"Winter Sleep", with which Turkish filmmaker Nouri Bilge Ceylan won the Golden Palm at Cannes in 2014, is one of those films that will never be popular with the general public. But it will be a big mistake not to give him a chance. I know that the prospect of watching a 195-minute film in which (virtually) almost nothing happens - sounds a bit worrying or perhaps sleeping. Because in "Winter Sleep" there are no forbidden fruits of love, deserts of sinful passions, not to mention sex, extraterrestrial monsters and serial murders ... there is not even a scandal.
Aydin, the main character in "Winter Sleep", is a 60-year-old man, a former actor with a preserved aura, who has inherited a small hotel somewhere in central Anatolia and several buildings in the nearby village he rents. The hotel bears the Shakespearean name "Othello" but, contrary to my expectations, there was no suspicious jealousy to strangle her wife. Maybe - Aydin has a young, pretty woman on Nihall and not a young, recently divorced sister, Nekla - however, Ceylan seems to be a much bigger fan of Russian classics than English. Already at the beginning of the movie, a little boy throws a stone in Aidan's car and barely causes a catastrophe. In fact, the catastrophe happens in front of our eyes gradually and slowly, methodically and smoothly, like a slow-blow all the time from this moment to the end of the movie. But the drama comes quite calmly, without angry shouts, distorted faces, and desperate screams. Just like in the gruesome phrase "Calm, the ship sinks normally, water is for everyone." The father of the minor stonecutter lives in one of Aydin's houses but fails to raise money for the rent. The Uncle - the local Hodja, arrives at the hotel with the boy to apologize for the incident and to ask for the payment of the rent and the broken window.
But his muddy shoes are irritating Aydon. Which is the occasion later to write an article about moral dangers from the inconspicuous appearance of the spiritual pastors of the people. That should not leave you with the impression that "Winter Sleep" has something to do with Islam. Nothing would change if, instead of the Hodja, the hero was a teacher or, for example, or a party secretary. Aydin is considered to be a morally responsible, enlightened person (that is, his name), who can not, can not and does not want to remain indifferent when a social handicap occurs - and he regularly writes reports with elements of reflection about the local newspaper. There is also a writer who has not yet written anything, but he is collecting information about his future work "The History of Turkish Theater". Nihal fills his spare time with charity attempts, and Nekla has doubts and bitter reflections that lead to scathing but accurate remarks to others. Everyone has a well-thought-out excuse not to make sudden movements. All three are thought to be well-educated, cultured people. And they are genuinely excited when discussing the struggle against evil, the nature of good, the meaning of life, forgiveness, redemption, righteousness ... all subjects researched, distorted and autopsied by the great writers of Russian literature (Dostoevsky, Tolstoy and Chekhov most). While discussing how to be better, heroes and especially Aydin are getting worse. More and more painfully aware of what hypocritical self-deception they have had.
"With your articles, you dig into a pit that has already been dug up," criticizes Nekla's journalistic appearances for his brother. Some would have guessed that with "Winter Sleep", Ceylan also "digs into a hole from which everything has already been removed" by authors such as Bergman and Tarkovsky. But this pit exhaustion is gone. And even if there were, Ceylan "digs" so beautiful and interesting that it can be observed for hours. Adding to the picture the winter landscape of Cappadocia with its picturesque rocks, the houses dug in part and the falling snow-curtain - we have the perfect theatrical decor for this Russian-inspired and Turkish-shaped epic chamber-shaped, which I would love to separate ) once (more) 3 hours.
