4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days directed by Cristian Mungiu – To even begin to describe the intensity of this film is a challenge. The story follows two university friends in the 
last years of the Romanian Communist regime. It begins quietly, as we are introduced to the girls who are preparing for an abortion, which was illegal during the Ceauşescu era. It’s dark and haunting. There is no soundtrack to accompany the mood — it’s all set for you, without the typical display of Hollywood film-making: This is Communist Romania — you feel it in every second of every scene: From finding a hotel room to house the abortion procedure and the young girl as she recovers, to discussing the process with the “doctor” (who takes advantage, in the most gruesome and truly pathetic way, of the two friends), to the aftermath of the abortion. The film unexpectedly follows Otilia (performed by Anamaria Marinca), the friend of Gabita (the pregnant student), very carefully. We watch her, rather than Gabita herself, as she experiences this horrifying and frightening act. One can imagine that abortion, in 1987 Romania, was not an easy procedure. The impact is not to be shaken off — the girls cannot just go back to normal. They are haunted, just like we who view the film.
This is great acting – you can’t shake it. The same goes for the filmmaking. In a coda, set in the hotel restaurant, Mungiu gives us a moment to let the themes of the film resonate. He knows that in Romania today abortion is a common form of contraception and that being pro-choice doesn’t make him an advocate of the easy fix. It’s the tension between those two poles, movingly readable on Marinca’s face, that deepens the film’s meaning and raises it very close to the level of art.
It’s not easy to watch. It’s not relaxing. It’s gut-wrenching and disturbing. It’s the story of what really happened beneath such oppressive regimes and, most likely, continues to happen in countries that do not allow abortions. The procedure, in itself, is haunting. One can only imagine that an illegal abortion would be even more haunting. After viewing this film, you don’t have to imagine.
{ 5 comments }
