Climates (2006, Nuri Bilge Ceylan)

Katy & I really hit the art-film jackpot with this one, since we saw three professors we know at the screening. That’s not gonna happen at “Resident Evil: Extinction” at the mall on a sunday night.

Gorgeous movie, as advertised. Slow-moving enough that the guy behind us kept yawning/sighing loudly and the guy in front of us apologized to his friends afterwards and said that they can pick the movie next time.

Our professors, all pros at picking out symbolism and meaning, talked about the artistry of the shots and the symbolism behind the seasonal changes and architecture.

Ron Holloway on some random site: “Shot as intersecting episodes against the changing seasons of blistering summer, rainy autumn, and frosty winter, only spring is missing in Climates – although Bahar, the female lead, is the Turkish word for “spring.” A master at probing the loneliness of the soul, Ceylan blends powerful imagery with sparse dialogue in his personal tales of lost chances and fatal decisions.”

And that’s all there is… sparse dialogue, a minimal character study and seasonal symbolism. A beautiful picture, to be sure, but not enough to keep Katy happy or to make my top-ten.