Recensioni degli utenti

A long theatrical play of dialogue and moods, thoughts and reflections, the absence of love or purpose, mixed with unchallenged and unsolved social inequalities, all placed into beautiful shots amid an astonishing natural environment. Very well played, with an almost unbearable iceberg of surpressed emotions and intellectually justified lack of action. Thought-provoking and emotionally touching, even if in a disturbing way.

I didn't know what to expect from Nuri Bilge Ceylan's "Winter Sleep", but the title gave me the right hint. I could feel some introspective vibes from that title that sounded like Ingmar Bergman's "Winter Light". That the film ran over three hours did scare me a little, I dreaded the borefest but as soon as it started I knew the guide to my journey would be a competent filmmaker who wouldn't indulge into narrative tricks to entertain me. This is a serious and deep movie, that never feels too long or wordy and that can't be labeled as pretentious because it questions and even mocks that elitist pretension.

Aydin (Haluk Bilginer) could be the alter-ego of Ceylan, a former actor owning a mountaintop hotel in Anatolia, which is far from the tourism-friendly archetypes associated to Turkey. Don't expect a sunny sky and shades of blue from the Mediterranean sea, we are in a place that is dominated by the natural elements, where urban turmoils have no bearing whatsoever on the inhabitants. It's not exoticism but escapism as those who live here are either too poor to move out or voluntarily exiled themselves from the city, out of an urge to find some inner peace or to fulfill some projects, others are just letting their soul hibernating, hoping for sunnier tomorrows.

But isolation can either bring the best or the worst and where Aydin finds inspiration to the columns he writes and his procrastinated project of writing a memoir on Turkish theatre, his younger wife Nihar (Melissa Sozen) and his sister Necla (Demet Akbag) find boredom and desperately look for any possible loophole that can guide them into an oasis of meaning, even artificial. That's the paradox of people trapped together with each one going in one direction, at the end you're estranged to the closest ones. The general idea might sound too pompous but it is handled through powerful conversations where one snarky remark can snowball into more devastating and hurtful comments, revealing the characters' deepest secrets and insecurities.

Aydin is a man who never refuses dialogues, he cares about people and is generally ready to listen. But within his own intellectual certitudes, he passes as an arrogant man, incapable to understand the little people, whereas the tenants of the residences he owns, people who live in religion (while he's the educated and open-minded) and with time both his sister and wife also feel belittled. Though Aydin does nothing offensive and insulting, it's all in his attitude, something that is only partially betrayed through little patronizing thoughts he shares here and there or hides behind his eloquence.

But I make it sound as if the film doesn't deal with a story, there are events that break the relative monotony. A kid throws a rock on Aydin's jeep, he's the son of Ismail, a man who's been put in jail and whose belongings were confiscated by money collectors (umbeknownst to Aydin). Ismael (Nejat Isler with his piercing eyes) reminded me of the lower-class husband in the Iranian film "A Separation", a man incapable to feel empathy toward upper class people no matter how well-intentioned they are. He's a prisoner of his own prejudices and unlike his brother, the local imam, finds refuge in alcohol rather than religion. The brother (Serhat Mustafa Kiliç) constantly sugarcoats his words with syrupy politeness and an exaggerated smile that reinforces Aydin's perception of religious people as hypocrites and bigots.

But in one of the most powerful scenes of the film, the sister blames Aydin for being hypocritical too, and judgmental, he condemns people of religion while having never set a food in a mosque and dilutes his frustration in a vain desire to please some fans. It escalates to the point that Aydin as a defensive mechanism insults her, calling her an eternal malcontent venting her post-divorce anger. Later, a similar conversation occurs when he accuses his wife of being too naïve with her fundraising projects and criticizing her lack of bookkeeping skills. Aydin can't realize that this is less a project than an opportunity to give her life a meaning. But we know a bad guy he's not and "Winter Sleep" is only the chronicle of isolation and how it makes people drive people into spinning in their own private areas, so much privacy that even when people discuss, you never see them in the same frames, an interesting trick conveying a double isolation.

