The movie About Dry Grasses by Nuri Bilge Ceylan takes you into a village with snowy mountains where life moves slowly. It feels like you’re right there, watching the characters go about their lives. The story revolves around three main characters: Samet, Kenan, and Nuray. Samet is a middle-aged man who wants to leave the village for Istanbul because he doesn’t like the boring people or their traditional ways. But he’s stuck working as an elementary teacher there. Kenan, his colleague and roommate, seems like a simple man who is happy with his ordinary life. Both Samet and Kenan are attracted to Nuray, who’s an artist, an English teacher, and a leftist. The movie explores their relationships and how they unfold. Then, there’s a big incident at the school where Samet and Kenan are accused of doing something inappropriate with their students. What really happened? Let us find out.
Spoilers Ahead
What Happened To Sevim And Samet?
Samet is a guy who lives alone, and right from the start, you can tell he’s not too keen on marriage or family life. He’s content with his own company, mostly because he’s a bit self-centered and kind of arrogant. Surprisingly, though, people still like him. He works as a teacher at an elementary school. You can see from the beginning how a girl named Sevim has a bit of a crush on him. It’s not just because he’s good-looking or anything, but because Samet gives her attention. He even gives her gifts to make her happy, and Sevim, being innocent, enjoys being the teacher’s pet. But it’s pretty clear that Samet favors Sevim over the other students. He praises her more and doesn’t give as much attention to the others. Even the other teachers notice this. Then, one day, some teachers and the principal come into the class for a surprise bag check. Samet and Sevim weren’t ready for it at all. Suddenly, in Sevim’s bag, they find a love letter she wrote to Samet but never gave him. The teacher takes it away and spreads gossip about it among the other teachers. Neither Samet nor Sevim like this gossip. Samet thinks it’s just an innocent crush and that the teachers shouldn’t be talking about their students like that. So, he takes the letter back secretly to his room and reads it with a smile. When Sevim comes to get the letter back, embarrassed, Samet lies and says he threw it away. Sevim knows he’s lying and keeps asking for the letter back. Instead of understanding her embarrassment, Samet starts manipulating her. He tells her it’s normal to have feelings like that and talks about his own crush when he was her age and the fact that she would never experience love like this ever again, which is so innocent and pure. It’s pretty obvious Samet enjoys having control over Sevim’s innocent admiration. Maybe deep down, he doesn’t like who he really is, but he likes the way Sevim sees him. But Sevim realizes he’s not the idealistic teacher she thought he was. She sees he’s just manipulating her, and she’s not okay with that.
Did Sevim Complain About Samet?
Even though Sevim tried several times to get the letter back from the teacher, Samet refused to give it to her. It was clear he was exerting control over her, even showing signs of jealousy when he saw her talking to other guys at school. Maybe he feared she was slipping away from him, or perhaps she was starting to see his true colors. Then, one day, the principal called Samet and Kenan to the governor’s and school director’s offices. They thought maybe they were finally getting their long-due promotion, but it turned out to be a warning for their inappropriate behavior with students. Kenan was especially shocked because he hadn’t done anything wrong. Perhaps students had mentioned his name because he was friends with Samet, and they thought he was involved too.
Samet’s focus shifted to finding out who complained against him rather than admitting his mistakes. He even started to suspect Kenan, thinking maybe he was jealous because students liked him more than Kenan. It’s amazing how blind and self-centered some people can be. He tried to persuade the other teachers and the principal that they should trust him and focus on his good intentions, claiming he just wanted to connect with his students better and motivate them to study by giving them gifts and nothing else. However, he later found out that it was Sevim and her friend who complained about him. He was devastated and decided to take revenge. He began treating Sevim poorly in class, even punishing her unfairly. She started blaming herself, thinking something was wrong with her, but it was all because of his hostile behavior. Other students actually liked this change because Samet was giving them attention instead. He thought he had to keep his relationships with students formal and not get too close to them. Otherwise, he believed people would use his kindness against him. But really, he just wanted to stay in control and feel superior. He also blamed the village’s backward traditions and oppressive rules of conduct for influencing the children’s mindset. So, after all of this, one thing became clear: he believed he was not the one in the wrong, everyone else was.
Who Did Nuray End Up With?
Nuray was an English teacher and a community artist. At first, after meeting her in the canteen Samet thought about giving their relationship a chance, but he realized he wouldn’t stay in the village for long, as he planned to move to Istanbul. Plus, he preferred being alone. So, what did he do? He suggested to Kenan that Kenan should meet and talk to Nuray because they both wanted a family and would be a good match. However, Samet felt uneasy when they all met together, especially seeing how Nuray seemed more connected to Kenan, making eye contact with him and appreciating his kindness. Samet became jealous and controlling. He noticed Nuray and Kenan texting and spending time together, so he felt he had to get Nuray’s attention. One day, when Samet crossed paths with Nuray, she invited both him and Kenan to her house for dinner. Samet knew he couldn’t tell Kenan about the invitation because he feared losing Nuray’s attention. This obsessive behavior made Samet realize how narcissistic he was. Nuray also saw through him but appreciated his honesty when he admitted he was selfish. They ended up sleeping together, but Nuray felt guilty, like she had betrayed her friendship with Kenan and their potential future together. Samet, however, felt no guilt. He casually lied to Kenan, making it seem like Nuray only invited him because her parents wouldn’t be home, instead of admitting they were both invited. It was almost like he was showing off, clueless about Kenan’s feelings for her.
During About Dry Grasses‘ ending, we see Samet finally getting his long-awaited transfer, leaving behind the village he didn’t quite like and all the complicated past with it. Maybe this change will make him a better person. Who knows? Because we see as Sevim comes to bid him goodbye with a smile, Samet’s ego still lasts even then. He hopes for an apology from Sevim for complaining about him to the teachers, rather than reflecting on his own mistakes. As for his relationship with Nuray and Kenan, they all become good friends in the end. However, Samet knows he can never be the man Nuray wants him to be, and he’s not a loyal friend to Kenan. He realizes he has hurt them, and perhaps he’ll find peace if Nuray and Kenan end up together, knowing he doesn’t have a future with them. That’s all we can hope for.
