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The Wild Pear Tree

Play trailer 2:04 Poster for The Wild Pear Tree Released Jan 30, 2019 3h 8m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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94% Tomatometer 81 Reviews 82% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
A father's debts thwart the efforts of a young, ambitious writer to be published.
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The Wild Pear Tree

The Wild Pear Tree

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Critics Consensus

The Wild Pear Tree uses a young man's post-graduation experience to pose thoughtful, engaging questions about life in modern Turkey -- and the rest of the world.

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Critics Reviews

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Ty Burr Boston Globe "The Wild Pear Tree" wends its patient, intelligent way toward a rapprochement between the generations, an acceptance of the past and the land, and a weary wising-up of its central figure. Rated: 3.5/4 Apr 10, 2019 Full Review Yonca Talu Film Comment Magazine Recalling the metaphorical lyricism of Ceylan's early films, this is a rare moment where the director trusts ambience over prose. Mar 21, 2019 Full Review Ben Sachs Chicago Reader The progression of the conversations goes a long way in making Wild Pear Tree feel like an epic; the accumulation of ideas feels downright monumental. Rated: 4/4 Feb 28, 2019 Full Review Joseph Fahim Middle East Eye The Wild Pear Tree is the Turkish master's funniest film to date. It's also his most political, tackling with delicacy the growing influence of religion and generational conflict. Jul 2, 2021 Full Review Yasser Medina Cinefilia With a parsimonious rhythm spread over three hours, this film by Turkish director Nuri Bilge Ceylan makes me seriously think about when exposing an enriching philosophical treatise on the existential dilemmas of postmodern man. [Full review in Spanish] Rated: 7/10 Jul 24, 2020 Full Review Dustin Chang ScreenAnarchy The Wild Pear Tree is that rare film that captures the trial and tribulations of a young person who is intelligent enough to be both self-aware and pessimistic. Jul 17, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Umit K As a human from Turkey, this director's films make me sad. I feel something in my heart that I can't name. Actually, it is an emptiness in my heart that seems to never will be filled. I think this emptiness is the point that we should take a look at regular intervals while life goes on. This movie makes us look at it. The movie is slow. I do not know why but I like it. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 07/22/23 Full Review Audience Member This is the kind of movie that requires a lot of investment from the viewer -- in terms of time and in terms of attention. But, it is so visually and artistically appealing and rewards on many levels. Loved it. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member A contemplative exploration on the human condition, culture and life. Ahlat Agaci's slow pace may deter audiences, but patient viewers will be rewarded with a richly moving portrayal on existentialism. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member The Wild Pear Tree (Turkey, English Subtitles): Sinan has just graduated college and returns home to a small and more rural town, hoping to publish his first book that he refers as an "auto-fiction meta novel" (which in itself reflects the film's ability to get you to constantly try to unpack the narrative). His father is a schoolteacher who has gambled away the family home. He is close to retiring, and at the beginning of the film, he is trying to dig a well on a family plot that everyone says will never run. The film is partly a father-son relationship journey, but it is also the story of a young, post-college idealist who is at times obnoxious in his pomposity but is also trying to find a place for himself in the world. It is a period in time many of us coming out of college go through when we know without a doubt that we have all of the answers and that it takes life, living, and experience to recognize that we don't. The dialog is deep, and I think that I may have to see it again at some point to capture more of the depth of the conversations about religion, writing, and art. The acting is wonderful, and the cinematography is gorgeous. The Turkish landscapes are exquisite. There is a scene early in the film when Sinan runs into an old girlfriend who is getting married. The director captures such beauty in both people in those camera sequences. The film gets a big thumb's up from me. It is on the longish side (a bit over 3 hours), and it is in places "heady", but it is also a powerful and different kind of coming of age story. I loved it. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review dave d The Turkish film, 'The Wild Pear Tree', should be admired for what it is. It's ambitious even for Nuri Bilge Ceylan to allow a film to kind of get away from the viewer, only to reel them back in. It didn't work for me. It took me out of film and there's a lot of movie here. Well over three hours and there are stretches that are boring. Not my cup of tea, but it's beautiful and an exquisite performance from Aydın Doğu Demirkol. Final Score: 5.9/10 Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review wayne m The Wild Pear Tree is a complex, multi layered film that is beautifully rendered and totally engrossing. The latest film from Turkish master Nuri Bilge Ceylan continues his tradition of long, complex films that shine a light in to the soul of humanity. Like his previous films this one is long, clocking in at over 3 hours. But it never feels too long, it is full of marvellous dialogue that shifts and changes. This film is the story of Sinan, a young man who returns from university to the small town of Can. He hopes to publish a book, named 'The Wild Pear Tree', before he has to potentially take on a mundane career, quite possibly teaching. He returns to living with his family, a mother weary of her marriage and a rather quixotic father who fritters his money away gambling. The fim is dotted with long conversations with various characters. Such as an esteemed writer and two scholarly imams. The conversations reflect on life in modern day Turkey, wich are also indicative of life aorund the world. It is a contemplative film that is rueful but realistic about humanity. Supremely intelligent and full of pathos. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Wild Pear Tree

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Movie Info

Synopsis A father's debts thwart the efforts of a young, ambitious writer to be published.
Director
Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Producer
Zeynep Özbatur Atakan
Screenwriter
Akin Aksu, Ebru Ceylan, Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Distributor
Cinema Guild
Production Co
2006 Produkcija Sarajevo, Doha Film Institute, Detail Film, Film i Väst, arte France Cinéma, Nu-Look Yapım, Memento Films, Chimney Pot, Zeynofilm, RFF International, Kale Grubu, TRT, Sisters and Brother Mitevski
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Turkish
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 30, 2019, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 21, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA)
$33.3K
Runtime
3h 8m
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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