Imust admit I was a bit hesitant about this film. I couldn't stand the subject back in high school, but this movie worked for me as a window into what Romanian cinema could have been. It's a very cinematic film, and the involvement and thoughtfulness of the technical crew-from the camera assistants and set designers to the director are clearly felt.
The framing is well done, with that artistic "retro" feel: slightly off-center shots that allow the viewer to focus not only on the main character but also on the details that enrich the story. The script itself is not extraordinary, but the subject is rarely tackled nowadays. Fewer and fewer films focus on the reality of ordinary people's lives, as this story about the Moromete family does , poor peasants trying to survive from one day to the next.
I like how the action unfolds slowly until a certain point (when Moromete explodes and beats the two boys), after which it suddenly picks up speed. I also like how, although the story is about the whole family, it is seen through the eyes of the youngest child, who is the complete opposite of a peasant in attitude. I can't say the acting impressed me much, except for Victor Rebengiuc, whose expressiveness is fantastic.
The cinematography, sound, and screenplay blend beautifully to create a true work of art. If you place a contemporary production next to Stere Gulea's film, the difference is obvious: one is just a money-making machine, while the other is a carefully crafted piece. For 1987, this black-and-white film gives the impression of an old American movie maybe even a western, which I think also has to do with the technological limitations of communist Romania.
