Adela

The movie is based on the Romanian novel "ADELA. FRAGMENT DIN JURNALUL LUI EMIL CODRESCU" written in 1933 by Garabet Ibraileanu, and it is a delicate and sad love story. Although the movie does not totally comply with author's line, it manages to present in a very realistic way the atmosphere of the country life in "fin de siècle 1890-1900", as seen by Emil Codrescu, a physician who decided to accept to spend a summer time at a village house in the company of very beautiful Raluca Muresanu, a relative of his, and her even more beautiful daughter Adela. Emil (going on 40) gets in love with Adela (young divorced woman, but still a child). He knows her from her childhood, " she practically grew up under his eyes." This man's sentimental crisis, analyzed thoroughly in the novel, is shown through the discussions between the main characters, by Emils's uncertainties, by his deep suffering. His love becomes an obsession and has no chance to be fulfilled, taking into account the age difference and Emil’s future job engagement. His love is mature and pure in the same way (he idealized the beloved Adela and does not want to be ridiculous). That's why he is not certain about anything, and neither do we; he prefers to be distant, not to take chances, therefore he knows from now that he will remember those days as the last but the most important) moments of his youth. Adela likes Emil too, but she is young, she sees it more as a game, we do not know for sure until the end if she really loved him. It is a place where love is presented all the time: Emil, maybe Adela, the center of his universe, the love of his life, but also Adela's ex-husband (still wanting her to return), and even Raluca who likes Emil, but finally run away with another interesting character Duliu Dragan, a retired major and Emil’s closest friend. The plot is simple, the final is not unexpected, but what make this movie so special are the dialogs, especially the ones between the two male friends, and the background sound (very beautiful songs with lyrics belonging to the most famous Romanian poets Eminescu and Blaga). Not to mention the forest, the lake, the house, the field – all of them describe a perfectly romantic atmosphere.

it is not easy to define this adaptation of a novel of states of soul. but it is obvious - Mircea Veroiu was the only director who could adapt the book of Garabet Ibrăileanu. in same measure, George Motoi was the perfect choice for doctor Codreanu. and this is the most important fact. a delicate love story who preserves the flavor of a lost time.a film of atmosphere, who looking to suggest more than present, remembering the art of Impressionism, who does the images mark of a kind of mist, searching new elements for solve the challenges of novel, inventing new characters and transforming Adela more in symbol than in the character who causes the hopes and desires of Codreanu, Mircea Veroiu makes, in fact, a delicate and convincing eulogy to the original Heaven reflected by the beauty of landscapes, costumes and events. the presence of Valeria Seciu, more than the performance of the young Marina Pricopie, the charming work of Ștefan Sileanu, the sensitivity of Codreanu, explored in wise manner by George Motoi are the arguments for discover this seductive, nostalgic movie.

For me, this sensitive and delicate movie, is , without a doubt, a masterpiece of Romanian cinematography. It was awarded The Grand Prize of San Remo Film Festival in 1985. Is based on the Romanian novel "ADELA" written in 1933 by Garabet Ibraileanu, one of the most beautiful love story in Romanian literature. The actors Marina Procopie and George Motoi manage to create the magic of a subtle game, the game of an beautiful but impossible love, in a place where love is presented all the time. Atmosphere of the movie is so delicate and faithfully preserves the fragrance of the era. The character Duliu Dragan (actor Stefan Sileanu) does not belong to the novel written by Garabet Ibraileanu, he is a character imagined by the director but who gives the film a special strength, a masculinity that somehow compensates for the delicate and pregnant feminine component with which the film delights us. A remarkable achievement by director Mircea Veroiu who highlights an exceptional novel with, perhaps, the most detailed and refined psychological analysis of love. A film that, definitely, worth watching.