It's an existential condition that Aydin disregards as a luxury, real people have no time for such foolishness; during winter, they have to think of fire, school, food, even hunting. The film takes us to one scene to another where all is up to us is to listen to these people, to their ideas, their perceptions, an inebriated dinner leads a man to quote "Richard III" and rejects conscience as a trick used by cowards. In a parallel scene, when Nihar offers money to Ismail's brother out of guilt-stricken charity, Ismail acts as if her good conscience meant absolutely nothing to him. The film shows the eternal gaps between people who can afford thinking and some who can only resign themselves for better or worse, an imam, an alcoholic or a widower who tolerates adversity.

Another conversation has the women talk about how we can fight evil by letting him act and see if it can self-destruct, Aydin rejects the idea without realizing that it's the exact way people behave, by surrendering to their own demons while others just let the flow of life drown them and don't bother fighting it. It's easier to deal with the evil that governs us than whatever belongs to the other. And that the most meaningful and humbles words are spoken in voice-over makes the ending bittersweet and frustrating, but so relatable. For a film so rich in communication, it's rather infuriating that a few people really communicate.

Have for a long time absolutely loved foreign language films, with 'Pan's Labyrinth' and 'A Very Long Engagement' making major impressions on me in school (and they are still favourites). Have actually seen very few Turkish films, but watched 'Winter Sleep' because of trusted friends raving over it and also the critical acclaim. With many recently seen highly regarded films being from my experience as great as said, expectations were high. The idea of the film also fascinated me.

'Winter Sleep' did not disappoint at all. Actually thought it one of the best films seen by me in a long time. The film is indeed long at nearly three and a half hours, but that didn't bother me. Having seen plenty of films with long lengths, some even longer, that still transfixed. It is indeed talk heavy, which is not always a good thing to me, depending on how good the talk is and how much is necessary. And it is indeed slow, or should we say deliberately, paced, but in my experience slow paced does not immediately equal bad (some of the best and most influential films ever made are slow).

Everything works. The scenery is absolutely breath taking, suitably bleak in parts but also hauntingly beautiful and atmosphere filled. The photography is quite stunning as well, really appreciated that there weren't any dizzying camera angles, fast cuts or slow motion, it is instead kept still and simple but is absolutely beautiful in that. It really makes the atmosphere speak for itself. The music is only used when necessary, but when it is used it is haunting and suitably melancholic.

The film is superbly scripted, as said it is heavy in talk. But it is truly thought provoking and powerful talk and all of it felt necessary and added a lot to the complexity of the characters. The story never felt dull and it didn't feel over-stretched either, it is not one of those films that tries to do too much narratively and takes its time to build but it really succeeds in making the tough, sensitive subject and themes bleakly uncompromising yet moving, making the intimacy of some of the storytelling really come to life emotionally and giving meat to the characters. The long length for me actually flew by.

Moreover, the lead character is not easy to get behind to begin with, but he does grow the more he understands what is going on around him, what his conflicts are doing to others and the more his motivations are understood. The film is sublimely acted, with Haluk Bilginer giving one of the best and most complex performances of the year that should have gotten more award recognition.

Summing up, absolutely wonderful. 10/10.

... like the Anatolian weather, mimicking the lives of a businessman's younger wife, his sister and some defaulting tenants who live close by while he, in the fashion of middle aged men the world over, continues with his blinkered, unchanging view of life - but at what cost?

Winter Sleep is a masterpiece by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, a film shining with literary eloquence and incisive social criticism.

Aydin ("intellectual" in Turkish) is a failed former actor, now a hotel owner with sufficient inheritance to make him command the stage as a condescending "king" of a village in Cappadocia. He feels licensed to instruct, intrude and judge, not only on his pitiable tenants, but also on his disaffected young wife Nihal and divorced self-doubting sister Necla. This sentiment ostensibly extends to poor, uneducated and religious classes of the country, making Aydin a stereotype of the Turkish elite. The brutal taming of the horse is an allegory of his marriage; young and pretty Nihal is just another decorative item in his life, not an individual with her own rights and pursuits. Aydin also epitomizes a male-dominated society, cutting across levels of education and affluence.

A glimmer of hope comes with a stone breaking the glass. While ruthlessly and decisively able to overpower everyone else in his reign, Aydin is disturbingly challenged by a stubborn 10 year-old boy Ilyas (Arabic equivalent of Elijah, a harbinger of the Messiah).

