In my case, the kick to see this film was the hard work , the impressive perseverance of Victor Canache to make it. A beautiful effort, two well known Romanian actors, two local boys from village offering a decent job, one , Antonio Gavrila offering a nice surprise for his good acting and inspired music and cinematography.
It is adaptation, faithfull in good way to a so familiar folk story by Ion Creanga. A story absolutely creepy in details, part of many Romanian childhood memories.
I am far to consider this film a masterpiece or be very critic about it. I am doubts than it is a real horror. Yes, the dialogue sounds not so good but , being a familiar one, it is just difficult to impress. But it represents more than good intentions. It is, in essence, a good first step , the potential of Romanian folk literature, fairy tales or balads being just generous.
Is it a orror ? I am not real convinced about this few scenes being more crowned by my smiles.
But it is more than a decent film and, for few reasons, it can be defined as temerary.
It is a honest perspective about social realities, offering decent portrait of single mother of isolated place, the realistic image of alliance relative hoping conquer the heart of widow and, rejected being, his terrible, sadistic revenge.
In some measure, the revenge, against fate, against the answer of woman affecting the ego of pretender, the revenge of painful mother are the basic pieces defining this film.
The good memory, for me, about the film, is represented by the first scenes - the fire affecting the grenary as first sign of a story of sufference.
The kids are just good, maybe better than Maia Morgenstern and Marius Bodochi, captives of their theatral skills and front to not very easy text for its stringency.
Critics - the mixture of pieces of popular clothes from different regions of Romania. The cross on wall, covered by blood and Lupul making a gesture who reminds shfeshtania in Greek Orthhodox confession , having the status very closed by blasphemia in this case.
In hort, with not so reduced reserves, a sort of well done for Victor Canache and his team, for their significant sacrifices to made this film .
