"Climates" *** 1\2 (out of ****) "Climates" is a 2007 Turkish film directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, whose previous film was "Distance". This film is a thought-provoking film about alienation and characters unable to relate to their surrounds.
If I wouldn't have mentioned the film was Turkish and/or the director's name, you may have assumed the film was Italian and directed by Michelango Antonioni. Mr. Ceylan, an up and coming filmmaker in his homeland, owes a lot to Mr. Antonioni and the Italian master's trilogy of alienation films ("L'Avventura", "La Notte", "L' Eclisse").
The first time I saw "Climates" as is customary for me, I knew nothing about it. I heard of the movie, one of our Chicago critics named it the best film of the year, but I never read a review. In fact, I didn't even bother to read the back of it for a plot description. I walked into the movie cold.
After that first viewing, I was a little puzzled by the film. I thought it was a decent piece of work but not an emotionally connecting one. I could instantly see the parallel between this and Mr. Antonioni however and with that in mind was constantly comparing it to Antonioni's classic films. Comparing the two director's work only causes Mr. Ceylan to pale in comparison, assuming you like the films of Antonioni, which I do very much so. But I thought to myself I need to watch this again. Now that I know what it is about and the film's style and pace I'd be in a better position to watch it again and perhaps not be so critical.
During my second viewing I proved myself right. "Climates" had improved greatly. Naturally the film hadn't changed but because I knew what to expect I now knew how to approach a film such as this. "Climates" is what I call an intellectual film, much like the work of Antonioni or Tarkovsky. Films like this don't touch me on an emotional level. They are a thinking process. These filmmakers don't hold our hand and lead us down a path. These films require we do a lot of the work. We must connect the dots. We must fill in the plot holes.
In "Climates" we are following a couple; Isa (Mr. Ceylan) and Bahar (played by the director's wife, Ebru Ceylan, herself a writer and director). Isa is a photographer. We see him from Bahar's point of view. He is taking pictures of ancient temples. Every time these characters are in a scene there is always distance between them. And in this particular scene Isa is a bit of a blur. He looks insignificant compared to the temples. It is all done in a long shot as both Isa and Behar are almost being swallowed up by their environment to the point they no longer exist.
In another scene Bahar has a dream by the sea shore. She is lying in the sand when Isa approaches her and kisses her. He tells her he loves her and playfully buries her in the sand. But then he tries to cover her face with it. Throughout the scene again Isa is a blur. We can assume this dream is about suffocating. How quickly the relationship goes from a tender one, Isa telling Bahar he loves her to him trying to bury her. It is in this scene Isa confronts Bahar and tells her they should break up. The film from this point on is how Isa deals with the end of their relationship.
I mentioned that Mr. Ceylan wants us to fill in blanks. Take a scene where the couple argues. He tells her she still hasn't gotten over the "meaningless" Serap incident. Serap we find out is another woman (played by Nazan Kirilmis) who is the girlfriend of one of Isa's friends. The dialogue ends it there. There is no blow out between them. She doesn't accuse him of anything and he doesn't clarify what he meant. The viewer is left on their own to fill in the blanks. Though it is not explicitly implied the viewer can assume perhaps Isa and Serap had an affair or at the very least a one night stand.
"Climates" is a movie where the viewer must be actively involved. You must pay attention to every word, every gesture and movement. This kind of film can be rewarding but you have to do some work to enjoy it. Others may say the film is too slow moving and doesn't really do anything. That is only the case if you chose not to participate. There is an audience for a film such as "Climates". It is for the movie art house crowd and the more intellectual viewer. It is not a mainstream piece of work.
The performances by the two actors are quite subtle. More screen time is given to the Isa character and Mr. Ceylan, while not using words, is able to always convey what his character is thinking. That is another reason why this is a "thinking person's film". All of the conflicts here are internal. They deal with the characters feelings. Nothing is external. There is no physical obstacle the character must over come it is all emotional. One good moment deals with Isa alone with Serap. They are talking and laughing. Serap at this point is unaware Isa and Bahar have broken up. She mentions how does Bahar like her new job. Isa had no idea what she is taking about. Bahar has moved to a new city. Serap tries to change the subject by using sex. Isa, with a solemn look on his face pretends to be more interested in the news on the TV. But we know what has really happened. The mention of Bahar's name has brought back memories. Is Isa over Bahar?
If these scenes or moments sound interesting to you "Climates" should do something for you. You have to know how to approach a movie like this. If you only want to judge movies purely on emotion "Climates" may not deserve the star rating I've given it. But if you want to have something to think about and challenge you when watching a movie "Climates" should succeed.
The film was nominated for a palme d'or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2006 where it lost to Ken Loach's "The Wind That Shakes The Barley".
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