I rather liked this film but I was not quite sure why at
first but on reflection! Obviously it wasn’t meant as pure entertainment and I
believe that only people with a true love of art house cinema would have got
something worthwhile out of Winter Sleep (2014). During the
screening at the Robert Burns Centre Film Theatre two people actually walked
out shortly into the first hour. It would have been really interesting to find
out why and what they originally expected from this Turkish film. Anyone who
saw Nuri Bilge Ceylon’s previous movie Once
upon a Time in Anatolia (2011) would have had a good idea what to
expect! Again we had a slowly unfolding
story that’s never in a hurry to reveal its secrets. A raw scenic winter beauty,
atmospheric lighting, acting that is so realistic that it could be a
documentary, and a minimalist unobtrusive soundtrack that also makes great use
of natural sounds all put together by a director that’s at the top of his form.
It is a substantial novelistic and theatrical drama that demands the patience
of the viewer.
Said to be inspired by Anton Chekhov our main characters are
a retired middle-aged actor Aydin (Haluk Bilginer), who has inherited his late
fathers estate, which consists of a hotel and some tenanted cottages, Aydin’s
manager Hidayet (Ayberk Pekcan) who runs the business and collects the rents, Aydin’s
beautiful young wife Nihal (Melisa Sozen) and his divorced sister Necla (Demet
Akbag) both of whom live in the noticeably claustrophobic confines of the hotel.
All are dependant on the wealthy ex actor, but who do not seem very fond of
him, in fact Aydin appears a lonely dejected person who depends on the others
to wait upon him hand and foot but there is no real exchange of friendship.
The movie deservedly won the Palme d’Or at the 2014 Cannes
Film Festival and was selected as the Turkish entry for the Best Foreign
Language Film at the 2015 Academy Awards but was not nominated. Again set in
Anatolia it examines the significant divide between the rich (the powerful) and
poor (the powerless). In time I’m sure that this powerful film will be seen for
the great piece of cinematic art it is. Nuri Bilge Ceylon continues to build on
his reputation as the Turkish Tarkovsky.
Nuri Bilge Ceylon with his cast at Cannes. |
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