Putting the lens on the perpetually pretending psyche of the western-styled intellectual, Winter Sleep portrays the Turkish nation struggling between the East and the West. Aydin claims to have ideals and ideas but has no intention to make a difference for the good, does not even attempt to empathize with his fellow citizens. His articulate quote from Shakespeare echoes a confession.

It's no coincidence that Nuri Bilge Ceylan was charmed by Chekhov, a like-minded author from yet another nation torn between civilizations.

Hats off to 2014 Palme d'Or judges for their audacity. By recognizing the value of Ceylan's work, they have enticed global audiences to risk 3 hours 16 minutes of their time to a non-commercial film, a feast of cinematography and acting bundled with literary gratification.

I had the chance to see tonight this movie in "Positif" (a french, highly rated, cinema review) "avant Première". When I made the usual reservation for Positif readers/ subscriber, the reservation told me (and it is listed in the invitation) "we remind you that this movie lasts 3h and 16 minutes....". Unusual....

I was aware of that, but , as Michel Ciment pointed out, in his introduction, there are 1h 30 minutes movies which seem to last 4 hours....

and here, "on ne voit pas le temps passer" un-consciously used the title of a song by Jean Ferrat).

And, indeed, this is true. Very few "important" events happen in the film, but the degradation of the relation between the two main characters takes place little step by little step, and each dialogue is captivating, while the cast (all the cast) is wonderfully playing. Some scenes are surprising by their underneath violence (how a gift turns out to be an insult , and how the outrage is returned, is a flabbergasting sequence) The location in Anatolia, the winter atmosphere, and the remarkable photography adds a piece of charm to the film. At the end, you will remember that it all started by a little stone thrown at a car.... and wonder how you were so much immediately entrapped by the intrigue, so much that it could have lasted as long as the mother and the whore, another lengthy movie, you would not have complained.

I do not want to spoil you by describing the plot, but it brings so many reflections about society, aging of a relationship, and a couple, that ... you will want to see it again (which I will certainly do when it is theater released in August). It is an absolute masterpiece, and likely the best film of the decade......(and of course Ceylon best so fat) Go to see it !

I read some reviews below and ı am surprised. people say that conversations are meanless and long etc... This kind of criticism and comments make no sense. This is not a Hollywood movie which characters say everything directly just because films like these are making for teenage minded people. I mean sometimes you can not say what you want to. sometimes you use long path to home... moreover dialogs are serving the philosophy of movie. This movie is the best of Nuri Bilge's, about ego and contrasts between arrogance-virtue. You can also thing about your attitudes, this film makes you to do so. Main characters's (Aydin) last words are impressive, with these words film having a emotional and touching side. A good movie for people who like thinking about themselves

Mr Nuri Bilge Ceylan had made adventurous efforts in his movie "Winter Sleep". Rewardingly, Palme d'Or Awards was passed onto his hands in 2014. A stunning feature of this movie was the eloquence of major characters. Because of this distinct feature, the audiences need feel comfortable to catch up with a large amount of intellectual debates and accusative questionings between the characters, in order to tap into the characters' inner worlds.

During three hours and sixteen minutes, a rich and deep portrait of various emotional sufferings are gradually unfolded. The audiences are exposed to intense conflicts between the rich and the poor, a complacent brother and his critical divorcée sister, an egoistic husband and an unhappy young wife and also a naive philanthropist and a resentful villager. Also, there are explosions and accumulations of negative emotional outbursts such as distrust, prejudice, loneliness, fear, suffocation, delusion, cynicism, hopelessness and hatred.

While viewing these interpersonal tensions and emotional despairs, it seems to me that our characters were all wearing shackles which had stopped them from finding their true inner strength. For Aydin, the shackle was his distrust and emotional rigidity. For Necla, it was her disapproving attitude and reluctance to change. For Nihal, it was her pessimistic view of her future. For Hamdi, it was his deeply-rooted shame and hatred towards the rich. For Hamid's little son Ilysa, it was his inability to fight against social unfairness. For Hamdi's bother Ismail, it was his involuntary submissiveness and unresisting. And perhaps due to these emotional scars, they all felt deprived of freedom and thus pushed each other into corners in order to feel justified.

