I want to start a poll on your favourite Romanian movie of all time(because many claimed this one to be it).Mine,after much thinking,is Niki et Flo(Lucian Pintilie's latest film).I'm waiting for suggestions
Terminus Paradis | Costel Cascaval rullez!
sharePadurea Spanzuratilor, Osanda, Balanta, Matca ... Moartea domnului Lazarescu was almost boring for me. Nowadays Romania is KO at this chapter.
share1. Moartea Domnului Lazarescu
2. Occident
3. Asfalt tango
4. Marfa si banii
5. Furia
Dudes I am Romainian I love my country,but I am wondering what can you see at this movies they are really aufull.I guess most of the guys that are posting here are romainians ,as me ,and they try to improve the image of our filmography ,it does not worth it.Movies in the past were pretty good(Mihai Viteazu)
but the new ones well they are at the same level as 30 years ago.Hope there are others that share my opinion, u rate this movie 8+ well i will not give it 3.
No offense, but I think that you are the the kind of guy that believes: Holywood american movie=good movie, everything else is lousy. In my opinion, we have some very good movies like:Filantropica or Asfalt tango and the older ones like:Morometii or Mihai Viteazul. Of course, there are other good romanian movies I don't recall right now. I haven't seen MDL yet , but hopefully it gets more awards.
shareDragonu the last movies u menntion to be good are filantropica, asfalt tango and i guees this movie moartea domnului lazarescu,don't they have something in common???
Toate filmele astea ne arata problemele care le avem de zi cu zi (prostitutzia , saracia, si mizeria din spitale)si pe care le stim deja nu cred ca ar trebuii sa se faca filme cu astea , mai ales ca imaginea tzarii noastra e deja foarte sifonata, si voi numitzi asta "the greatest romanian movie of all ")
cred ca moartea domnului lazarescu nu se refera neaparat la problemele romaniei. Oameni singuri sunt peste tot, poate chiar mai mult decat la noi. De plimbat din spital in spital se poate intampla oriunde. La municipal nu l-au oprit pentru ca era aglomerat din cauza accidentului. Parca nu am simtit chiar asa de mult mizeria din romania. Cred ca e un subiect general valabil, de aceea l-au inteles si strainii
share[deleted]
1. Moartea domnului Lazarescu
2. Padurea spanzuratilor
3. Filantropica
Balanta (The Oak), De ce trag clopotele Mitica, Dupa amiaza unui tortionar, Reconstituirea - Lucian Pintilie
E pericoloso Sporgersi, Asphalt Tango, Filantropica - Nae Caranfil
I think these 2 are the best Romanian directors.
And another thing: Train de Vie is a beautiful movie indeed, but it is considered to be a coproduction (but most of all, a French film, because Radu Mihaileanu is a French director, unfortunately)
And, before I forget, I'd like to add on my list a documentary - The Great Communist Bank Robbery (by Alexandru Solomon)
Osinda
Operatiunea Monstrul
Reconstituirea
De ce trag clopotele, Mitica?
Filantropica
Mihai Viteazul
I consider "Marfa si banii" to be the best romanian movie I have seen until now. And I have seen almost all that were already mentioned.
Actually I love this movie enough to say that only two or three other international movies are better.
e pericoloso sporgersi & asfalt tango. great movies, by all means. that is, disregarding the technical part, whereby there's still plenty of room for improvement, in order to play in the world series.
shareWell, I do consider “Moartea Domnului Lazarescu” the best Romanian movie of 2005. But, unfortunately is the best movie only because we had too bad movies in 2005, 2004, 2003, … If one really want to be sincere with himself and with what is really the Romanian cinema (too small and too unoriginal), should compare this movie with Pintilie’ “Balanta”, “Reconstituirea”, and “Un été inoubliable”, Caranfil’ “È pericoloso sporgersi” and with Gulea’ “Morometii”.
Because, from my point of view, is not a real great movie compared with the above mentioned. And, to be sincere and not too rude, not to mention only what the international cinema has delivered only in 2005 (which was a “poor” year): Park’ “Sympathy for Lady Vengeance”, Cronenberg’ “A History of Violence”, Jarmusch’ “Broken Flowers”, Provenza’ “Aristocrats” or Haneke’ “Cache”. Let’s be serious, do you really think that compared only with those above mentioned, “Moartea Domnului Lazarescu” is a great movie? Personally, I do not!
Is just a small movie speaking about a system which doesn’t work. Is real and disturbing? Yes, it is!. But not too real and not too disturbing! Is too common. Is not something new or different! We are too used in doing things without a finality. Is the purpose of this movie the shock? Well, for the western viewers, probably it will work. Not for me. But except shocking there is something else? No, I don’t think so! For example, Noe’ “Irreversible” or Miike’ “Audition” where shocking and disturbing also, but at least those movies had a purpose. This one does not!
And, funny, nobody mentioned the fact that “Moartea Domnului Lazarescu” is probably the first Romanian movie to have a real international marketing campaign in Europe and in United States.
"Is just a small movie speaking about a system which doesn’t work. Is real and disturbing? Yes, it is!. But not too real and not too disturbing! Is too common. Is not something new or different! We are too used in doing things without a finality. Is the purpose of this movie the shock? Well, for the western viewers, probably it will work. Not for me. But except shocking there is something else? No, I don’t think so! For example, Noe’ “Irreversible” or Miike’ “Audition” where shocking and disturbing also, but at least those movies had a purpose. This one does not!"
Forgive the interjection of a foreigner, but though I am British, my speciality is Romanian history (and thereto, its culture of course).
I have to tell you that I have seen films of Romania in the 1930s, and what you say, is unfortunately true of films then too.
Interesting, yes. Well-acted, certainly. Original? No.
Only in the vein of animated cartoons has the Romanian soul allowed itself to expand from, and to conquer its visual confines. That has been true since the 1920s (something shared with other E. European cultures, as everyone knows).
But this is the tortured part of Romanian culture I simply do not like:
You don't rate MDL because it is too common in theme.
Perhaps it is.
But then so was one of the greatest films ever made, De Sica's "Umberto D.", which I just recommended to IMDB for those who like The Death of Mr. Lazarescu.
That story was the ageless tale of a lonely, impoverished ex-civil servant, who clings with all his might to the few shreds of dignity and honour he has available to him, in a world which dismisses the aged, the poor, and the lonely.
His only companion is his dog, Flike:
A figure which stands for everything Umberto D. needs -- companionship, dependence, duty to something other than the self (one which keeps him wanting to live). The parallels to the cats of Mr. Lazarescu are immediately visible.
This is a modest tale, but its truthful pathos packs the biggest wallop any film has ever shown on celluloid.
It is the quintessential Neo-Realism film.
(And it comes from Italy during the post-bellum period, which was as dark as anything experience by Romanians)
Earlier someone took exception to the dismissive comments about this film, by another commenter. He said that person might think if it wasn't "Hollywood American=good", some people might dismiss MDL.
I am not a basher of Hollywood, nor an apologist, but I believe what people like about Hollywood is the professionalism, the quality, and even the diversity of ideas that continues to propel and compel people to watch its products.
That is possibly what Romanians want in their films -- not just the quality of storyline, but the cinematic professionalism that other cultures take for granted.
That comes with time.
Moarte Domnului Lazarescu, in the meantime, is a great story, with good acting, and if perhaps not terribly polished, is a film which can appeal to a wide audience.
Don't sell it short just because it's a simple story.