So Much, and Yet So Little


So much does this film know about people, and yet so little does it pretend to be their teacher: http://sibiupeople.ro/ro/essays/1819 (in Romanian).

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Creaturile astea de americani, care in genere sunt niste vite bune de dus la abator, indraznesc sa compare acest film si senzatia data de pitorescul imaginilor din film cu ceea ce a incercat Sasha Baron Cohen sa faca in penibila si rusinoasa pt cinematografia mondiala pelicula: Borat... Borat este in mod cert un exemplu de incultura si prostie, non-sens si cretinitate si cel mult poate fi comparata cu ce face la televizor Vacanta Mare si cu mai toate productiile proprii Kanal D si Prima TV (mai putin Cronica Carcotasilor)!
In rest, nu cred ca pot permite unui popor ca cel american care este recunostcut pentru proverbiala prostie si mai ales indiferenta fata celelelte popoare sa isi spuna o parere cat de nesemnificativa despre mentalitatea "comunista" si despre faptul ca desi am intat in UE noi credem doar ca "suntem europeni" ceea ce e de fapt departe de adevar in versiunea de comentariu de mai sus. Sa le fie rusine oamenilor acestui popor care sustin razboiul fara mcar sa stiu unde e tara pe care o distrug situata pe globul pamantesc!
Inchei spunand ca filmul este unul deosebit de bun si cred ca merita vazut ramanand o amintire placuta!

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Partea amuzanta e ca "americanul" despre care vorbesti - cel cu Borat - nu e deloc american, e roman, si ca naivitatile lui sunt de fapt foarte raspandite in Romania.

Perla mea preferata e cea cu "mentalitatile comuniste de la tara". Nu sunt sigur cum sa explic asta ca sa nu ofensez sensibilitatile unora sau altora, dar noi suntem probabil singura tara din Europa in care taranii nu reusesc sa isi organizeze cooperative, asa ca nimic nu e mai strain de mentalitatile lor decat comunismul.

In fine, sa nu deviem, mie imi displac de fapt foarte tare comentariile politice de pe forumurile romanesti, asa ca ar fi mai bine sa nu facem asa si pe IMDB ;-)

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Am impresia ca tot filmul asta este o mare si grandioasa metafora a revolutiei. Poate sunt eu mai prost dar, facand abstractie de povestile de dragoste-adolescentine, ideea e ca oamenii s-au impotrivit sistemului totalitar, impus si el de anumite influente externe (trauma lui Doiaru din copilarie), datorita unei promisiuni ce nu a mai fost respectata.

Oricum, capturarea vietii rurale romanesti este una clara, asemanatoare intr-o oarecare masura cu cea din "Cum mi-am petrecut sfarsitul lumii". Desi ideea tinerei ce face pe draku in 14 ca sa plece din zona rurala devine deja arhifolosita in filmele romanesti. (ma rog, in masura in care se fac 5 filme pe an din care 3 merita doar vazute)

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Translation:
" I have the impression that this movie it's a masterpiece and a grandiose metaphor of the romanian revolution. I may be a little stupid, but ignoring the teen love stories, the idea is that some people fought against the totalitarian system, which was imposed too by some some external influences ( Doiaru's trauma from his childhood), because of a promise that never was kept.

Anyway, the image of the rural life captured by camera is one clear, similar in some ways with the one from "How i spent the end of the world " How I Celebrated the End of the World" ( http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0799991/ ). Tho the idea of the young woman who does her best to get away from the country-site it's already too much used in the romanian movies ( whatever, even tho that only 5 movies are done/year and only 3 are worth watching).
"

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Translation:
"the funny part about the "american" that you are speaking of - the one with Borat - it's not american at all, it's romanian and his simplicity, in fact are quite common in Romania.

My favorite part is the one with " the communist mentalities from the country-site". I'm not sure how to explain this without offending the sensitiveness of some or others, but we are most likely the only country in Europe where the peasants can't organize their cooperatives, so nothing is more stranger to them that the communism.

Anyway, to stay on topic, i don't like a lot the political comments from the romanian forums, so let's not do it like this on IMDB too ;-)
"

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Why did you guys wrote your thoughs in Romanian?I am curious of your opinion about this movie..You mentioned about americans, some Tv channels(?)..

