Climates - Nuri Bilge Ceylan

(aka "Climates" or "Les Climates" or "Seasons" or "The Climate" )

directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Turkey / France 2006

True to its title, "Climates" begins on the shimmering Mediterranean coast of Turkey and ends in the relentless snow drifts of the easternmost region of the country. But far from being a Weather Channel exposé, Nuri Bilge Ceylan's new film is about the changing emotional temperature between two people. It's one of the great movies on the vicissitudes of love, commitment, and attraction. How much unchecked desire can a person have? When is it time to narrow the focus? Is there ever truly one?

[...]

Ceylan casts himself as Isa , a college professor whose relationship with a somewhat younger woman named Bahar has exceeded its expiration date. Played by Ceylan's own wife, Ebru , the woman is an art director for a television show. When we meet them, they're on a summer jaunt to Kas , whose ruins Isa surveys for a future university lecture. From a distance, Bahar watches him stroll among the wreckage of a once-magnificent site, and the personal symbolism is unmistakable. Once, they were magnificent, too.

Excerpt from The Boston Globe located HERE

Poster

Theatrical Release: France 21 May 2006 (Cannes Film Festival)

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DVD Comparison:

Zeitgeist Films - Region 1- NTSC vs. Artificial Eye - Region 2 - PAL vs. Imaj (2 discs) - Region 0 - PAL

Big thanks to Per-Olof Strandberg for all the Screen Caps!

(Zeitgeist Films - Region 1- NTSC LEFT vs. Artificial Eye - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. Imaj (2 discs) - Region 0 - PAL - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers
Distribution	Zeitgeist Films Region 1 - NTSC	Artificial Eye Region 2 - PAL	Imaj (2 discs) Region 0 - PAL
Runtime	1:38:00	1:37:54 (4% PAL speedup)	1:37:54 (4% PAL speedup)
Video	1.85:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.6 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	1:1.85 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.09 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s	1:1.85 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 6.97 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Zeitgeist
Bitrate: Artificial Eye
Bitrate: Imaj (2 discs)
Audio	Turkish (Dolby Digital 2.0)	Turkish (Dolby Digital 2.0)	Turkish (Dolby Digital 5.1). Turkish (Dolby Digital 2.0)
Subtitles	English, None	English, None	English, None
Features	Release Information: Studio: Zeitgeist Films Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1:1.85 Edition Details: • Interview with NBC (25:51/16:9) • Interview with Ebru Ceylan (14:08/16:9) • Climates in Cannes (32:55 / 4:3 • Making of Climates (37:50/4:3) • US theatrical trailer • DVD-9 DVD Release Date: June 26th, 2007 transparent Keep Case Chapters 12	Release Information: Studio: Artificial Eye Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1:1.85 Edition Details: • Interview with NBC (25:52/16:9) • Interview with Ebru Ceylan (14:08/16:9) • Making of Climates (37:54/4:3) • Trailers (Climates, Clouds of May) • Turkey Cinemascope (Photos) • NBC filmography (2 pages) • EC biography (1 page) • DVD-9 DVD Release Date: 28 May 2007 Keep Case Chapters 12	Release Information: Studio: Imaj (2 discs) Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1:1.85 Edition Details: • Disc 1: • The Film • Disc 2: • Making-of (37:53 / 4:3) • Climates in Cannes (32:53 / 4:3) • Interview with NBC (29:29/4:3) • Documentary On NBC (26:53/4:3) • Photos (3:50/16:9) • Trailer (1:38/16:9) • ALL EXTRA MATERIAL IS SUBTITLED IN ENGLISH • DVD-9 + DVD-5 DVD Release Date: 30 March 2007 Keep Case Chapters 11

Comments:

ADDITION: Zeitgeist - Region 1 - NTSC - Jan 08': Well, this certainly confirms that the AE is too green (as Per-Olaf surmised below). Strangely the Zeitgeist has the same running time as the PAL editions so I would have expected some significant ghosting (unconverted source standard) but there is nothing except some minor combing (interlacing) - see last capture. Otherwise it is very detailed and looks to be a duplicate of the Imaj disc image quality. It is dual-layered and has most of the same extras (interviews, Cannes, Making of.. etc.). It has a clear, original Turkish audio track and optional English subs.

If you can get past the combing - the presentation is quite strong. I still think the Imaj is the definitive but it's nice to see this released in Region 1 - a great film that needs an audience!

Gary Tooze

***

ON the PAL EDITIONS: This is little tricky. Both have more or less the same source material, but the Artificial-Eye disc is even more greenish than the picture on the Turkish Imaj disc. I tried to compare the colors from the film clips on the 'Making of...' document, only to find out that also has the same greenish color on the AE disc, but not on the Imaj, even though the making of documentary is the same on both editions! I believe that the Imaj disc is more correct, but I don't actually know which image is closer to the original intentions of the director/DP. Besides the color difference, the Imaj edition has the main film on a separate disc, were the AE has the film plus the extensive extras on the same disc. This results in that the Imaj have a higher bit rate and less artifacts than the AE. Climates was shot on High Definition, and even though most of the image on both disc's is fairly sharp and detailed, there are some indoor scenes that reveal the HD master, and it looks to be of quite weak quality (with artifacts and macro-blocking).

The Imaj disc has both an Dolby Digital 5.1 and a DD 2.0 option. The AE disc has only the latter, even though the DVD cover misrepresents it as DD 5.1. Even though there's very little music or effects in the film, the DD 5.1 separation is superior.

The subtitle translation seems to be identical on both editions.

On the extra material both editions have the same Making-of featurette. The AE disc has a good Interview with Nuri Bilge Ceylan, He speaks in English about the style of Climates. A Turkish Cinemascope stills gallery is also revealing. The Imaj disc has a very good documentary from NBC, and also a 30 minute interview. Both editions have solid extras, but the Imaj disc gives more information about the director and his work. The Climates in Cannes documentary has everything that Nuri Bilge Ceylan despises, and it should be 3 minutes instead of 32.

Nuri Bilge Ceylan walks in Antonioni's footsteps, but with his own voice. This film is not to be missed.

- Per-Olof Strandberg

DVD Menus

(Zeitgeist Films - Region 1- NTSC)

(Artificial Eye - Region 2 - PAL - LEFT vs. Imaj (2 discs) - Region 0 - PAL - RIGHT)

Screen Captures

(Zeitgeist Films - Region 1- NTSC TOP vs. Artificial Eye - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. Imaj (2 discs) - Region 0 - PAL - BOTTOM)
Subtitle sample NOTE: Not exact frame!