Between Pain and Amen

Sadly, this is a film about a violent period in Romanian history when the elites were decimated and an entire country was taken over by a totalitarian pro-Soviet regime. It's a story about how a peaceful, in full development country, is violently stolen by brute force, its best people are tortured and killed, where the terror is spread over night, where human rights, real laws and humanity are no more existent. However, the movie is an artistic movie, not a documentary. It's reasonably violent, with violence more suggested than displayed which adds a lot to the balance and philosophy of the film. It's not a hard to watch movie - but it's hard to digest the outrageous history that - beware - you feel that it can repeat in any other country, anytime, in a very short amount of time; and also gives you the fear that your own self is not so far from bestiality, should the circumstances be different. The movie is a must see and is sublime in what it transmits. I have appreciated that, after developing the dark subject, the film is able to make you leave the cinema smiling.. crying, probably, but smiling. Iasi, Ateneu, 16 nov 2019.

This is a very good Romanian movie, with great cinematography and acting, but also tough to watch by sensitive people, mainly because of explicit violent scenes. If you do a little research about "Pitesti experiment" before you watch this, you will see that the facts are very accurately depicted, and the director captured and presented that horrifying communist prison atmosphere to a level seen only in big budget movies (actually this movie is an independent one, with private funding and was filmed in very harsh conditions - and not a surprise - it was NOT funded by the CNC - Romanian National Cinematography Center because.. "reasons"). In our times, when everything is censored and goes PC, it's a wonder that this got public recognition and won prizes on several film festivals! Kudos to the team that worked on this project, especially to the director that felt it was his duty to create such a gem, and bring a little light and truth about that sad period in our lives. Go watch this!

Very tough movie, great acting and great prison scenes. The realiy, though, was even tougher. The people were crying at the cinema... The love scenes, however, were not that good and they looked cheap (same music, same scenery).

It is difficult to define this film. Basically, it is a testimony and one of films who you need to see to understand old truths defining the present. Fenomenul Pitesti deserves its movie. Not only as a sort of requisitorium against Communism but as remind of sacrifices, pain, cruelty and a sort of unique experiment of desumanitation of the XX century. Admirable acting , powerful message. A love story as axis and great ambition of Toma Enache to show the truth in its naked essence.

Maybe my rating is due to the fact that I watched this movie at the inauguration, where the actors were present in Timisoara. It made me feel very impressed about what this movie had to show to the world, how bad the communism was in Romania. I wish I could understand more of the dialog, but the sound was bad in Romanian, so an additional subtitle might help the viewer to understand it.