Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

The Wild Pear Tree Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf November 17, 2019

The director of “Winter Sleep,” Nuri Bilge Ceylan returns with another extended look at the personal problems of Turkish characters in “The Wild Pear Tree,” this time exploring rising tensions and dashed dreams within a troubled family. With a 188-minute-long run time, Ceylan clears a massive amount of screen space to detail his modest dramatics, with “The Wild Pear Tree” unfolding like a novel, examining various personalities trying to make sense of limitations and especially disappointments, with Ceylan creating a compelling portrait of generational divide and relationship obligations challenged by the realities of life itself.

The central character in “The Wild Pear Tree” is a young man striving to define himself in a culture that forces him to carry the burden of his father’s mistakes. Ceylan tracks the psychological evolution of the son as he struggles to publish his first novel, striving to deliver something of himself as he reunites with others who’ve lost their identity, also dealing with his dad’s dishonor as it gradually reveals itself throughout the feature. The plot of “The Wild Pear Tree” is relatively simple (it plays with coming-of-age structure and death-of-a-dream poignancy), but Ceylan is more interested in character interaction and inner-life, taking his time to examine motivations and observations as the seasons change, with the picture occasionally dipping into dreamscapes to help shake up viewer concentration, adding a sense of uncertainty to the effort to best inspire interpretive responses.

The Wild Pear Tree Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.38:1 aspect ratio) presentation delivers a crisp viewing experience, feeling out the digital cinematography in full. Technical limitations are present, including scenes shot with a smartphone, but clarity isn't challenged, providing a detailed look at emotive faces during intense close-ups, securing differences in age and wear and tear. Locations are also dimensional, preserving deep backgrounds as the characters move around rural areas. Colors are distinct, with comfortable earth tones and more vibrant hues with store decoration and costuming. Delineation is satisfactory, but a few dimly lit scenes trigger solidification. Mild banding is periodically detected.

The Wild Pear Tree Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix is immersive, with a healthy sense of atmospherics, providing surrounds with ample outdoor activity, including changes in weather, and interiors retain appropriate room tones, defining household movement. Dialogue exchanges are direct, protecting nuanced performances. Scoring is spare, but orchestral offerings are clear and warm, with defined instrumentation. Low-end isn't challenged.

The Wild Pear Tree Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Booklet (6 pages) includes an essay by Bilge Ebiri.

Disc 1

• "Q&A with Nuri Bilge Ceylan at the Smithsonian Institute" (19:15, HD) is a casual, post-screening conversation with the filmmaker.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:08, HD) is included.

Disc 2

• "The Making of 'The Wild Pear Tree'" (HD) is a sprawling, exhaustive understanding of the production effort, divided into "Part 1" (131:31), "Part 2" (138:11), and "Part 3" (134:08). This isn't a talking head viewing experience filled with anecdotes and recollections, but a you-are-there study of filmmaking, following Ceylan and his crew as they complete their daily work, which involves solving technical and location challenges, but primarily consists of dramatic interpretation, with the helmer working closely with his cast to achieve his vision. It's a remarkable document of communication and the creative process that's rare to see in this day and age of bite-sized featurettes and used car salesmanship. And, for those interested in the more technical side of the shoot, the mega-doc also highlights the use of a smartphone to achieve certain sequences.

The Wild Pear Tree Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Wild Pear Tree" is a substantial sit, and perhaps unnecessarily so. However, the reward here is a chance to experience lives in distress, with moral choices and philosophical considerations added to the dramatic mix, giving the endeavor a rich sense of thought as the personalities manage their problems and converse with one another. Ceylan takes his time with "The Wild Pear Tree," but he doesn't take anything lightly, giving the endeavor tremendous texture and feeling when it counts the most.