One of the more under-appreciated art forms of my peers would be foreign films. Taking a class in my college about foreign films has opened my eyes to the genius behind them. Many of my friends love their big movie blockbusters but, I have found more interest in foreign films. Nothing is wrong with either opinion which is one of the great things about movies and most art forms, they are purely subjective. I would, however, like to show the intricacies and complexities of some foreign films and hopefully persuade some of my peers to at least give them a fair chance. For the purpose of this, I am going to talk about the film 4 Months 3 Weeks and 2 Days by Crisitan Mungiu. In the intent of having people watch this film for themselves, I will not spoil any important aspects of the film. Instead, I would like to bring attention to extravagant moments in the film where either the camerawork or editing is utilized in such a way to prove that this movie is extraordinary.

Understanding the reason this film was made is important to the film itself. Knowing the history behind it allows for a more nuanced appreciation of the movie. 4 Months 3 Weeks and 2 Days is based in Communist Romania and focuses on college students who struggle their way through a flawed system of rule. The movie, while released in 2007, is a critique on this communist system and exploits the flaws of the mindset of the people, the system of government and the restrictions set upon the citizens. For people who like analyzing movies or those who have a love of history, this movie is rich in both prospects.

One major aspect of the movie is the lack of “movie magic” which has become to term to manipulate the audience into feeling a certain way. Movies often choose certain soundtracks and elaborate camera angles to make the audience feel sad, excited or any range of emotions. In the movie 4 Months 3 Weeks and 2 Days, there is no soundtrack. The movie is extremely emotional and on a personal note, I was almost tired at the end of the movie because of the roller coaster of emotions. It creates these emotions without using extravagant effects or even music because the story being told and the camerawork being implemented is top tier. The camerawork does not try to gaudy or grandiose, rather it plays a role where it seems a part of the action. The camera does not show everything, but only what we as viewers are allowed to see. In certain scenes, we as the audience is forced to use our imaginations to understand exactly what is happening. This can be just as effective as actually showing a horrifying scene because it leaves viewers to their own imagination and interpretation of what is happening. The movie exemplifies expert use of this technique as it also does show some horrifying scenes to great effect.

Talking about the great technicalities of the film paints an image of it on a different plane. Some people do not really care for this aspect of film so the previous paragraph might mean little to nothing to some readers. For people interested in the technical aspects of film, 4 Months 3 Weeks and 2 Days is a film you should see no doubt. Those who are not interested may find this film a bit too dark for them. Without spoiling anything, do not expect a happy go lucky story with positive twists and turns. The film is almost wholly dark. The characters are those people will sympathize with and other characters are portrayed as monsters. This is not a superhero movie with a resolved ending as the film is a critique on the Communist regime in Romania. A serious film about a serious topic which shows the difficult life of the Romanian people in this time. Some people find this type of film too morbid for their tastes and they would be right to avoid this movie if these aspects bother them. However, this film is refreshingly different from the blockbuster film field which always seems to be saturated in comedies and action thrillers.

This film is truly a masterpiece technically and extremely original from a story perspective. While being dark, is honest and does not want to lie to its audience. The lack of music and gaudy editing proves this point as the film has a very “what you see is what you get” mindset. People who are in search of a gritty and meaningful movie with dark overtones will love this movie. However, I would stray away from this movie if when you turn off your computer screen after seeing the movie you want to feel fulfilled and wholesome. The movie is anything but this and wants to challenge the audience from the beginning to end with rigorous truth.