Mr Nuri Bilge Ceylan opened an abundance of philosophical discussions in this movie. Seemingly he was unwilling to provide effective solution to ease any of these social and interpersonal tensions depicted in the movie. Nevertheless, Mr Ceylan did examine Aydin's self-revelation after he clashed with his sister Necla and his wife Nihal. When Aydin's false ego was badly stricken, the loneliness and pain in Aydin's heart must have been unbearably agonizing. From that moment, the movie started to openly unveil Aydin's vulnerabilities. He contemplated at his parents' graveyard. His messy hair was flying nowhere in the snow, looking terribly sad. When he showed genuine care to the young motorcyclist, that warmth didn't returned back to him. The releasing of a wild horse back to Anatolia steppe could indicate his longing to loosen his own rigidity and forceful mind. While waiting for his run-away train to Istanbul, he frankly demanded the company of his assistance Hidayet. He paid attention to a dead fox lying beside the rails in the snow and even checked birds of prey on the nearby tree. He watched the dying rabbit pitifully during hunting. At the end of the movie, Aydin admitted to himself that he was unable to live through life without Nihal. At this point, when Aydin acknowledged his emotional vulnerabilities, it appeared that he regained his peace and order, and even kicked off his long-term writing project on "the History of Turkish Theatre". Aydin perhaps realized that he no longer needed to be the superior one who was emotionally distant to people and himself, who felt like a king by being a columnist in his imaged kingdom, who loved his own civilized manner to contrast others'clumsiness, who was relying on rigidity to feel strong…

Overall, this is a thought-provoking movie, managed by a master director and performed by impeccable cast. I would love to watch this movie again after a few years, as I wish to comprehend more of its richness and depth when life rewards me with more personal experiences.

I really love the style and slow progression and deep of the themes. The every day nature becomes a masterpiece. Great acting, classic and real. However, it has moments where it becomes too long and boring and it doesn't reveal as the great masterpiece that it could be. All in all, a recommended movie and awesome work of the director and team.

Since I saw Uzak (Distant, his first film) years ago and enjoyed it immensely, I've made a point of seeing every film Nuri Bilge Ceylan makes. Unfortunately, his esteem in my mind was gradually fading while others, like the Russian Andrey Zvyagintsev's were rising, his Leviathan is an excellent film. With Winter Sleep, though, Ceylan has made a masterpiece- easily his finest film, and I am in awe of his talent. To make a film that is a character study of a small hotel owner's life at its twilight into such a profound meditation on so many themes...pure genius! And to learn that this movie didn't get nominated for an Academy Award...fortunately the French awarded it top prize at Cannes. It's better than Ida and Leviathan (though Leviathan is a powerful, important film). Extremely well acted; beautifully filmed. The power, though, is in the dialogues...rare the emotional and intellectual intelligence on display here. An absolute must-see for fans of art-house foreign language cinema.

Winner of the prestigious Palme d'Or at 2014 Cannes Film Festival, Winter Sleep arrives with high expectations but succeeds amazingly well in living up to its new-found honour for this Turkish drama is simply one of the most engrossing, mesmerizing & satisfying narratives to surface on the silver screen in the past year, and is definitely one of the best films of 2014.

Set in Anatolia, the story of Winter Sleep concerns Aydın; the wealthy owner of a mountaintop hotel who was once an actor but has since fallen into the hibernation mode over the years. The plot covers the chaos his self-involved persona brings to his small kingdom as the animosity of his loved ones & the poor people under his reign begins surfacing once the winter approaches.

Directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, the film takes a very methodical, patient & firm approach with its narrative which does a stellar job in slowly unraveling the inner details of the various characters inhabiting this story. The entire story is an amalgamation of one conversation after another but it's how each discussion begins & ends plus seamlessly switches from one to another that makes it such an immersive experience.

The locations are wonderfully chosen, set pieces are finely detailed, the hotel itself creates a calm but secluded ambiance which becomes all the more suffocating on the advent of winter. Camera-work is mostly still yet effective plus the landscapes are beautifully photographed, its 196 minutes of runtime never really bothers for the most part, thanks to its breezy storytelling & the score makes its presence felt just when it's required.

