There are good aspects to this film, but I also see a lot of unfulfilled potential.
The main subject of this film is great, shedding light over the gipsy enslavement in the 19th century Estern Europe. The blame is shared all around from rulers to simple peasants and even the church is not spared(it is shown how the Orthodox Church was one of the biggest owners of slaves in the country).
That being said the story is too linear, following only the main path of finding and returning the Carfin. Not much happens story-wise other than that.
What happens in between, though is the dialogue that is filled with archaisms and local sayings, this being one of the best parts of the film. This film can be considered a treasure in this regard, bringing back to life the talk and sayings of that period.
Chatacter development is not great, aside for the father figure, which towers above all the others with his anecdotes and wisdom. Teodor Corban plays a magnificent role, being stern but mercifull, being sad for the injustice in the world but also resolute with the fact that he cannot change the age. He shows honour and pride, and feeling that his life is close to it's end, tries to pass on to his son as much of his wisdom as he can. The others do not play such good roles, maybe because their characters are not as developed and they do not have as much lines.
The film could have been more cruel without the feel of it being exagerated. The decision of making this a black and white film could have been to show the bleak times. The scenery and landscape is great, but I feel a regret for not being able to see it in colour.
A potential was wasted with the story not including an ecounter with the "haiduci" which were a tipe of romanian robin hood outlaws. They are only alluded to within the scene with the burned carriage.
I appreciated the inclusion of the forest cutting dialogue, more as a slap to contemporary events.
Overall I feel this film had great potential, had a solid ideea behind it, but at the end you receive a bland movie. It makes you think, but a masterpiece it is not.
