- The Reenactment
Infobox Film
name = The Reenactment
caption =
director =Lucian Pintilie
producer =Lucian Pintilie
writer =Horia Pătraşcu andLucian Pintilie
starring =George Constantin ,George Mihăiţă ,Vladimir Găitan
music =
cinematography =Sergiu Huzum
editing =
distributor = Filmstudio Bucureşti
released = 1968
runtime = 100 min.
country =Romania
awards =
language = Romanian
budget =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0063493"The Reenactment" (Romanian: "Reconstituirea") is a 1968
black-and-white film byRomania n directorLucian Pintilie . It is based on a novel byHoria Pătraşcu , which in turn reflects real-life events witnessed by the author. Produced under the communist regime, which it indirectly criticizes, it is atragicomedy about incompetence, indifference and misuse of power. Structured as a film within a film and largely shot as amockumentary , "The Reenactment" starsGeorge Constantin as a prosecutor who keeps in custody two minor delinquents, Vuică and Nicu, played respectively byGeorge Mihăiţă andVladimir Găitan . He makes them reenact their drunken brawl at a restaurant, and is helped in this effort by the militiaman Dumitrescu (played byErnest Maftei ) and a film crew. Two bystanders watch upon the youngsters' degradation at the hands of the prosecutor. They are The Miss ("Domnişoara" in the original), played byIleana Popovici , who is amused by the succession of events, and the pedantic alcoholic Paveliu (Emil Botta ).The recipient of much critical acclaim and considered in retrospect one of the most notable contributions to 1960s Romanian cinema, "The Reenactment" was released at a time when the communist regime was in its
liberalization phase, coinciding with the first decade of rule byNicolae Ceauşescu . Nevertheless, its political implications irritated communist officials, and thecensorship apparatus decided to withdraw the film from cinemas only months after its premiere. In 1969, Pintilie was pressured to work outside Romania, and focused mainly on stage production for the following twenty years of his career. "The Reenactment" was again screened at home in 1990, one year after the Romanian Revolution toppled communism.Production and plot
Both Horia Pătraşcu's novel and the screenplay (co-authored by Pătraşcu and Pintilie) are closely based on real-life events. The incident was witnessed by Pătraşcu during the early 1960s, and took place in his native town of
Caransebeş , shortly before a celebration ofAugust 23 (Communist Romania's national holiday, commemorating the 1944 coup).ro icon [http://informatia.dntcj.ro/1999Sep14/mate08.html "Horia Pătraşcu: 'În "Reconstituirea" am dat tot ce am putut ca prozator' "] , in "Informaţia Cluj", Nr. 37/1999] [http://www.pitt.edu/~filmst/romanianfilmseries/films.html "Romanian Cinema on the Edge. The Films"] , at theUniversity of Pittsburgh site; retrievedMay 28 ,2008 ] The militiamen involved had detained two youths with no prior criminal record, accusing them of having been drunk and disorderly, and had decided to make them reenact the scene in order to educate the public about the perils of alcohol. In a 1999 interview, Pătraşcu acknowledges that, as a university student and part-time activist at a local culture house, he was a member of the original crew.Like in the film, the militiamen's decision seems to have outweighed the punishment proscribed for such offenses: they made the youths film the same scene over and over, and, in the process, exposed them to public humiliation. Pătraşcu, who credits German writer
Erich Maria Remarque and his "All Quiet on the Western Front " with having inspired his narrative, states: "At the actual, filmed reenactment I for one had a terrible shock. They were children, they were just children. The police made them do what they had previously done. But that was a beach, a pool, there were girlies dressed up in bathing suits, some of them were connected with those girlies, and the [militiamen] were making them do what they had done when they were drunk, which was absurd, which made me shiver." In both story and film, Vuică dies after his friend, pressured by the authorities into making the reenactment look more authentic, hits him over the head with a stone.There was a significant gap between the story's publishing and the start of production. Filmmaker
