User Reviews

I have to take a stand against the other comment I profoundly disliked. Yes, the film is bleak, and yes, it depicts the life of two criminals, father and son, who don't even know the ways of the world, but that makes it tragic, not cheap or vulgar. In fact, cinematography is extremely well-done - only to mention two of my favourite scenes: driving in a sleigh under the barren trees in winter and the reaping of hay in the face of a storm. It is true that 'like his father's life before him, his life had no meaning' (I believe the quote to be exact), but the wanderings of the main character in search of his father's murderer in order to exact revenge is a twisted and strange story, with love in the way which he abandons, with great opportunities he lets go of only to fulfill his obsession. Of course, the characters are the lowest of low-lifes, they leave a miserable life as thieves, smugglers, prostitutes, occasionally even murderers, but then, again, life may be like that and people may live (or choose to live) like that. And that can be (and, in this case, really is) art.

Cheap,boring,vulgar. This film simply should have not been made.Well,the actors are great,but the talent of some of Romania's most brilliant actors is pointlessly wasted. Similar to At Close Range(but set in a much more depressing,uncivilized,primitive environment)it tells the story of two petty criminals,father and son,who,in the end,both fail. The way the story is told is not only repulsive but also annoying.Language,sets,characters are not only bleak(remember:a film can depict such simple characters and situation and still be art,it doesn't necessarily take expensive sets and costumes to make good movie)but also substandard,both artistically and technically looking worse than being filmed by an amateur,worse than a funfair-farce performed in a slum.In fact,the whole action seems to be placed in the world's poorest hood,yet without being a social study.It just shows how a bunch of primitive,creepy guys display the ugliest part of their being(as if they have anything else to display)in an appallingly melodramatic style.In the end,you're happy that most of them kicked the bucket so you can finally return to more civilized ways(and believe me,even people who are homeless and haven't taken a shower in weeks are incapable to compete with the filthy,cheap style these characters are leaking from every pore). In fact this movie is said to have been mutilated and cut by Communist censorship-well,at once censorship was perfectly right.They should have banned it for good!!!Porns,hammer-horror,reality shows,teeny music videos and tear-jerker have a higher artistic level.Not even the most stupid or less exigent movie goer deserves to have his intelligence insulted that much.Besides it lacks the slightest point,plot,storyline,message...everything. This so-called masterpiece,which after the fall of communism in Romania they indulged us with(even uncut,therefore completely repulsive),even ruined a date I went on,which could have become a great love.I should ask the makers of the film to pay for the damage. Not a film to be seen with anyone you love,or,at least,you respect as much as to insult his/her intelligence(so basically anyone).Otherwise they won't forgive you for good,because you can't forget the probably worst film ever made.

This movie was made by a bunch of guys that wanted to adapt a novel. The story is quite simple but illustrated in a bunch of very pretentious and useless visual metaphors(or whatever). It's a very good example of the old Romanian art-film: a bad film that aspires to be a masterpiece but fails, with a whimper. And the sound design sucks.