Coming to the performances, every single actor here chips in strongly in their given roles & leave nothing to complain about. Haluk Bilginer delivers a magnificent performance as Aydın, and is brilliantly supported by Demet Akbağ & Melisa Sözen who play his sister & wife, respectively. The rest of the cast also shines since each character is deftly scripted & gradually developed which differentiates them from caricatures.

On an overall scale, Winter Sleep is an intensely gripping, masterfully told & exquisitely layered study of a self-righteous character that also takes an interesting look at failing relationships, old age regrets, class divides, and the morals of right & wrong. And despite its challenging runtime, dialogue-driven plot & slow-burn narration, it manages to be a truly immersive & absorbing cinema that's worthy of your time & money. Highly recommended.

This film's drama is slow and meditative - a far cry from the soap operas that it constantly belittles. It centres on a remote Turkish village and the wealthy but reclusive patriarch who starts off with an outwardly principled appearance but turns out to be judgemental and destructive. The dynamics of the town slowly unravel and reveal a backstory that shows that things are not as idyllic as the pleasantries and scenery might suggest - the gap between the desperate and the wealthy, the lack of real love and the chronic dissatisfaction and longing for the past.

Boring, tedious, a hugely underwhelming experience. This could have been a good movie with a director and an editor who were not asleep at the wheel and knew when enough was enough! Huge unwanted pregnant pauses, moody silences, all the narcissistic art house red flags, on the same par with the equally boring "The tree of Life" from a few years ago! A major disappointment, I was actually looking forward to it but after slogging through the first slower than slow 70 minutes I realized that it was not going to get any better, yet I stayed for till the end, bigger fool I! "Winter Sleep" is an ironic title because it certainly lead me to the land of nod!

This is probably the slowest film I've ever seen where I was invested the whole time. That's quite a feat considering the film's glacial pace and 196-minute run time. I'll admit I don't watch a lot of foreign movies, but I'll go out of my way if I feel they're worth checking out. I heard how slow this movie was, so I went in somewhat cautious. Don't get me wrong, some of my favorite movies are quite slow, such as The Bird People In China and There Will Be Blood. However, I have my limits. I have respect for the artistic merit of films like Solaris, Satantango, Werckmeister Harmonies, and The Turin Horse, and I get what they're going for thematically, but JEEZ, can we please move on? I probably sound like an ignorant jackass for saying that, but hey, that's my honest opinion.

Did I fall asleep during Winter Sleep? Despite the fact that I started the movie at 9:00 pm and it didn't finish until after midnight, the answer was surprisingly no. In my opinion the film is perfectly paced for the story it wants to tell, slow enough that you feel the pace of life in the mountains of central Turkey but just fast enough to keep things moving along. The acting and dialogue are the two things that drive the film, and both are executed beautifully. All of the actors were fantastic and felt like real people. The fact that I don't recognize any of them probably helped, but even in a foreign language film its not hard to spot weak acting. Not a whole lot happens in the film, but the film remains engaging because we care about these believable, relatable characters. Movies like Lord of The Rings: The Return of The King or The Ten Commandments are engaging throughout their 200+ minute run times simply because so much happens in them that you sort of need it to be that long. For the first hour of Winter Sleep, I wasn't really sure where the film was going, but things kept escalating and tensions kept building. By the two and a half hour mark, I was on the edge of my seat, anxious (in a good way) to see how the climax would play out. If a film comprised entirely of 15-minute scene after 15-minute scene of people talking can keep me anticipating what happens next, it must be doing something right.

The film is beautifully shot. We get some beautiful scenery outdoors in addition to some nice cinematography for the indoor scenes. (not really a spoiler) I like how some of the more pivotal scenes are lit only with the flickering light from a fireplace, reflecting the characters' emotional intensity. There's some interesting symbolism and religious/social themes sprinkled throughout as well.