Mircea Săucan recalls repeatedly urging Pătraşcu to turn his text into a screenplay.Iulia Blaga, "Fantasme şi adevăruri. O carte cu Mircea Săucan", LiterNet, Bucharest, 2007, p.51. ISBN 978-973-7893-65-9] Before Pintilie took up the project, Horia Pătraşcu says, he was approached by two other directors. The first wasRadu Garbea , who abandoned it once he decided to resettle inWest Germany ; the second wasLiviu Ciulei , who disagreed with the writer over the plot's tragic outcome, and eventually ended talks. Also according to Pătraşcu, Pintilie was enthusiastic about making the film, and anxiously approached the author just as he was taking his final exams.George Mihăiţă ,Vladimir Găitan andIleana Popovici were debuting actors in their early twenties. As Mihăiţă recalls, he and Găitan were casted after a brief interview with Pintilie.ro icon Silvia Kerim, [http://www.formula-as.ro/1998/332/galeria-vedetelor-21/galeria-vedetelor-112 "Galeria vedetelor" (interview with George Mihăiţă)] , in "Formula As ", Nr. 332, October 2008] Poet and actorEmil Botta was fifty-seven at the time, whileGeorge Constantin was thirty-five andErnest Maftei forty-eight. Despite the marked age difference, Mihăiţă remembers, the communication on the set was smooth and the atmosphere playful.The film was shot on location in the Southern Carpathian resort of
Sinaia , but preserves some elements from the intended setting, including the restaurant's name of "Pescăruş" ("Seagull"), which had been borrowed from its Caransebeş model.ymbolism
In addition to its factual content, "The Reenactment" stands as a metaphor for the people's inability to control their own destinies under the grip of a totalitarian regime, and, through its cultural implications, is also seen as a retrospective condemnation of
Socialist realism and itsdidacticism ("seeSocialist realism in Romania "). To a certain degree, Pintilie's film also criticizes the indifference with which such persecution is received by the public. A recurring motif in the film is the background noise of crowds rooting for their squad during asoccer match, in what the director explains is a satirical allusion to the Greek choir's role in cheering the performers, in this case transfigured by "human dumbness".ro icon Silvana Silvestri, [http://www.revista22.ro/html/index.php?art=1072&nr=2004-08-11 "Noile hărţi ale infernului" (interview with Lucian Pintilie)] , in "Revista 22 ", Nr. 753, August 2004] In 2004, Lucian Pintilie wrote that his decision to shoot the film was also motivated by his disgust in respect to the invasive practices of communist authorities, having previously been informed that one of his friends, a closetedgay actor, was denounced for breaking Romania's sodomy law, and, in order to avoid the prison sentence, was forced to have intercourse with his wife while investigators watched. He also stated his objection to the very notion of an inquiry, noting that such a procedure "is the most effective way of veiling reality", and indicated that the film was in part an allusion to the tradition of torture and repeated interrogation, enforced by theSecuritate secret police in the previous decade. George Constantin's character was thus supposed to be a Securitate officer, but, Pintilie claims, the institution was scandalized by the possibility of an exploration into its past, and appealed toNicolae Ceauşescu personally to prevent this from happening; as a consequence, Pintilie turned the protagonist into a prosecutor."Harshness" was identified by Mircea Săucan as a main characteristic of the film. Stressing that he does not find this trait to be a defect, he states that, had he directed the film, he would have insisted more on the "cold" aspect of the inquiry, to stand in contrast with the
melodrama -like aspect of some scenes. Commenting on such traits in a 2007 article for "Gândul ", journalistCristian Tudor Popescu wrote: "37 years ago, a prosecutor and two militiamen were organizing, on the terrace of an isolated pub, the reenactment of a brawl between two guys. Under the eye of Lucian Pintilie, the tremendous actor George Constantin, together with George Mihăiţă, Vladimir Găitan and Ernest Maftei, were reconstructing [...] , starting from a beer mug crashing into a head, the whole monstrous skeleton of thekitsch y evil on which Romanian communist authorities were relying."ro iconCristian Tudor Popescu , [http://www.dilemaveche.ro/index.php?nr=174&cmd=articol&id=5884 "Simulanţi"] , in "Dilema Veche ", Nr. 174, June 2007 (originally published in "Gândul ",June 5 ,2007 )]In 1965, Pintilie had directed the film "
Duminică la ora şase ", which dealt in part with similar themes, but, as the director indicates, only hinted in that direction. It was showcased and acclaimed at thePesaro Film Festival inItaly . He recalls: "The film's prologue clearly placed the plot in the years of [Romanian] socialism. [...] Who are the youths from the film's prologue? I was asked directly by the audience [...] Aren't today's youths these youths in the film? No, I shamelessly lied, for there was clearly a possibility for prevarication, no, I said in order to be able to return to Romania and make "The Reenactment"." George Mihăiţă recounts not realizing as first the importance of his role: "The best proof of [our] sublime unawareness was that, when shooting was over, I asked Pintilie—joking more or less—when he was going to give me a more important part to play... He smiled and said just this: 'Wait and see the movie!' "Impact and legacy
