Film: 12:08 East Of Bucharest Release date: 3rd December 2007 Certificate: 15 Running time: 86 mins Director: Corneliu Porumboiu Starring: Mircea Andreescu, Teodor Corban, Ion Sapdaru, Mirela Cioaba, Luminita Gheorghiu Genre: Comedy/Drama Studio: Artificial Eye Format: DVD Country: Romania
A familiar topic to Romanian cinema is the focus of writer and director Corneliu Porumboiu's first feature film, looking back at the collapse of communism and the 1989 Romanian Revolution. But this 2006 winner of the Camera d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival is a comical affair, focusing on the perspectives of a few individuals in the small city of Vaslui, and how they look back on history and its relevance. Jderescu (Teodor Corban), the local TV station owner, has decided to commemorate the 16th anniversary of the revolution by hosting a phone-in talk show, asking the question: “A fost sau n-a fost?” (Was there or wasn't there a revolution?). Referring to events on 22nd December 1989, and the role played by the people of Vaslui, if any, in communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu's downfall. His guests include the lonely old man Piscoci (Mircea Andreescu), well known around town for his perennial role of Father Christmas in the festive season, and the debt-ridden, alcoholic history teacher Manescu (Ion Sapdaru).
As events unfold, Jderescu finds himself battling to keep his fidgety guests under control and for them come to a conclusion over whether or not the revolution truly did arrive in their town. An issue apparently determined by whether protestors were in the town square before 12:08, the time at which Nicolae Ceausescu fled via helicopter from Bucharest (hence the title), or whether the people arrived in the square after the president had been toppled…
While the subject matter appears to look to events of Romania’s past, Porumboiu’s real intention is to show the viewer the Romania of today. The film is set in Vaslui, Porumboiu’s home city, and begins with a montage of shots of various parts of the town. The streets are deserted, the buildings tattered, the cars are old, and the silence is broken only by the sound of firecrackers thrown by the children, in what is apparently their main form of entertainment (since Jderescu’s TV station no longer airs cartoons).
The story gets underway by introducing us to the three main protagonists. First we meet Manescu, a drunk who can’t remember the previous night’s events, as he makes his way to the school at which he teaches history. Stopping off to pay debts and loan money from various acquaintances in a cycle of debt and drunkenness which apparently dominates his life. Alcohol is to him what firecrackers are to the children - a way to fill the boredom. When he sets his class the day’s task, he asks them what subject they know best. The French Revolution, they say. Notably, nobody mentions the Romanian Revolution.
Then we meet the grumbling, yet sweet-natured Piscoci in his spartan apartment as he loses his temper with a radio that doesn’t work properly. A retired widower, who upon preparing for the role of Father Christmas for another year, is dismayed that he can only find a tatty old costume to wear. He is a likeable man but a lonely one.
And then we have Jderescu, the curt, self-important TV station chief who spends the first half of the film struggling to secure guests for his TV show (despite his wife’s insistence that everybody wants to be on TV). On his choice of the revolution for the topic of the show, his mistress scoffs that nobody cares anymore. An assertion made by a number of characters throughout in the film.
When we finally get to the hastily organised talk show it quickly descends into farce, as Manescu's tales of revolutionary heroism are contradicted by a string of callers, while the seemingly apathetic Piscoci proves easily distracted. The show is further threatened by broken equipment and a cameraman with an unsteady hand, as a despairing Jderescu tries to keep the programme from complete collapse.
Porumboiu shoots the piece using single camera shots and long take techniques. This changes when the live TV show is filmed, and we view events from the perspective of the stumbling cameraman’s hand-held camera, which adds to the slapstick. It is also possibly a criticism of the new techniques sometimes employed in modern filmmaking, as this contrasts with the director’s own choice of filming, and is also a source of scorn from Jderescu.
It is throughout these scenes in the TV studio that the film really shines. The comic talents of the three lead actors are a joy to watch. From the subtle facial expressions of the under-fire, down-trodden Manescu, alongside the exasperated Jderescu and the brilliantly played deadpan Piscoci. The actors delight in some superbly underplayed comedy, with a script that is sharp, witty and full of wry humour. We are treated to some genuine laugh-out-loud moments as Manescu's claims to have been protesting against the Securitate in the town square prior to Ceausescu’s ousting are repeatedly refuted, and a bemused Jderescu tries to stop Piscoci’s efforts at origami as the live show stumbles on.
