Strazile au amintiri

"Even The Devil is hating what is too much for him," says at one point the character played by Mihai Mereuta, a customary of those films made by Romanian communists about Romanian communists. Is the only thing that I liked in this communist propaganda movie. Manole Marcus was a director who knew his job very well. But as a filmmaker in communist Romania, you had to execute orders. Meaning, incredible scenarios written by some individuals with souls sold directly to The Devil. In this case, a Greek, Dimos Rendis, and a Romanian, Ioan Grigorescu. Other customary of the communist films, always present, are present here too: Valeriu Paraschiv, Ernest Maftei, Silviu Stanculescu and others. Constantin Dinulescu makes an important role as the investigator inspector (a character who was killing cats as a child... - I wanted to kill a cat when I was a kid myself and, as an adult, I've played a role of investigator too, but not in a movie in the communist Romania). Toma Caragiu, maybe the greatest Romanian actor of all time, appears in a supporting role. 5 out of 10 only because it has some artistic merits.

The acting is bad. The camera is bad. The film contrast is low and although they are trying to do their best, the team is rather amateurish.

Still, for me it was bordering hilarious. Back in 1962, this was a chance to get into a dark room with a partner and kiss in an agricultural country with backwards morals. Seen in June 2020 this movie it is amusing. It shows up with some theatrical drama what the evil fascists were doing to the proletarians back in 1944. Yet in 1962 the Socialists were doing the exact same thing to their opposition. And while the beatings are reserved for people suspected of terrorism, this is what the Spring of 2020 was for Europeans. Police on the streets and people had to show their papers and permits. 150-180 years of "this time is different" to have just the same.

Back to the movie, it is broken. Bad montage. Weird double personality characters. School boy / girl imagination of brutal policemen doing the Othello act on the handkerchief. Again, amusing, but I doubt that was the intention back than.