Censorship
"The Reenactment" 's release coincided with the peak of
liberalization policies in Romania, and with a moment when Ceauşescu appeared to be pursuing an independent path within theEastern Bloc . However, the film caused consternation among communist officials. Pătraşcu recalls that the film was only shown sporadically as the censorship apparatus was deciding its fate: it premiered at the Luceafărul Cinema inBucharest , where "the projectionist was driven out of his mind" because it ran as the main feature for two months on end. Mihăiţă recalls: "the film's presentation was stripped of all ceremony. Better put, the film was introduced through "the back door" at Luceafărul... It stood there, without any comments, for about a month, before being withdrawn as discreetly as it had appeared." "The Reenactment" was also shown inTimişoara , but, Pătraşcu indicates, no program or promotional material given approval for publishing; it was only shown with discretion in several other main cities, "until people had heard about it", then withdrawn. The writer also remembers being "glad" upon learning that the film managed to raise public awareness, and that it incited viewers to engage in rioting against Militia forces. Cristian Tudor Popescu writes that, by exposing the torment which could be caused even by routine Militia interventions, "The Reenactment" "had discarded theurban legend of 'militiamen so stupid that they make one laugh with tears when seeing how stupid they are'."Early in 1969, the authorities took the decision to withdraw the film from cinemas, a ban which lasted until the regime came to an end two decades later.Marina Kaceanov, [http://pov.imv.au.dk/Issue_25/section_3/artc6A.html "On the New Romanian Cinema"] , in " [http://pov.imv.au.dk/ P.O.V. Filmtidsskrift"] , Nr. 25, March 2008, Section 3] ro icon Doinel Tronaru, [http://agenda.liternet.ro/decetragclopoteletronaru.php " 'De ce trag clopotele, Mitică?' - De frînghie, monşer!"] , at [http://agenda.liternet.ro/ LiterNet] (originally published in "
România Liberă ",March 2 ,2002 ); retrievedMay 28 ,2008 ] According to George Mihăiţă: "It's worth knowing that, upon viewing, some comrade [that is, communist official] —it no longer matters what his name was!—said 'this film ought to be stored in a room and someone should swallow the key'...!" It was as a result of the scandal that communist officials began investigating Romanian cinema in general, and intervened to stop filming on "Pragul albastru", which was based on a screenplay byIon Dezideriu Sîrbu , a formerpolitical prisoner who was undergoing rehabilitation. [ro iconDaniel Cristea-Enache , [http://atelier.liternet.ro/arhiva/2556/Daniel-Cristea-Enache/Reinsertia-in-literatura-romana-XXIV.html "Reinserţia în literatura română" (Part XXIV)] , at [http://agenda.liternet.ro/ LiterNet] ; retrievedMay 28 ,2008 ] Pintilie's Securitate file, made available for the public in the 2000s, contains lengthy and minute reports on the film, and documents the negative reaction of official critics (quoted saying that the film is "mediocre" or "mean"), but also the appreciation from the part of more rebellious intellectuals.ro icon Emil Berdeli, [http://www.gardianul.ro/2008/05/11/arhivele_gardianul-c57/_de_ce_te_urm_re_te_securitatea_mitic_de_fric_mon_er_-s113773.html "De ce te urmăreşte Securitatea, Mitică? De frică, monşer"] , in "Gardianul ",May 12 ,2008 ] For instance, it describes how, moments after having seen the film in Bucharest, theavant-garde author and former communistGeo Bogza scribbled in the snow set on the director's car the words: "Long live Pintilie! The humble Geo Bogza."In May 1970, the
Cannes Film Festival offered to show "The Reenactment" during its "Une Quinzaine des Réalisateurs " event. As Pintilie notes, the invitation was intercepted by theSecuritate and never reached him. In a fragment of his 1970 diary, published in 2003, he reflected his frustration over this issue, comparing the censorship apparatus with the bureaucrats sarcastically depicted in the works of 19th century writerNikolai Gogol : "the Gogolian clerks have decided to strike me out of Romanian cinema for good. For as long as I am alive, they have not won their bet." [ro iconLucian Pintilie , [http://www.revista22.ro/html/index.php?art=466&nr=2003-06-02 "Niki Ardelean, colonel în rezervă" ("Niki şi Flo") un soi de synopsis"] , in "Revista 22 ", Nr. 690, May-June 2003] The same year however, he was able to return to thePesaro Film Festival , where he was celebrated with a retrospective and a special trophy. Pintilie confesses that the ceremony failed to impress him at the time, due to his feelings of dissatisfaction and his determination to continue filming in Romania.ro iconLucian Pintilie , [http://www.revista22.ro/html/index.php?art=1072&nr=2004-08-11 "A privi răul în faţă"] , in "Revista 22 ", Nr. 753, August 2004] Such events were also organized in other cities, among themLondon andBologna , but Pintilie refused to attend them.Another clash between Pintilie and the communist system occurred in 1972, when he satirized officials by staging a subversive version of Gogol's "