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translation
"This american creatures who in general are most likely some good to milk cows, dear to compare this movie and the sensation given by the grandeur of the images from the movie with what Sasha Baron Cohen tried to do in the disagreeable and shameful world wide movie: Borat....Borat is definitely an example of lack of education and stupidity, absurdity and idiocracy and it can be compared with what "vacanta mare" (*local comedy band*) is performing on tv shows and with most of the local shows from Kanal D and Prima TV (*local televisions*)( except Cronica Carcotasilor) ( *another local tv comedy show*).
Otherwise, i don't think that i can let such people like the americans, who are known for their proverbial stupidity and indifference for other nations to tell their opinion no matter how meaningless it is about the communist " mentality" and about the fact that even tho we are part of EU , we think that we are just europeans", which is far away from the truth in the comment above. Shame on the people from this nation who support the war without even knowing where the country that are destroying is located in the world.
I hereby end saying that the movie is a very good one and i think it's worth watching it, you'll remain with a pleasant remembrance.
"

That's about it, sorry if the translation is not perfect.
I don't care about his words/opinions or yours so don't bother replying to this.

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You guys should have the decency and common sense of using English commentary in an English language based forum.

Congratulations go the four Romanians that did their best in giving the rest of us a glimpse of what this movie can offer by writting a review.




De gustibus et coloribus non disputandum est

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De gustibus et coloribus non disputandum est


Precisely.

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I don't think that useing english is neighter decent or common sense and I did't see anywhere written that I'm obligated to use it. So, WTF, if you want to understand what we wrote above buy yourself a dictionary!
Z.Bye!

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Dear bre_ty I have to let you know I am Romanian; one that would avoid English written forums while not having a minimal command of the English language.

By the way, I am afraid I was naive to hope for signs of decency from some of my fellow countrymen.



De gustibus et coloribus non disputandum est

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And this is how you try to find it?
Bizarre.

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I am a British soldier who spent two lovely weeks in Romania
in the carpathian mountains. I loved the country even though it has a lot of problems. But now its joined the EU and maybe one day it will become great again. Best film I have seen made in Romania. Well Done.

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/* SOME SPOILERS HERE */

I've just returned from seeing this brilliant movie, and I'm to tired to write a detailed report. However, there's something I'd like to clear up.

I think it's less a metaphor about the revolution, and more a grim reference to the American (or generically, super power) style of making a mess of things in different parts of the world and then driving on.

Please, try to follow my reasoning:

1. The US and the allies leave an unexploded bomb in the Balkans, roughly because of the criminal agreements made with Stalin at Yalta. (see the first or second black and white Bucharest bombing scene)

2. The bomb blows in the '90s (Yugoslavia's civil wars), and the US intervenes, supposedly to make things right. People who have been "waiting for the Americans" for 50 years finally see them.

3. The US effort gets stuck in the local quagmire of incompetence and bureaucracy.

4. Unable to find a way forward, the Americans decide to lend a hand to solve the place's problems and conflicts in order to get things moving. They create a virtual civil war in the process.

5. The problem gets sorted otherwise, so they get the hell out, without even trying to sort the mess behind (a mess that is not theirs, anyway).

6. The common american/GI has no idea what he has been part of and only sees fireworks in the distance after what he thinks was an interesting bucolic adventure.

Of course it has a lot of local flavour and content, and there are at least 2 other lines of reasoning in the movie, but this one is very general, and doesn't only apply to Romania. This script can largely be seen as a parallel to mostly any conflict the US has been part of for the last 60 years, from WW2 to Iraq.

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Great comments Tudor!

I would add that it is amazing how you get to love the most corrupt character in the movie, Doiaru. Nemescu did a wonderful job!

I wonder though how much of the main story is actually true... if I remember well, the current president of Romania was at the moment the Transportation Minister and actually congratulated the guy for following the law and not letting the train go until the papers were in order.

Overall the movie is great and you feel that Nemescu would've had so many things to say... there are so many aspects and stories. I will watch the movie a few more times to try to catch all of them...

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