In the new Turkish film “Times and Winds,” poetry overtakes storytelling. There isn’t much that happens in this small film, but it is all handled lyrically.
It’s a dark poetry, though. Imagine a sinister Ray Bradbury coming-of-age story directed by a filmmaker from Iran, and you have some grasp of this film’s effect. Director Reha Erdem surveys the life rhythms of a village, where three adolescents are on the cusp of growing up. But this is not a sunny existence.
Omer is overshadowed in his family by his gifted younger brother, which has led to great resentment in the older boy. He contemplates ways of killing his father — would stealing his medicine work, or a well-placed scorpion?
Yakup endures an intense crush on his pretty teacher, and lives with the shadow of his father’s constant humiliation. A late revelation changes his feelings about his dad.
Yildiz, a girl, seems to suffer less than the boys, yet is also dominated by her relationship with her father. Witnessing her parents having sex has a primal effect on her.
There is not much more that “happens” in the film, although occasional dramatic moments go by. Much of the time, Erdem shows the young people moving through the beautiful hilly landscape (it was shot near Turkey’s northwest coast), the camera following them as they wind through village lanes or fields. It’s gorgeous.
Adding to the effect is the use of moody music by Arvo Part, a brilliant Estonian-born composer. This makes the simplest actions seem weighty.
Something about the movie remains elusive; maybe it’s part of Erdem’s style, or maybe there really isn’t quite enough to hang a movie on. But if you’re in the mood for a piece of contemplation, this will do the trick.
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