Porumboiu’s film paints a bleak picture of poverty and neglect in post communist Romania. Although he doesn’t mock the revolution itself, the young filmmaker does question its relevance to the people and their futures. As one caller to the phone-in show best sums it up: “It’s snowing now. Big white flakes. Enjoy it now, tomorrow it will be mud.” A reference to the initial joy of the revolution, followed by the disappointment that the end of the era didn’t bring about the bright future that the people had hoped.
12:08 East Of Bucharest is a hilarious, thought-provoking satire from exciting first-time writer/director Corneliu Porumboiu, which questions perceptions of history and leaves us greatly amused at the same time. With excellent performances from a talented cast, this is a highly recommended watch. MS
Film: Police, Adjective Release date: 14th February 2011 Certificate: 15 Running time: 113 mins Director: Corneliu Porumboiu Starring: Dragos Bucur, Vlad Ivanov, Irina Saulescu, Ion Stoica, Marian Ghenea Genre: Crime/Drama Studio: Artificial Eye Format: DVD Country: Romania
The winner of the Jury Prize under the Un Certain Rergard section of the 2009 Cannes Film Festival, this Romanian film has received drastically varied responses from critics and audiences. It is praised by some, hated by others. The piece was written and directed by Corneliu Porumboiu, and investigates the dilemma when morality and the law come into conflict. With such varying reactions to the work, one has to ask; is PoliĊ£ist, Adjectiv truly a great piece of art direction, or is it a case of the Emperor's new clothes? The film follows Cristi, a Romanian policeman who has a moral crisis when he is ordered to arrest a kid for smoking hashish. The narrative follows him as he attempts to investigate the case further and deduce the supplier - his frustration increasing as he tries to pursue leads under the constraints of bureaucracy.
Meanwhile, he is pressured to simply make the arrest and press supplier charges on the teenager. He must choose whether he will obey the law, which he has sworn to uphold, or avoid the guilt of ruining a young person's life over something he deems to be a small offence.
Meanwhile, the monotony and strict nature of his work have a noticeable affect on his life and marriage…
When hearing about it, this interesting concept raises high hopes for Porumboiu's film. In its symbolism and ideas, it is very clever. Grammar is used as a running theme throughout the dialogue, just as it is used in the title. Dialogue is sparse, and the lengthiest conversations are always about grammar - the rules under which expression is controlled. When Cristi makes a grammatical error, he is corrected. Even with his wife, these conversations are the closest they get to intimacy. This is symbolic of how choked he feels by the law that he must follow. In a scene where his wife explains that the spelling of a word has changed due to a ruling by the Romanian Academy, he questions how some people can decide and enforce what is and is not the right way to speak. Likewise, he must follow a law that he has been told is correct, even though he disagrees, and does not know if this will still be the same law they are told in a year's time.
Unfortunately, this potential-filled film is slowly drip-fed to the audience, but never fully delivered. The direction makes some very bold choices; everything is focused to create an experience that conveys how Cristi feels. To put it bluntly - very little happens. There is no score, and there are frequent stretches of near-silence. At the beginning, this quiet nature is typical of the genre; the opening credits roll to background sound effects and nothing more, and it is then a good five minutes before anyone speaks. Before this, we simply watch Cristi follow the teenager walking down wet, empty streets. This opening lets the audience know without a doubt that they are watching an artistic piece of socio-realm. A small font for the credits, a silent start - it has the clear art house trademarks. But unlike most films that begin in such a way, this empty pace continues throughout the entire film. A vast percentage of the footage merely watches Cristi observe the teenagers as they do very little. Only a few times is there a scene with a proper conversation, and plot developments are sparsely spread apart. With a running time of 115, that's a lot of repetitive footage.
Whether or not these were wise or affective choices is personal opinion, and the source of conflict over the film's reception. The silences and slow pace demonstrate how bored, lonely and depressed Cristi is, and how pointless his case feels. However, when the novelty of the symbolism wears off, it is hard going on the viewer. It is definitely art, but art in the Tate Modern sense; a device to make its audience as uncomfortable, restless and frustrated as the character. The director said he did not wish to pander to what audiences want, and he certainly stuck to this, raising the old question of film as a devise to communicate meaning vs. film as entertainment.
