meaty scene after another, but
perhaps the highlight is a heated
discussion/argument between
Sinan and a successful author (Ser-
kan Keskin) whose triumphs Sinan
clearly resents.
While Ceylan’s main strength is
his dialogue, and as you spend so
much of The Wild Pear Tree’s run-
ning time reading its subtitles if
you aren’t a Turkish speaker, it can
be easy to overlook how visually
splendid his film is. As with Winter
Sleep, we’re treated to the sort of
scenic backdrop most of us dream
of holidaying in, which makes its
protagonist’s scorn for his home
seem all the more churlish. Be-
fore viewing, I had read that Cey-
lan’s film contains an unbroken 20
minute tracking shot, but I was so
consumed by the drama that such
technical nuances eluded me on
this watch.
While The Wild Pear Tree is the
most dialogue heavy movie you’re
likely to see in 2019, it’s ultimately
a film about unspoken truths be-
tween a father and son, neither of
whom truly understand the other,
but whose bond proves stronger
than the ropes that continually fail
to haul buckets from wells and
couches up stairs.
w
The Wild Pear Tree
4 ½ stars out of 5
Directed by: Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Starring: Dogu Demirkol, Murat
Cemcir, Bennu Yildirimlar, Hazar
Ergüçlü, Serkan Keskin
NJ STAGE - ISSUE 55
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