O lacrima de fata

Iosif Demian's movie shows a bleaker reality and subtly presents the face of Communism in Romania. The picture is shot in the style of cinema verite combining fiction and non-fictional elements. The film was based on actual events which adds a bit to the movie's subversiveness and 90% of the actors were locals who gave the maximum truth to them. There's a way in which people act in front of the camera and another way they act when nobody's filming them. The inhospitable bleak landscape makes for an atmospheric setting that is hard to beat. The plot follows a film crew who conducts a militia investigation in a village on the banks of the Mures River where a young Ana Draga, an agronomist engineer, was killed, shortly the crew discovers that there are more strange things happening in the city. The two policemen on the case (Dorel Visan and George Negoescu) find that it is a homicide. The result is unsatisfactory that tells of political pathologies and human abysses. Bleak in every aspect-the score, the cinematography, the intense character machinations, the hugely ambitious arthouse tone-it built a sense of gravity far beyond its melodramatic content. At this point, a caution for those expecting humour and wild chases will probably be better served elsewhere. O lacrima de fata (1980) relies on a deliberately reduced speed, on precise observations and atmosphere. Directed by Iosif Demian, it is one of most original Romanian films made during communism. It served as a major inspiration for the Romanian New Wave, also it was screened in the Un Certain Regard section of the 1982 Cannes Film Festival.

Quite a masterpiece in the Romanian cinematography,this movie made 28 years ago reminds me of many actual films. The plot is somehow weak,but I love the way it is done,vintage look,the angles,the music... and acting is real good too,I'd say. Despite it's made in full communism,seems very actual,and it's weird they don't talk about the party or the dictator. Also,the language is more correct and fluid than the Romanian spoke nowadays,which is shortened and often doubled with English synonyms. This movie is a proof that Romanians were not such fools and uncivilized,despite the continuous 30 years of communism by the time it was made,and the fact that the action is in the countryside.

This film stands out in the Romanian filmography for the way it was filmed. Even though I mentioned it is a murder mystery it is presented more a documentary with many scenes of the detective recording the conversations with the village people while asking them about the murder of a girl.

This film was way ahead of it's time for this approach of filming. Especially given it was shot in Romania during the communist regime. Some of its influence seep through to the movie but overall it was something entirely new and different to the Romanian film industry.

I would definitely recommend this movie for anyone studying film moreover the people in this part of the world which understand those years of communism.

Many thanks to Cinepub Romania for making this available, great stuff.

Does anyone set out to make a movie this good? For all the witty script and fiendish hard work, I wonder. Demian based this on real events of 1970, and it was shown at Cannes "Certain Regard" 1982. Did he ever make any other movies? According to David Stratton, he later moved to Australia. Very strange.

In a narrow sense, these are Ceausescu-era detectives hunting a small-town murderer. But it seems clear they won't get a conventional arrest or trial.

Like Forman in Fireman's Ball, Demian is taking the piss out of the regime, but in a controlled, deadpan and humanistic manner. The corrupt net of villagers is us, and we could be them. It's timeless.

Half the time, the action is seen through the lens of police investigative recordings, half the time it's not. The "staged" behaviour subverts the un-staged, and vice versa. As the shambolic probe wanders to and from the scenic murder spot, blurry images of the victim continue to mess with your mind.

Refreshingly short too, but Demian sticks the ending pretty well.