Ecaterina Teodoroiu

a film about war. not great but nice. sentimental and, after second view, not really bad. a good director and his work for another page of National Epos. not convincing, sketch of a subject with more potential, a mixture between poem and nationalism, it is a delicate flower. and basic contribution is the performance of lead actress who gives to her character each nuance of myth. delicate and strong, pure and stubborn, innocent and real fighter, model for her comrades and victim of a great and admirable ideal. the legend is almighty in this case. but it is not an error. only result of a politic in which the past was source of legitimacy for present. nothing else. a film for nostalgics. and good occasion to discover Stela Furcovici in a not bad role.

it is her film. because she gives the right portrait of a great figure of Romanian first world war. in same measure, she has the chance of support from great actors and real good director. and this is the source of exploration for her freshness, art and enthusiasm for a touching, seductive, almost realistic in its poetic way to reflect the life of Ecaterina Teodoroiu. and this remains a precious virtue of the film.

This movie is inspired from real events, which unfolded in Romania during World War I. Countless casualties triggered additional drafts and among men, there was now a woman who wanted to join the war effort as a soldier, rather than a nurse. Her name is Ecaterina Teodoroiu, the first Romanian female soldier who persuaded the Ministry of War's officials to be allowed to volunteer, a quite striking proposition at the dawn of 20th century. She eventually joins the front and is wounded by a grenade during one of her first battle experiences. She is hospitalized and though not fully recovered, she convinces an Army doctor (starring Ion Caramitru) to sign her hospital discharge so she can return to the front. She succeeds and eventually gets promoted to corporal to lead her own platoon. The subordinates overcome the idea of having a female leader and later appreciate her ethics and military skills. Ecaterina Teodoroiu dies in combat, thus becoming the first Romanian female soldier killed in action.

It is a movie of fine acting performances, definitely worth watching.