"April Three Weeks and Two Days" contains strange hope and loss. In the last days of the Ceausescu regime, turmoil and panic can be seen everywhere, and the director Christian Mongi is to a certain extent Recovering that unbearable past, Romania’s dusty memories are opened again, and the elegant and comfortable long lens closely follows the heroine Otilia, shuttles between schools, hotels, boyfriend’s homes and poor streets, in cold tones. , Bleak sceneries and claustrophobic spaces convey a kind of sadness with nowhere to escape in the linear passage of time. The film begins with a goldfish that has not been fed for a long time in a tank of stagnant water. It is a distressed image and a metaphor full of vitality, a contradiction between existence and loss. This corresponds exactly to Romania in 1987. Before the Berlin Wall collapsed, this country on the Balkans and on the Danube River was actually in a unique state of isolation, under rigid autocratic political rule, and full of crises. The director used extremely realistic shots to reproduce the living conditions of the people of that era. The music was abandoned to the greatest extent. The pale and lonely dialogue conveyed infinite loneliness and bitterness. The class difference was obvious, bureaucracy prevailed, and black market transactions surged before dawn. , This dark memory is unforgettable.
That winter was extremely bleak. Under strict political supervision, the streets became more and more desolate. The scattered pedestrians, short dog barks and long sirens created a thrilling and thrilling atmosphere. The film revolves around an abortion incident, but in fact it is not as simple as abortion. The reflection on life and survival behind it is even more moving. Since contraception and abortion were banned by the Ceausescu regime in 1966, people have lost a basic right. On the one hand, he couldn't get rid of his sexual nature, and on the other hand, he was suffering from the bitter fruits he planted. Just like Jiabita, he struggled with the bitterness of unmarried pregnancy and pulled his friend Otilia into the water. The prohibition of abortion stems from the cherishment and care of life, but here it has become a stifling statement of humanity. In the so-called prejudice of large numbers of people, scene after scene of embarrassing tragedy is performed. Gabita is weak, Otilia is tough, and both are ultimately unified in their inability to destiny. In a patriarchal society, women are like dolls, and all efforts cannot escape the prejudice of fate. Mr. Beibei, the conscientious secret doctor, is the epitome of this patriarchal society. Before going to the hotel, he can show his original love to his mother, but when he treats the two girls in trouble in the hotel Differentiate between two people, arrogant, and coerced with sexual demands. The two sides of human nature are fully manifested here. The unique environment of the times has just become the best breeding ground for evil. Mr. Beibei's ugliness is even more manifested in the gentle and caring dialogue between the two bloody and tear-stained girls, and everything seems to have not happened, and he is as open and upright as the savior.
The director’s profound is that he outlines how ordinary people become evil in that special era. Everyone is abusing their power. Even if they are as small as a hotel receptionist, they must book a room. Bribery for buying premium cigarettes on the black market. The depressive environment contains infinite desires and desperate moral decay. The pursuit of freedom has become an unfulfilled luxury, and even a trap for crimes. Gabita had a secret abortion for pursuing a free life, and this was actually based on the premise of sacrificing freedom, and it also directly harmed her friend Otilia. Everything seems to be coincidental and full of misunderstandings, but in fact, it is nothing more than society set up for them. That's it. Under social oppression, deception, doubt, and betrayal have become normal life. The tragedy of Otilia lies in the fact that she is obsessed with the truth, all kinds of lies peel off before her, she has witnessed the most hypocritical and ugly side of human nature in the dark. What's more sad is that, in the meantime, Otilia is powerless, and a conversation at her boyfriend's house makes her dream completely disillusioned. Christian Mungi used a very good long lens here to show the diverse life at the dinner table. The lens is like a pair of sharp eyes, penetrating each hypocritical face, pointing straight to the truth. This group of high-ranking intellectuals are so stubborn and stubborn, on the surface they seem to be moral guardians. In fact, they are the real oppressors. Needless to say, this group of people, like Mr. Bebe who hurt Otilia and Gabita, are decent doctors and social powers. In their eyes, Otilia's working-class background is not worth mentioning. It is so fascinating to study a science and engineering department, and smoking in front of her elders is even more rebellious. The whole scene is completed in one shot, the characters go in and out of the frame constructed by the shot, and the center of the frame is Otilia. She is sitting on pins and needles, and the whole process is like going through a long trial. Odilia ignited the impulse several times, but she had to suppress it secretly. All her anger turned into accusations against her boyfriend and tears in her eyes. Other than that, she had no choice.
Here Christian Munge mentioned a topic about responsibility. In his opinion, the so-called responsibility is nothing more than a graceful lie created by the patriarchal society. In front of him, he was speechless, tried to escape, and was at a loss amidst Otilia's questioning. This makes the audience wonder if Otilia is pregnant, will her boyfriend really be responsible? In that family that upholds "upbringing" and "reputation", can he be held accountable? Otilia saw her own shadow in Gabita's experience and clarified her future. At the same time, she was also a victim of the abortion law. In the face of cruel reality, love is so fragile and emptiness, at that moment she is infinitely desperate. She rushed out of the building where her boyfriend's house was, and ran down the dark street. She began to throw up. This was exactly what she had experienced. Everything was disgusting.
The film fully demonstrates the director's excellent scene scheduling ability. Although the entire film does not involve many scenes, the connection is smooth and natural, and the bold and confident long lens takes the viewer step by step into that unique historical period. In terms of atmosphere creation, a tense, complex, and crisis-ridden atmosphere emerges on the paper. The plot is detailed and the characters are exquisite and complete. Together, they build a panic and invisible pressure that follows the shadows. The most impressive thing is that at the back of the film, Otilia handles the details of the baby's corpse. In the hotel, the camera stared at the corpse for a long time. It was a restless scene. This life lost under the oppression of the deformed society contained too much helplessness and sorrow. This is reality, and no one can choose. Next is the scene of Otilia running nervously on the street with a baby corpse. The dark streets hide infinite murderous opportunities. Police, dogs, tramps... everything may ruin her hard-won freedom until Finally, when she threw the body into the designated trash bin as agreed, she breathed a sigh of relief. And what is thrown away here is eternal loss, it is a wound that cannot be healed.
The camera returned to the hotel, a wedding was being held, and people were comforting the groom who had just finished fighting. The cheerful music sounded and everything seemed absurd. At the table, Jiabita, who had recovered from the panic, ordered a lot of meals and prepared to have a full meal. Odilia has no appetite, and time continues. Just like the ticking clock ringing at the beginning, rushing day and night relentlessly. Distress, depression, pain, and even death will pass. The painful experience is just a black cloud floating in the blue sky, which will eventually drift away, but life still survives tenaciously, but there are some things, completely The land is lost. That day, I had a nightmare...
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