Pears are not apples

He had written and directed epochals such as: Once Upon a Time in Anatolia 
or Winter Sleep. 

Now Nuri Bilge Ceylan's The Wild Pear Tree 

paints a fascinating portrait 

of the struggle and resentment of Turkish youth, 

resulting from lack of job opportunities 
and crushing under the weight 

of family debts.

It’s a coming of age movie, of someone who has already came of age. It charts the growing pains of an artist, and his search for belonging in a world that feels too small for him.

Set in a small Turkish village, 
The Wild Pear Tree follows a young man 

who returns to his hometown 

after graduating.
He wants to be a writer. 

He has Already finished his manuscript,
and now 

he attempts to get it published. 
He looks for local sponsors 

and scrapes money of his own,
 when he can’t find any. 
But his father’s debts 

soon catch up with him. 

Co-written & directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, the film is slow. 
Patient.

 Methodical in its approach, 
as expected.

The entire film is an exercise in showing rather than telling. Told through the eyes of Sinan, his writer’s imagination leads to dream sequences of heart-stopping proportions, perfectly balancing the real with the fantastical.   It fits so harmoniously with the film as a whole as it never once disrupts the flow of the narrative.

 But the plot is a tad too drawn out. 

Ceylan’s direction presents a certain level of comfort. 

His sketching of the mundanities of everyday life 

remain as captivating as always, 

but they are also overly stretched. 

The story ruminates on love, 
fate, 
morality, 
religion, 
unemployment & abandonment 

through the eyes of our protagonist, 

who often comes across as arrogant, 

insolent & condescending.

Whereas it is a proper reflection of young adults 

who reject the wisdom & advice of previous generations, 
consider themselves morally superior to others, 

and think they know how the world works, 

until life knocks some sense into them. 

However, 
it is the father-son relationship 

that the film bases its narrative on. 

This aspect is finely executed, 

keeping our interest alive 
until the end 

with their love-hate dynamic. 

The static camerawork allows room for more thoughts 

and follows our protagonist at all times.

Yes its 188 minutes runtime is excessive, 

and its severity is felt
 sooner or later. 

Editing is a mixed bag too, 

for the jump cuts are jarring 

while several extended segments 
end abruptly. 

All the actors are committed to their roles, 

play their part responsibly 
& are thoroughly convincing. 

Even the supporting characters with limited screen time 

exhibit sufficient depth, 

thanks to excellent writing 
& lifelike characterisation. 

Ceylan provides ample space 
for primary characters to breathe 

yet their arcs appear stifled 
for the most part 

before coming full circle 
in the end. 

On an overall scale, 
The Wild Pear Tree provides an interesting glimpse into the life of modern Turkey, 

and makes for an absorbing character study 
of a young man 

who finds himself being dragged towards a destiny 

he cannot embrace.

While there are moments 

that present the esteemed Turkish auteur 

in control of his craft, 

there are also times 

when he slips up 

and allows few segments 
to either go on for too long 

or cuts before they have run their course. 

 Everything about this film works out to create something unbearably real, hard to watch but harder to look away. It’s a honest portrayal of the artist and their place in the world, in the worlds we create and the worlds we exist in. The Wild Pear Tree is a must-see for everyone, but particularly for artists, young and old. From its message to its crafting, you’ll walk out feeling understood, not alone and maybe even inspired.

Giulia Dobre