to Turkey, was pulled from the 1998 Academy Awards by the
Turkish Minister for Culture, yet another homophobic move
against gay tourism. MH
I
want to comment on this film
