The parable story, written after the novel "The Pitesti Phenomenon", by Paul Goma,can be decoded by the starting motto: "We dedicate this movie to the communist prison named Pitesti-Romania, for its absolution". 1945, the final year of the Second World War. Following the order of the Allies Army, all the people with the description (name or figure) of the Nazi leaders (Adolf Hitler, Eichman, Borman, Goebbels, Eva Brown, etc) are arrested and taken to an remote bunker in the mountains. The place and the activity reminds the prisoners of the concentration camps, from where some of them just escaped. An air raid ravages the bunker, and the survivors, constantly shivered by the Fear that governed the last years of their lives, remodel the shadow society ruled by tyranny. The movie analyzes the resorts that can spring to a similar social impasse,following simultaneously the human tendency to violence. No matter the number of people living together, no matter the circumstances, there will always be one to lead, to dominate (at extreme to tyrannize), or even worse, to convince his alikes that Evil is demanded. Therefore, the eleventh commandment could be for some (at least for the movie's characters) "Do not command!" Although the arguments are general, the basis of the visionary theorization derives from the degrading experience, the inglorious bastard of the Romanian communist dictatorship.
3 Reviews
long and depressing
dromasca10 February 2007
Hard to put this film of director Mircea Danieluc in a clear category. It tries to build a metaphor of a concentration universe, with many allusions - especially in the commentary - to the Bible and sins for which humanity should repent. Yet, it has no clear line, abjection, violence, death, insanity repeat themselves all over more than two hours of film with no clear direction or message.
The story line starts with a group of German resembling Hitler and other fascist leaders brought in some kind of a prisoners camp where they are supposed to be identified. Soon after a bombing destroys the camp and the survivors afraid of being mis-identified decide to stay in their close universe. They thrive for freedom but do not dare to reach it, they fight, rape, kill among themselves until the very end of the film. Madness and death seem to be the only alternatives of this dark universe.
There is good cinema and acting in the film, but the long repetition of the same theme without any clear message makes the viewing tough, while the lack of any ray of hope will make the viewer who resisted for the whole screening wonder whether the feeling of emptiness at the end was intentional.
The story line starts with a group of German resembling Hitler and other fascist leaders brought in some kind of a prisoners camp where they are supposed to be identified. Soon after a bombing destroys the camp and the survivors afraid of being mis-identified decide to stay in their close universe. They thrive for freedom but do not dare to reach it, they fight, rape, kill among themselves until the very end of the film. Madness and death seem to be the only alternatives of this dark universe.
There is good cinema and acting in the film, but the long repetition of the same theme without any clear message makes the viewing tough, while the lack of any ray of hope will make the viewer who resisted for the whole screening wonder whether the feeling of emptiness at the end was intentional.
Not a bad movie but...
TMT608 April 2022
...but way too long and script was writen by the director after a good book but not suitable for a movie.
All in all , mediocre although there are a bunch of good actors including Bârbora, director's Daneliuc wife.
But this is nepotism, Such a tipical romanian behaviour Gave it a 5* could have been way better.
All in all , mediocre although there are a bunch of good actors including Bârbora, director's Daneliuc wife.
But this is nepotism, Such a tipical romanian behaviour Gave it a 5* could have been way better.
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