At first sight, "Intoarcerea lui Voda Lapusneanu" is a clone of Eiseinstein's "Ivan Groznyy". Same atmosphere, same gestures, same acting. The commons elements are the result of the rules for a historical film, of a similar message and of an era taste. But, George Motoi is not Nikolai Cherkasov( in spite of obvious similarities) and Malvina Ursianu is victim of desire to transmit medieval halo with accuracy.
Alexandru Lapusneanu is one of important Moldavian rulers. A Macbeth figure, who obtains his throne in fight, who reeves any possible danger out of his way, a good "hospodar", husband and father. His reign is result of relation with the Great Powers of the XVIth century. The strain relation with the boyars (noblemen), the economic and spiritual contribution in the country's development, tensions of his own family, the loss of reign and the revenge, the second reign are elements for define the man and the prince like touching character.
Malvina Ursianu's movie is a web. Legend and authentic facts are mixed in an interesting story about power and his limits, about desire and doubt, love and refuge. The medieval actions are reflexions in a "golden era", the era of Ceausescu. And this is the supreme similarities with the masterpiece of 1944: fight of creator with a Communist regime this same final result.
The first merit of director is the art to not create a propaganda instrument. Then the choose of talented actors (the delicate, subtle acting of Silvia Popovici like Lapusneanu' wife is magnificent). At the end of soft period in Ceausescu's regime , the film marks the end of a life's style and the beginning of North Coreea's communism style in Romania.
"The Return of Prince Lapusneanu" at power, in the second reign, in his revenge, suspicion forms is description of a paranoid political system, living in a personal world, in strange dreams of a perfect megalomania.
But this film is not a form of resistance. The Caravaggio's light, the recreate atmosphere are only cages for the history interest of many Romanians. But the historic stories has the qualities of good narcotic.
For all that, a beautiful film (I hope that this verdict is not only the result of the memories of a age, amber drop with a gorgeous dragon fly inside).
Alexandru Lapusneanu is one of important Moldavian rulers. A Macbeth figure, who obtains his throne in fight, who reeves any possible danger out of his way, a good "hospodar", husband and father. His reign is result of relation with the Great Powers of the XVIth century. The strain relation with the boyars (noblemen), the economic and spiritual contribution in the country's development, tensions of his own family, the loss of reign and the revenge, the second reign are elements for define the man and the prince like touching character.
Malvina Ursianu's movie is a web. Legend and authentic facts are mixed in an interesting story about power and his limits, about desire and doubt, love and refuge. The medieval actions are reflexions in a "golden era", the era of Ceausescu. And this is the supreme similarities with the masterpiece of 1944: fight of creator with a Communist regime this same final result.
The first merit of director is the art to not create a propaganda instrument. Then the choose of talented actors (the delicate, subtle acting of Silvia Popovici like Lapusneanu' wife is magnificent). At the end of soft period in Ceausescu's regime , the film marks the end of a life's style and the beginning of North Coreea's communism style in Romania.
"The Return of Prince Lapusneanu" at power, in the second reign, in his revenge, suspicion forms is description of a paranoid political system, living in a personal world, in strange dreams of a perfect megalomania.
But this film is not a form of resistance. The Caravaggio's light, the recreate atmosphere are only cages for the history interest of many Romanians. But the historic stories has the qualities of good narcotic.
For all that, a beautiful film (I hope that this verdict is not only the result of the memories of a age, amber drop with a gorgeous dragon fly inside).
