Review of Climates

Introduction

After making the critically acclaimed `Uzak`, Nuri Bilge Ceylan had an idea for another film focusing on the breakdown of a marriage against the backdrop of Turkish seasons. On holiday with his wife Ebru on the Aegean coast, he began filming her and some test shots on the beach.

Having realised that he was best suited to play the lead, Ceylan acted in a film for the first time in his life and found that using high-definition cameras allowed him to see each take as soon as it was filmed, easing the problems of directing himself. Like her husband, Ebru had little experience of film acting, but she had been directed previously by him, in `Uzak` where she wasn`t credited. For the couple to play the leads was a gamble, but the director felt that it would be more realistic, with no need for forced chemistry, if the husband and wife were played by a real husband and wife.

The plot is covered in detail above, so I won`t repeat it here.

Video

High definition can either look terrible or beautifully clear - fortunately this is the latter and does a terrific job of showcasing the cinematography.

Audio

A perfectly clear DD 5.1 Turkish soundtrack with excellent optional English subtitles.

Features

Interview with Nuri Bilge Ceylan - Running at over 25 minutes, this is a comprehensive and illuminating interview in which Ceylan discusses just about every aspect of the film. His English is pretty good, and there are no problems understanding him.

Interview with Ebru Ceylan - A fine companion interview to her husband`s, lasting 14 minutes. Unlike him, she doesn`t speak English, but the piece is well subtitled.

Making of Climates - Although 38 minutes long, this is not a structured an narrated `making of`, being largely comprised of outtakes and behind the scenes footage. The actual `making of` is covered in the interviews.

Trailers for `Climates` and `Clouds of May`.

Turkey Cinemascope - An image gallery of photos taken by Nuri Bilge Ceylan in the years when he was scouting for locations. Unfortunately it has to be manually navigated and the pictures are very small.

Nuri Bilge Ceylan Filmography - A one paragraph biography and a list of the five films he has made to date.

Ebru Ceylan Biography - Extremely brief, only ten short lines long.

Conclusion

As a relatively young country, Turkey unlike, for instance, Germany, France, Russia, Britain and the United States, does not have a long tradition of filmmaking and is therefore a newcomer to the World stage. Hopefully, Nuri Bilge Ceylan`s work will remedy this.

In his screen debut, Nuri Bilge Ceylan is extremely impressive as Isa, who realises too late his love for his wife, played equally well by his off-screen wife, Ebru. As the two are married, it`s unsurprising that they have real and believable on-screen chemistry, yet it`s the direction that really stands out. The shots are masterfully constructed and the cinematography, from the beauty of the Aegean beach in summer, through Istanbul in autumn, to the snowy expanses and blizzards of the east in winter, is breathtaking. The journey of the relationship from when Isa breaks up with Bahar whilst on holiday to an attempted reconciliation in the winter uses the seasons in a surprising fashion that is almost a break from convention.

The only weak points are the textbook characters: Isa is a fairly austere lecturer working on his thesis and Bahar is a young and emotional TV art director who spends a lot of time away from Istanbul and Isa. These may be art house staples but do the film no harm whatsoever. Isa`s fling with ex-girlfriend Serap contains a brilliantly filmed sex scene and the final one-take conversation between the two leads is uncomfortably truthful.

An honest, intense and compelling piece of art house cinema, this is highly recommended.