My only complaint with the film is it gets too philosophical and political at points for my taste. There are times where characters will talk about Islam, the Turkish government, and other things for like five minutes at a time. While it technically helps develop the characters and fits with the plot thematically, I felt that some of it was unnecessary and could have been cut. There are times where its needed for the plot though, like when Aydin berates his wife about laws regarding taxation on donation money (not really a spoiler).

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by this film. If you sit back and let the film suck you in, you'll find yourself engaged. It isn't for everybody, but those willing to stick it out will hopefully find it rewarding.

Ceylan's film is a film about the inherently destructive aspects of 'pride', tired old traditions, antiquated thinking, dishonesty (or at least being intentionally disingenuous), and letting your bitterness and resentment fester until it eats away too much of you and leaves you at odds with those closest to you, if not everyone.

How can you embody so many themes in one single movie with such great care and dedication? This motion picture lets you see everything you want to see and perhaps even more. With this I'll also add, its quintessentially a Nuri Bilge Ceylan film, so you cant expect any over- the-top gesture or quirk. Its life at its natural pace. Whether an audience sees it or not, its there, in all its beauty and tragedy.

Aydin (Haluk Bilginer) runs a small hotel in Anatolia with his wife Nihal (Melisa Sozen) and his sister Necla (Demet Akbag). His life appears to be a serene one at first. He seems calm, handles everything with care, looks as if he has a grip on almost everything. But does he?

When the film begins we have no idea who these people are and by the film ends, its as if we know their core, so much so that its shocking. That is the power only possessed by great films, which this one is, in my mind.

With this film, Ceylan has reached to a whole other level of film- making. He not only co-wrote some of the best conversations ever to be captured on film, but also had the ability to stage and dramatize it.

On a personal level, I just feel this is that kind of a film which would be cathartic for some, highly profound for others and some might just find it boring owing to its length. But one thing is certain, it has captured the truth of the characters as one would catch lightening in a bottle (if one ever could). Its worth a watch, at least once, and that goes for every single person on earth!Do catch it sometime.

"Wintersleep" is, like so many other films of Nuri Bilge Ceylan, a relationship drama.

Aydin (Haluk Bilginer) is a retirered actor who has returned to his hometown. He has inherited some houses, that he rents to locals. Aydin is married to the much younger Nihal (Melisa Sözen).

Much of the film consists of dialogues between Aydin and Nihal.

Nihal accuses Aydin of being a limousine liberal. Socially inspired as an actor, heartless as a landlord.

Aydin accuses Nihal of being naive in her welfare work. The intentions are good, the results are sometimes counterproductive.

Both accusations contain an element of truth.

The problem of this movie is not that it contains so much dialogue, the problem is the static way in which this dialogue is portrayed. In one scene Aydin does not have a discussion with his wife but with his friends during a reunion meal. When the evening progresses and everyone has had a few glasses of wine, the debate grows more intense and dynamic. If the conversations of Aydin and Nihal had been as intense it surely would have benefited the film.

This movie feels like you're peeking into the lives of these characters, and it can be very awkward.

The story is, basically, a conflict between a landlord and a tenant. The main landlord is kind of an asshole. He's snobbish and condescending, but the tenant isn't the most likeable either.

These characters feel like people. Flawed and conflicted. Their story is more fascinating to watch that it would seem at first.

The film is very long and very slow, but instead of being boring, it's relaxing, despite how unrelaxed the characters may be (they spend a lot of the time arguing). It's also really tense. Tense and relaxing. Oddly nostalgic.

If I were to compare it to a more recent movie, that would be Hu Bo's An Elephant Sitting Still.

First of all let me tell you my complete disbelief of such a high rating for this movie. I try to understand why people would give it such a high rating but I must be too dumb to get it because honestly this movie is so boring I had to watch in three times and even then I almost fell asleep three times. Don't get me wrong, the actors are all good, the filming is good as well. But it doesn't matter if you have the best actors possible or the worst actors possible, if you make a movie about the extremely boring life of extremely boring people then you get an extremely boring movie. And if you make a movie that last for more then three hours about nothing then you get an extremely long boring movie. Because let me tell you, and here is a spoiler, so if you want to stop reading this review before I spoil it for you then this is the moment. This movie is about nothing and it last more then three hours. Unbelievable people like that kind of nonsense. I simply don't get it.