Cu mâinile curate

'Cu mainile curate' (With Clean Hands)is more a political pamphlet than anything else. Although any political/ historical movie had to be checked by a special division of the Communist Party, Nicolaescu managed to elude their vigilence on one hand and exploit their ignorance, on the other, to make a film which apparently presents the communists in a positive way. In reality there is a lot of subtle political irony, definitely noticed by the public, hence the great success of the film. The story of an apolitical commissar using old methods against the gangsters, very different from the communist view is very interesting especially because the communist view (although ideologically very dear to the Party) was very naive and utopical and of course the public understood the message very well. This commissar has a partner who was put there by the Communist Party, who was a former rugby player. This tells a lot about the irony in the film. The movie is very well made, very careful to details with a great atmosphere of Bucharest in the aftermath of WWII and in the turmoil of the communists ascension to power.

From a strictly professional standpoint, this is the best movie ever made by Sergiu Nicolaescu. It's done with a pretty good narrative feeling, a clever insight in shooting the action scenes, and even a certain sense of building the characters - who, although as sketchy and shallow as in most of the Nicolaescu movies, were able yet to seduce the young and naive audience of the early seventies.

The big problem remains the typical one for that epoch: political hypocrisy. The so-called "hero", a communist veteran who is appointed a police commissioner (Mihai Roman, played by Ilarion Ciobanu), is positively angelic: intelligent, wise, honest, resourceful, generous, kind and good-hearted. Of course, he MUST confront his old tormentor, commissioner Stefan Patulea (Alexandru Dobrescu), who beat the crap out of him years ago, when he was just a poor innocent subversive agent, nicely and heroically conspiring to deliver his motherland to the soviets - and now, of course, Patulea MUST be still an asshole, bent to get rid of the valiant communist (who, koochy-koo, doesn't have the least suspicion!) Fortunately, the one to save the day is the courageous, manly, gritty, trigger-quick, silver-armor knight Tudor Miclovan (Sergiu Nicolaescu), about whom the communist leader Nicolae (Emanoil Petrut) explicitly states: "He says he's apolitical, but in truth he's one of ours..." This kind of tricks were used in those years to coat the toxic pills of communist ideology in the sweet couch of thrills and adventure. Definitely, it's Nicolaescu main asset - to always be both with the devil, and with the candle (as an old Romanian saying goes...)

The meaning of Cu Mainile Curate is pretty obvious. As in many communist films, we have a noble, incorruptible hero (Mr. Roman), who, as a cop, tries to beat the evildoers. In this case: ruthless mobsters. They are tough competition. No wonder these cops sometimes use the same methods (terrorizing, shooting people) in order to get them. 'I want them alive… as much as possible.'

It is obviously a politically motivated gangster flick. Of course there's a bend cop with a 'wrong history'. He just has to go. And of course tough cop Miclovan (played by director Sergiu Nicolaescu himself), who seems to enjoy beating up villains, teams up with our protagonist, as his violent but necessary counterpart.

A lot of surprises in this film. In the first place: it looks AMAZING for a crime film, with its setting in prewar Bucarest. Beautiful cars, beautiful old buildings, beautiful suits. Unexpectedly great music (Richard Oschanitzky, who composed the score for 25 Rumanian films). Great scenes. The one with the empty factory and the table in the center. The heist with the tank. The chase scene in the outskirts. Secondly: the original story telling. There are actually a couple of stories intertwined, loosely build around this one noble cop, like a Rumanian mini The Wire.

And I never expected this much violence. This is a ruthless crime flick. People getting shot is as common as it can get. In this way it sometimes reminds me of poliziotto films. It gives the film a sinister atmosphere. Shootouts are cool but execution kind of stuff is way too much, at least for me… I rate this 8/10.

only an exercise to present , in regime limits, a honest thriller. cops - good and bad, the perfect police officer, few communist references, game with regime as proof of independence, shootings, feelings, action and slices from Romanian society in las years of WW II. nothing new. but it remains almost seductive. for the generations for who Nicolaescu films was perfect drug. for the kids of today as alternative to video games. for the nostalgia of old men who remembers their youth. and for a vision about national past not really pink but almost idyllic. it is a good film. more good today, after death of Sergiu Nicolaescu because emotions -circle for his ash - are perfect key to discover the nice parts for each movie directed by him. in fact, it is only testimony. about a time. and about an image of past, not very correct - Oastea Domnului was a respectable Eastern Orthodox organization as minor argument.

Look at the two actors and compare them in pictures and movie scenes: different generations of actors, totally different cultures at the time, but Ilarion shares the same coolness factor with Harrison.

Romania really had some amazing actors. And a huge thanks to them for keeping us free, on the inside during the dark times.