Between Pain and Amen

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.

It was the first time in my life when i heard people crying in a cinema. It is an emotional movie about communism and the suffering of those who kept their faith in the hardest times.

It is a true story and a movie made with no budget worth the while watching it. It became one of my top 10 all time favourite movies.

Congrats to everyone involved into this production. Exceptional!

The story is real, the facts were real, the situation was a massive Romanian pogrom which was executed in the manner one hears coming from USSR/Russia, China or North Korea. The story was framed nicely, with a first dramatic line that holds well, in the development and character of the main character, and its relations with his alter ego living with his wife, the brother, the priest and other prison inmates. It comes with some other undertones - stories in background, most of them detracting from the seriousness of the presented situation, but I will not give away some of it.

Major cons of the movie are the acting of the main character which is very believable in the negative instances, but hardly believable in the upside scenes, some other poor acting, poor framing especially on the wide frames and the drone shots.

All in all it should received a better movie, a better cast, a clearer storyline, and it could have done more right to the situation.

For the ones who are biased about the communist regime. Inhuman treatment, a continuos depravation of humanity, cruelty, suffering, a perfect picture of what communist can do.

This movie illustrates beautifully what the communists of Romania forced their population to endure. It was an emotional film that is worth every minute.