On the other hand, these vast portions of slow-paced silence do add to the delicious tension that exists whenever a conversation takes place, and makes the wordy end scene dramatically poignant. Finally, an oasis of sound - but the water in it is bitter, drawing together the themes of law and grammar into a cold, soul-crushing conclusion. Throughout the film, every small exchange feels significant, purely because they are so rare, and yet very often they don't communicate much. Therefore, an awkward moment that could be dismissed in another film instead preys upon the mind. For example, Cristi brings up that he wanted to see Prague; a tiny piece of small talk that turns into a dangerous-feeling conversation of patriotism, as his superior gives hypocritical reasons why Romania is better than Prague at anything Cristi mentions. This scene occurs relatively near the beginning of the film, and enforces just how unthinkable it is for him to even consider a different way of doing things. His thoughts are policed, as are his words. He's living in 1984.
The pallet works hand in hand with the lack of sound and awkward exchanges - almost everywhere is a washed out colour, with only splashes of blue coming through. This makes the world seem empty and cold. Cristi's house, all dull browns, is, in comparison, warmer than elsewhere, and an instant relief to the eye. It feels safe to behold. Yet, his scenes at home are just as long, silent and empty as those outside, showing that even in his sanctuary he can't escape the affect of his work upon his life.
Porumboiu said, in an interview about the film, that he believes what we write affects how we see the world. The film is divided into three acts, each act a day of Cristi's life, each ending with a detailed report of the non-events of the day. Having to strictly and carefully document every tiny, insignificant detail of his investigation underlines again how trapped he feels. Silently, the camera slowly plans down each of these reports; a calligrapher was hired to write them out in various different ways, to find the right handwriting for the character. The reports were an important symbol to the director, and yet this pan continues for too long, and occurs three times (as unwelcome each time). Little consideration seems to have been shown to how others will appreciate these scenes, only that it means something to the director himself.
Yet, the scenes that do contain conversation are memorable and very effective. This is partially due to the excellent acting - every actor in the piece brings utter authenticity to their role. Dragos Bucur carries much of the film on his own, with other key performances including that of Irina Saulescu, who plays Cristi's wife, and Vlad Ivanov, his boss. It seems a shame, with such talented acting and clever exchanges, that there were so few in the film. Scenes with Cristi and his wife are particularly haunting, driving home images of the silent, broken marriage in uncomfortably long shots.
This film, undeniably, has some interesting ideas and clever symbolism - however, the wait between each development is too lengthy, pushing its audience too far and working them too hard. To those who can sit through this, it has some commendable moments, but the execution is such that these shall only be enjoyed by a small, patient few. It must be still acknowledged for its originality, and elements of it will forever stick in the mind, but as it stands, this expressive piece will probably never achieve a wide audience. AIB
In this dark, humorous police drama, a cop suffers from a crisis of conscience when he is assigned to gather evidence against a college student dabbling with soft drugs.
Arguing for leniency to be shown towards what he regards as youthful irresponsibility, he finds his superiors have a very different interpretation of morality and the law.
A blackly humorous and intelligent satire of bureaucracy, Police, Adjective is the acclaimed new film from the director of the award-winning 12:08 - East Of Bucharest.
Film: Police, Adjective Release date: 14th February 2011 Certificate: 15 Running time: 113 mins Director: Corneliu Porumboiu Starring: Dragos Bucur, Vlad Ivanov, Irina Saulescu, Ion Stoica, Marian Ghenea Genre: Crime/Drama Studio: Artificial Eye Format: DVD Country: Romania
Corneliu Porumboiu writes and directs this Romanian drama.
On orders from his superiors, police officer Cristi (Dragos Bucur) is asked to investigate the case of a teenage boy, Alex (Alexandru Sabadac), who has been caught in possession of the recreational drug cannabis.
Realising that Alex is just a kid who occasionally smokes pot with his friends and is hardly a threat to society, Cristi starts to question the ethical ramifications of his task, and avoids taking the case further, knowing that conviction would lead to a prison term of up to seven years.
Film: Police, Adjective Release date: 1st October 2010 Certificate: 15 Running time: 113 mins Director: Corneliu Porumboiu Starring: Dragos Bucur, Vlad Ivanov, Irina Saulescu, Ion Stoica, Marian Ghenea Genre: Crime/Drama Studio: Artificial Eye Format: Cinema Country: Romania
