The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, directed by Romanian Cristi Puiu, is a film that follows a man during the last night of his life. The main character, Mr. Lazarescu, becomes ill and voyages around Bucharest hoping to receive medical attention. He is taken to different hospitals around the city, but no doctor will admit him. His only companion is a nurse who stays with him throughout the night.
The movie did not appeal to me at all. I feel that all a viewer needs of this movie is ten minutes somewhere in the middle of it. With that, he or she can fully grasp the meaning of the film and come away with just as much as I did after sitting through it for two-and-a-half hours. The film did not have dynamic characters with whom I could connect, nor a varying plot line with which I could be intrigued. I felt myself praying, every time Mr. Lazarescu fell asleep or did not immediately respond to another character, that he had died just so that the film would end. Although I understand how it brought a dynamic to the film, I could not enjoy the documentary-style filming, which frustrated me from the beginning. I cannot comprehend how this film received awards of any kind. Despite the redundant characters and missing plot line, the film could have been saved by a captivating finale. However, once again, it disappointed viewers and left us saying, "Wait... that's it?!?!"
Scott says in his essay that he and Puiu "stumbled into a friendly quarrel over the idea that anyone's life has ever really been changed by a book or film." The point of a book or film is to change lives. The audience should always come away from a well-done work feeling changed in some way. Good books and movies can spark us to make a bold move, or change our stubborn minds, or let us know that there are others out there like us. For this sole reason, people keep coming back to books and movies, even after a particularly horrible one- we want to be inspired, changed, or healed. The Death of Mr. Lazarescu leaves audiences feeling nothing, except maybe confused. This is a movie that can be forgotten, amidst so many that never will be.
by: Lauren Hamilton
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I really disagree with your comment that "the point of a book or film is to change lives." Maybe some books or films are written to make a very important point that could change a life but I can not believe that is the only reason they are written. It can be created just to entertain, to make a statement, to argue with a social norm, or many other reasons that do not lead to a book or film changing a life. There are extremely great films and books that do not effect people in such a dramatic way. I think it is saying too much to try and argue your point and it discounts many great books and films as being pointless because they did not leave their readers or viewers dramatically changed.
ReplyDeleteThis is a good review of how many aspwects of the movie were completely unnecessary. Also, it shows the apropriate amount of understanding and frustration with the film. Maybe could have mentioned a little more on its prupose of displaying flaws in healthcare system though.
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While I do agree that this film has an inherent lack of interesting plot details, plain characters, and above all, an annoying cinematographic style, there is something there that I believe Romanian’s truly enjoy. For them, it is very easy to make a strong connection with the characters caught in this story, as this is a very realistic representation of the public health system. The plot has just enough information to carry us through the story, without overcomplication. This simple, yet terrible journey illustrates very clearly the inefficent and consistently problematic health system. For Romanian’s, this look inwards at their own social systems is comic. While you probably didn’t find yourself laughing, the people of Romania cannot help but laugh at the Mr. Lazarescu’s ridiculous story at the hands of the governmental systems they all know so well. So you see, when viewed from a different perspective, this film is very interesting.
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