The Government Inspector ", which was suspended soon after its premiere.Annette Insdorf , "A Romanian Director Tells a Tale of Ethnic Madness", in "The New York Times ",November 4 ,1994 ] In an interview with "The New York Times ", he records a meeting he had with the censors: "I was told, 'If you want to continue working here, you have to change your conception of the world.' I answered, 'But I've just started formulating it. [...] All I can do is develop it.' "During the following period, Pintilie only worked sporadically in Romania and was pressured to seek employment abroad (notably, in the
United States , where he served as artistic director forMinneapolis 'Guthrie Theater andWashington, D. C. 'sArena Stage ). His only other film released at home before 1989, the 1981 "De ce trag clopotele, Mitică? ", was loosely based on stories byIon Luca Caragiale . Noted for subtly criticizing the Ceauşescu regime at a time when it had return to a hard-line stance ("seeJuly Theses "), it was itself censored by the officials. Film critic Doinel Tronaru argues that both productions are equally accomplished. Pătraşcu, dissatisfied by the new restrictive guidelines, avoided contributing screenplays, and instead focused on cultural activities withAdrian Păunescu 's "Cenaclul Flacăra ", whose shows still maintained a degree of artistic independence.Recovery
Pintilie made his comeback in Romania only after the Romanian Revolution, and served as head of the Ministry of Culture's Cinema Creation Studio. He resumed film directing and producing, with titles such as "
Balanţa ", "An Unforgettable Summer ", "Lumière and Company ", and the 1996 "Too Late" (nominated forPalme d'Or at the Cannes Festival, the same year). Many of them revisit Romania's communist past, and, in his later production "După-amiaza unui torţionar ", he focuses on a more obvious treatment of the Securitate and its repression tactics.After being again made available for public viewing, "The Reenactment" again was the subject of critical interest. It was recovered together with similarly censored films by
Radu Gabrea ("Beyond the Sands ") andDan Piţa ("The Contest"). It was likened toMircea Săucan 's 1973 production "100 de lei ", and, alongside Pintilie's other films, is credited with having inspired the post-Revolution "Romanian New Wave ". Cristian Tudor Popescu also argued that the invasive techniques which stand at the center of the film have a continued presence in post-1989 Romanian society. He proposes that they are similar to a sensationalist trend in Romanian television, which sees stations competing for ratings by closely following cases of suicide and murder.At the
Berlin International Film Festival 2002 edition, it was shown as part of a retrospective on 1960s cinema, alongside films such asLindsay Anderson 's "if.... ",John Schlesinger 's "Billy Liar",Sergio Corbucci 's "The Great Silence " andJean-Pierre Mocky 's "Solo".ro icon Florica Ichim, [http://agenda.liternet.ro/articol/4965/Florica-Ichim/Reconstituirea-de-Lucian-Pintilie-Festivalul-de-la-Berlin-editia-2002.html "Reconstituirea", de Lucian Pintilie - Festivalul de la Berlin, ediţia 2002"] , at [http://agenda.liternet.ro/ LiterNet] (originally published in "România Liberă ", February 2002); retrievedMay 28 ,2008 ] In 2007, Romanian-born historianIrina Livezeanu and theRomanian Cultural Institute organized the festival "Romanian Cinema on the Edge". "The Reenactment" was the only pre-1989 film to be aired alongside works by "new wave" directors:Corneliu Porumboiu (""),Radu Muntean ("The Paper Will Be Blue "),Cristian Mungiu ("Occident"),Cristi Puiu ("Stuff and Dough ") andCristian Nemescu ("California Dreamin'"). In January 2008, the copy kept by the Romanian National Gallery was presented at the Palm Springs Festival's "Archival Treasures" Program, being introduced byChicago Public Radio 'sMilos Stehlik . [ [http://www.psfilmfest.org/festival/film/detail.aspx?id=19764&FID=35 "Films. "Reenactment"] , at thePalm Springs International Film Festival site; retrievedMay 28 ,2008 ] Alongside other major Romanian productions, it was shown as part of two Romanian film festivals inCanada : atMontreal (May 2007) [ [http://www.eurofest.ca/archives/2006/pages/communiques_en.html "C'est la fête de l'Europe de l'Est!"] at the [http://www.rocade.ca/ Romanian Film Festival] site; retrievedMay 28 ,2008 ] andToronto (February 2008). [ [http://www.uofttix.ca/view.php?id=310 "Toronto Romanian Film Festival"] , at theUniversity of Toronto [http://www.uofttix.ca/view.php?id=310 Central Box Office] ; retrievedMay 28 ,2008 ]References
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