The Turkish film “Climates,” which opens today at Film Forum, beautifully captures the last gasps of the relationship between Isa, played by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, and Bahar, played by Mr. Ceylan’s often-hypnotic wife, Ebru Ceylan. But Mr. Ceylan, who is also the writer and director, depicts the impulsiveness and desperation of a deteriorating relationship with a precision that often makes the film difficult to watch.

Mr. Ceylan, who started out as a photographer, has inordinate skill in composing images on the screen. Nearly every frame would make an exquisite still photograph, but the unwavering focus on the starts and fits that define a breakup don’t do much to propel the action.

Throughout the film, Mr. Ceylan repeatedly makes a case for his own cinematography and the beauty of the Turkish countryside. “Climates” opens with Isa and Bahar languishing on vacation at the beach. Without much dialogue, the camera alternates between the impenetrable faces of this couple and the beauty of the seaside. The void between the middle-aged professor and his younger, television producer girlfriend seems impassible, with only occasional moments of intimate relief. At the end of their trip, the couple decides to separate before returning to Istanbul.

Though Isa and Bahar’s relationship difficulties become clear quickly, it is harder to discern any details about why and how they were together. A key dispute involves the girlfriend of a friend, Serap (Nazan Kirilmis), whom Isa cheated with. After the breakup, he goes back to see her. Here Mr. Ceylan has created one of the more perplexing love scenes on film, but he again shows his aesthetic skill in the brilliant way he choreographs and frames the scene.

When he learns that Bahar has left Istanbul, Isa drops Serap again to partake in an ill-fated pursuit of his former flame. When Isa arrives in the snowy east, he and Bahar begin their strange dance again.

But just as the distance between the two makes it difficult for them to understand each other, Mr. Ceylan keeps his characters at a distance from the audience. The dialogue is minimal, and few motivations are made clear. Most emblematic of this are the moments when Isa leads the women in his life into fits of uncontrollable laughter. Just as he cannot comprehend what they find so funny, the viewer is left out of the loop.

But Mr. Ceylan is adept at capturing the impulsive and counterintuitive behavior that is often a byproduct of an uncertain relationship. The most vivid scene comes in his depiction of an argument interrupted — in the midst of a heated discussion, the couple must continually put their emotions on hold as Bahar’s television crew loads the van they are in.

It perfectly displays the embarrassing actions that are often unavoidable when a relationship is at stake. He also makes some headway with the gray area separating impulse and action — most drastically with a daydream that leads to a motorcycle crash.

Mr. Ceylan rarely uses trained actors, and the chemistry between himself and his wife here is palpable. He takes full advantage of his brooding sex appeal while Ms. Ceylan exudes a broad-faced beauty that her husband captures exquisitely — most notably in a scene that focuses on her dripping form on the beach. But the script leaves Isa an anomaly and Bahar trapped between jilted lover and uncontrollable hysteric.

Mr. Ceylon’s undecipherable exterior approach allows for some poignant moments — scenes in which Bahar’s face crumbles in a solo moment among ancient ruins or when her thoughts waver beneath ethereal snowflakes. But it also makes it hard to care about what happens to this couple.

Mr. Ceylan has listed Michelangelo Antonioni as an influence in the press notes to “Climates,” and the Italian’s influence can be felt throughout. The film has much in common with Antonioni’s work, from the similar pacing to its saturated color palette.

But here, the minimalist action often leaves the story feeling aimless. Mr. Ceylan has captured many intriguingly beautiful vignettes, and though they do not all flow together seamlessly, it will be interesting to see what he will bring to the screen next.

mkeane@nysun.com