Nunta muta (2008)

Director:

Horatiu Malaele

Writers:

Adrian Lustig (writer)
Horatiu Malaele (writer)

Release Date:

18 February 2009 (France)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot Keywords:

Death Of Father In Law | Sex | Wheat | Russian Army | Wedding Party

Cast

Meda Andreea Victor	...	Mara
Alexandru Potocean	...	Iancu
Valentin Teodosiu	...	Grigore Aschie
Alexandru Bindea	...	Gogonea
Ioana Anastasia Anton	...	Smaranda
Luminita Gheorghiu	...	Fira
Dan Condurache
Serban Pavlu	...	Coriolan
Victor Rebengiuc	...	Grandpa
Tamara Buciuceanu	...	Grandma
Tudorel Filimon	...	Haralambie
George Ivascu	...	Communist Agitator
George Mihaita	...	Gogonea Jr.
Doru Ana	...	Cârnu
Mihai Constantin	...	Godfather

Also Known As:

Au diable Staline, vive les mariés! (France)
Silent Wedding (Europe: English title) (festival title)

Runtime:

Germany:87 min (European Film Market)

Country:

Romania | Luxembourg | France

Language:

Romanian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | South Korea:15

Filming Locations:

Castel Film Studios, Bucharest, Romania

Company:

Castel Film Studio

Trivia:

The motion picture projected outdoor for cultural purposes is Mitrea Cocor (1952), based on Mihail Sadoveanu's homonymic novel, one of the most controversial proletkult titles in Romanian literature. The film was released one year before the plot of Nunta muta is developing.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Joseph Stalin died in early March, but in the movie the whole action before and during the forbidden wedding takes place in hot sunny days, followed by a summer storm.

Surprisingly good

The script is full of good ideas and intentions, all in all about half-fulfilled: the story-line is somewhat linear, and lacking many of the important joints of a well articulated scenario - but, on the positive side, it's entertaining and rich in content, able to combine into a well balanced recipe the tragedy and comedy.

To my extremely agreeable surprise, Horatiu proved himself a true director. All his hesitations and uncertainties are of the "inherent to a debut" type - and remarkably few in number. Definitely, he shows a good critical sense, trimming away many of the script's faults, or even speculatively converting them into positive qualities. Further, he has a powerful visual sense, and a solid capacity of synthesis.

One has commented about the movie's "theatralism" - it deliberately departs realism, by recourse to many stylish exaggerations, significant and expressive as such, but of an unlikelihood bordering impossibility. So it is, but this seeming failure remained only one step away of being converted into what it actually purported to be: a daring mean of expression, in the best vein of elaborated style. It would have been enough to insist a bit more on the present-day mayor's narrative about the depicted happenings, stressing the fact that everything is seen through the distorting lens of one's own affective memory.

Still, it's undeniable that Horatiu creates a world of its own, bringing it to focus with extreme expressiveness... It's hard to forget the tasteful beauty of the erotic scenes - topped by the splendid image of Meda Victor being literally "drowned in wheat" by Alex Potocean's thrusts. And the top-scene, the "Mute Wedding" itself, arrives to be a successful tour de force. Definitely, it's a movie to be seen - and savored with relish.