467. The Wild Pear Tree (Ahlat Agaci); movie review

THE WILD PEAR TREE (AHLAT AGACI)
Cert 15

188 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong language, suicide references

First things first - there are not many films which demand a length of three hours.
You really have to be talking epics of Gone With The Wind standard which The Wild Pear Tree certainly isn't despite having significant merit.
Indeed, I have struggled to find the time to dedicate so long to it which is why my review has been delayed.
When I finally got around to it, I discovered a film which is very different from mainstream Turkish movies.
Of one of Nuri Bilge Ceylan's previous movies, Once Upon A Time In Anatolia, I wrote: "Interesting but a bit too meandering and long to put it among my favourites of the year."

Ditto The Wild Pear Tree.
Aydin Doğu Demirkol plays Sinan, a young man who has trained to be a teacher but whose real passion is literature and getting his book published.
He returns to his home village to try to gather enough cash to fulfil his dream but is faced with a gambling addict father ((Murat Cemcir) ) as well as more home truths.
Demirkol excels in the lead role and is barely off screen for the entire duration of Ceylan's movie.
He grows in stature during the film, going from being quiet and reflective to sallying forth his opinions to anyone from his father to potential publishers and the religious leaders who have a grip on his hometown.
The Wild Pear Tree prods at myriad social arenas from unemployment and poor pay to the role of the imams.
Sinan is embittered because of what he sees as a feckless father and a system which means he will find it almost impossible to break out of poverty.
As said, Ceylan's movie is much more cerebral and philosophical than most Turkish pictures which are released in the UK, delving deep into his country's culture.
Its devil is in its detail and there are certainly many presented in three hours.
But its length is its problem. It may be a fine piece of work but it requires greater concentration than I (and I suspect many like me) possess.

Reasons to atch: A deep insight into life in Turkey
Reasons to avoid: Far too long

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 6.5/10

Director quote - Nuri Bilge Ceylan: "One cannot help but inherit certain traits from one’s father: weaknesses, habits, tics, among other things. The film tells the story of a boy being inevitably dragged into the same destiny as his father, in a plot loaded with painful experiences."

The big question - Will the young ever understand the old and vice-versa?

Share this post