Dry Summer: this melodrama, by Metin Erksan, rises above its story with very bold aesthetic choices. It follows two brothers, the eldest an overbearing and selfish brute and the youngest a romantic but submissive man, as they enter a conflict with their neighbors in a rural village about water. Their conflict eventually involves the youngest’s fiancé. The protagonist, played with gusto by Erol Taş, is a thoroughly unpleasant man who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Ulvi Doğan, playing his brother, gives a less interesting performance. Hülya Koçyiğit, at the center of the triangle, is enticing enough to justify both men’s passions. The camerawork by cinematographer Ali Uğur is expressive and superb: the blocking and framing use multiple vertical levels, creating unusually symbolic images that enhance the sense of conflict that permeates the whole film. The musical score, by Manos Hatzidakis and Ahmet Yamaci, is very unique and powerful. Editors Turgut Inangiray and Stuart Gellman, after a slow start, keep the film moving along at a efficient pace that does not overstay its runtime.