I was planning to check this film out a while ago, but for some reason, I never got around to it. Having seen it though, I was really blown away by it. I initially thought the first act dragged a little, but after rewatching it, I warmed up to it and the film impacted me to the point that it's become one of my favorites of the decade.
Ever since I got into film, I consistently got more and more used to slow paced films as I went along. Now, I sometimes can't even tell if a film is slow as long as I find it to be interesting. After watching this film, I tried to think of other films that used their slow pacing in a better way, but currently, I'm having great difficulty with coming up with much that compares to this. A couple critics felt that this film was too long, but I wouldn't say it dragged at any point as I was thoroughly engaged throughout it. The majority of the film serves as a criticism of the Romanian medical system as it details the various flaws with the doctors, shown in numerous parts where the doctors wasted time performing tests/asking questions which didn't accomplish anything or where it would take a while for them to help Lazarescu out. This repetition comprised the bulk of the film. Instead of becoming less impressed by this point as it went on though, the overwhelming reaction I got from this repetition (intensity of feeling is largely what the film conveys) was that each wasted minute was tearing him down, slowly but at a steadily increasing rate. This is set against how the film continuously details his declining health, shown by how he slowly loses the ability to walk and speak and how he grows less and less conscious as the film goes on. As the night unfolds, it's clear that the problem slowly escalates. Watching the film, you feel a quiet rage towards the doctors he encounters throughout the film, one that hangs on you to the point that it slowly wears you down as you watch it, causing any forms of progress made on him to feel like a catharsis.
Beside these characters lie a couple others who bring a lighter side to the film. The most notable of which is Mioara Avram, the nurse who accompanies Lazarescu throughout the night. While she sometimes speaks up towards the doctors and expresses criticism towards their practices throughout the film and especially with the third hospital, she usually faces verbal abuse in response. As much as she has the right to be mad at the doctors though, she remains calm and passively accepts the behavior they treat her with. At one point, she says she's had her job for 16 years. With all of this, I got a portrait of a woman who, after many years of experiencing the issues with the medical practices in the country, eventually understood over time that there was nothing she could do to help the situation. While she has a few friends in the medical field (one of the women she meets apologizes that he couldn't be operated on in the second hospital), she's largely powerless in the face of them. Despite this though, she still at least attempts to make a difference. Again and again. Other memorable characters include Sandu Sterian, Lazarescu's neighbor who helps him out in the opening act. While I had issues with this act during my first viewing, I enjoyed it much more this time around. Although his neighbor isn't able to help him out that much, it's interesting that, even though he isn't a doctor, he still does more for him than most of the doctors he encounters throughout the night are able to do. It's a good way of showing how flawed many of the doctors depicted in the film are since many of them compare unfavorably to someone who doesn't even have a medical degree.
Overall, I'd say this is a great film given how Puiu did so much with such a simple premise. It hooked me right at the beginning and held on to me firmly throughout the whole film. This one gets a strong recommendation for sure.
Ever since I got into film, I consistently got more and more used to slow paced films as I went along. Now, I sometimes can't even tell if a film is slow as long as I find it to be interesting. After watching this film, I tried to think of other films that used their slow pacing in a better way, but currently, I'm having great difficulty with coming up with much that compares to this. A couple critics felt that this film was too long, but I wouldn't say it dragged at any point as I was thoroughly engaged throughout it. The majority of the film serves as a criticism of the Romanian medical system as it details the various flaws with the doctors, shown in numerous parts where the doctors wasted time performing tests/asking questions which didn't accomplish anything or where it would take a while for them to help Lazarescu out. This repetition comprised the bulk of the film. Instead of becoming less impressed by this point as it went on though, the overwhelming reaction I got from this repetition (intensity of feeling is largely what the film conveys) was that each wasted minute was tearing him down, slowly but at a steadily increasing rate. This is set against how the film continuously details his declining health, shown by how he slowly loses the ability to walk and speak and how he grows less and less conscious as the film goes on. As the night unfolds, it's clear that the problem slowly escalates. Watching the film, you feel a quiet rage towards the doctors he encounters throughout the film, one that hangs on you to the point that it slowly wears you down as you watch it, causing any forms of progress made on him to feel like a catharsis.
Beside these characters lie a couple others who bring a lighter side to the film. The most notable of which is Mioara Avram, the nurse who accompanies Lazarescu throughout the night. While she sometimes speaks up towards the doctors and expresses criticism towards their practices throughout the film and especially with the third hospital, she usually faces verbal abuse in response. As much as she has the right to be mad at the doctors though, she remains calm and passively accepts the behavior they treat her with. At one point, she says she's had her job for 16 years. With all of this, I got a portrait of a woman who, after many years of experiencing the issues with the medical practices in the country, eventually understood over time that there was nothing she could do to help the situation. While she has a few friends in the medical field (one of the women she meets apologizes that he couldn't be operated on in the second hospital), she's largely powerless in the face of them. Despite this though, she still at least attempts to make a difference. Again and again. Other memorable characters include Sandu Sterian, Lazarescu's neighbor who helps him out in the opening act. While I had issues with this act during my first viewing, I enjoyed it much more this time around. Although his neighbor isn't able to help him out that much, it's interesting that, even though he isn't a doctor, he still does more for him than most of the doctors he encounters throughout the night are able to do. It's a good way of showing how flawed many of the doctors depicted in the film are since many of them compare unfavorably to someone who doesn't even have a medical degree.
Overall, I'd say this is a great film given how Puiu did so much with such a simple premise. It hooked me right at the beginning and held on to me firmly throughout the whole film. This one gets a strong recommendation for sure.