The Afternoon of a Torturer (2001)
"Dupa-amiaza unui tortionar" (original title)

Director:

Lucian Pintilie

Writers:

Doina Jela (novel), Lucian Pintilie

Stars:

Gheorghe Dinica, Radu Beligan, Ioana Ana Macaria

1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Gheorghe Dinica	...	Frant Tandara
Radu Beligan	...	The professor
Ioana Ana Macaria	...	The journalist
Coca Bloos	...	Frant's wife
Dorina Chiriac	...	The commissar
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Cristina Agachi	...	The Aunt
Serban Pavlu	...	Ticuta
Marius Radu	...	Frant as a child
Florin Roata	...	The Father
Loredana Stefan	...	Frant's Sister

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

guilt | torture | based on novel

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Details

Country:

France Romania Gabon

Language:

Romanian

Release Date:

17 April 2002 (France)

Also Known As:

The Afternoon of a Torturer

Filming Locations:

Bucharest, Romania

Company Credits

Production Co:

Filmex, YMC Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

User Reviews

facing the horrors of the past

Lucian Pintilie is one of the most important directors in the Romanian theater and film. His second movie 'Reconstituirea' (1968) remains a masterpiece of the Romanian cinema, and a very little known protest film in the Eastern Europe cinema.

'Dupa amiaza unui tortionar' is a voyage in the dark past of Romania. Political crimes committed at the beginning of the communist rule were kept in silence for many decades, most of the victims are dead, and it is the torturer in this film who seems to be eager to speak because of his own remorse. The society around him does not seem very interested to hear the truth though, his former employers now new riches of the new regime try to keep him silent. There is a mob scene, intimidating and threatening to lynch the main character if he dares to speak, which reminds the final scene in 'Reconstituirea'.

The film is low budget, and it is mainly build of the documentary-like rendition of the unspeakable deeds in low voice and builds on the fantastic act of Gheorghe Dinica. In front of him pass phantoms of the past, not necessarily ghosts or nightmares, but rather the lusty fantasies and idealized characters that seem to explain the motivation of his deeds. The evil seems to say Pintilie is less political although we are dealing with political crimes, but rather lies in the human nature. And yet, there is hope in the desire of the character to be absolve by bearing witness. When the victims are dead it is up to the torturers to speak up the unbearable truth.