It's difficult to say why this film is so bad without giving away the shock ending. For the first 80 minutes it seems a beautifully photographed portrait of a small community within Istanbul that is endangered by the rush of time and progress, and the young man who tries to save a small piece of it. Then with little warning, or rationale from the plot, the lead character meets a violent end, literally out of nowhere. The male love interest disappears, and the cheating wife swoops in to claim the Turkish bath her husband had been restoring. It's pretty obvious this is a tacked on ending to make the film acceptable to the censors, and the audience in its country.

I like a movie that has a distinct climax, yet is easy to overlook or perhaps miss altogether. The climax of Hamam is when Francesco hands his wife the letters from his aunt and asks that she send them back when she's finished reading them. It is a seemingly small, inconsequential gesture -- but an act of conviction that describes a person's inner workings far more than could ever be achieved with an abundance of words. It is truly a beautiful moment -- one of many -- and a reason this is a film worth viewing.

Incredible music over Istanbul, dense pictures where all references come out mixed, in this frontier land, between West and East, between hetero and homosexual. A touching love story, with melting frontiers.

The opening scenes of the film had an immediate impact on me. Clever editing as the film cut to and fro between Istambul and Rome with the urgent sounds of noisy Turkish drums was indeed a haunting introduction. Unhappily married Francesco (Allesandro Gassman) has just received news that his aunt has died and left him some property in Istambul. Believing it's a house he sets forth to sell it only to find it is a hamam(Turkish bath). As a guest at the house where his aunt once boarded he becomes aware of the differences in the Italian and Turkish cultures.. Annoyed at the bickering and haggling business procedures re the price of the hamam, he decides to refurbish it using his skills in interior decorating. The family and neighbours welcome his decision and include him warmly into their family circle. Francesco becomes attracted to Mehmet the son who happens to be a photographer of some talent. The Turkish people are noted for their hospitality and this is clearly portrayed through the various characters in the film. For me I was completely entranced by the wooden buildings of old Istambul, the narrow shaded streets, the strange interiors and the steamy hamams now losing their popularity. Into this dreamy atmosphere comes the wife Marta demanding answers for the long delay in the refurbishment. Marta (Francesca d'Aloja) seems unable to accept this different culture. Marta and Francesco start squabbling again and one night Marta discovers that Francesco and Mehmet the son are more than just good friends. I enjoyed everything about this film...the measured pace, the exotic location, the photography, the music, the talented acting....a wonderful blend ensuring first class entertainment. The story begins with a death and ends with a death suggesting that in some way the hamam is cursed. But the daily life of the Turkish family and the progress of the refurbishment of the hamam is so convincing that we feel in the end that should we go to Istambul we would most likely recognize the hamam and the people who live there. At first I was puzzled about the motive for the knifing and then I remembered the advice given to Francesco: "Take care....she is a dangerous woman!!"