Dumbrava minunata (1981)

Adapted from Mihail Sadoveanu's 1926 novel. Lizuca is a 6 year old girl whose mother died and whose father is married to a nasty woman. She has to leave her grandparents, who she lived with... See full summary »

Director:

Gheorghe Naghi

Writers:

Draga Olteanu Matei, Mihail Sadoveanu (novel)

Stars:

Diana Musca, Ernest Maftei, Elena Dragoi

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Diana Musca	...	Lizuca
Ernest Maftei	...	Bunicul / Grandfather
Elena Dragoi	...	Bunica / Grandmother
Florina Cercel	...	Mama vitrega / stepmother
Alexandru Matei	...	Tata / father
Draga Olteanu Matei	...	Cucoana Emilia
Ileana Stana Ionescu	...	Madam Neicu
Cezara Dafinescu	...	Zana Inchipuirii / Dream fairy
Rodica Popescu Bitanescu	...	Coca servitoarea / the maid
Georges Gima	...	(as Gheorghe Gima)
Eugeniu Ungureanu
Maria Ploae	...	Mama / Mother
Aimee Iacobescu
Eugenia Maci	...	Craiasa Albinelor / Bee Fairy
Constantin Brînzea

Storyline

Adapted from Mihail Sadoveanu's 1926 novel. Lizuca is a 6 year old girl whose mother died and whose father is married to a nasty woman. She has to leave her grandparents, who she lived with for a while, because her stepmother needs her. Because Lizuca has inherited a forest from her mother. She is neglected and mistreated by her new stepmother and her father is never there. But together with her dog, she knows how to escape.

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Plot Keywords:

fairy tale | based on novel | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Romance

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Details

Country:

Romania

Language:

Romanian

Release Date:

16 October 1981 (East Germany)

Also Known As:

The Enchanted Grove

Filming Locations:

Romania

Company Credits

Production Co:

Casa de Filme Unu, Centrul de Productie Cinematografica Bucuresti, Filmstudio Bucuresti

Technical Specs

Runtime:

75 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in The Last Incubus (2014)

User Reviews

Colors of sadness,of happiness/...and her voice,a string of gold

I see only one viewer commented this movie,and this is quite odd,because the film is good;it's not outstanding,but good enough (it would take a mild,candid,uncynical Averty to direct this show).It is made after Sadoveanu's story,which is followed as far as the plot is concerned,but the atmosphere,the tone differs.Sadoveanu is more suave,light,smooth,tender and humorous.

Sadoveanu asked,by his story,to things:who has a real access into the nature's heart;has physical nature any meaning at all?Sadoveanu's story implies also a chapter in the history of ideas. First,for the German romantics,on Kant's and Fichte's tracks,nature was reduced to a mere appearance,maybe beautiful,yes,but meaningless in itself(the nature seems to mean things;but it does not).That's why they thought any meaning may be but over imposed.Then,the materialism and the positivism deprived the nature of any deep interest and of any real meaning.This way,both idealism and materialism deprived the physical nature of any objective meaning,and of any sense. For Novalis,for Blake,for Goethe,for Eminescu,for LN Tolstoi,for Father Teilhard,for Klages,for all those who turn down solipsism,the physical nature is not a scenery,a set,something exterior,a decor,a deception,a convention,but has a true,objective and rich meaning.Sadoveanu is also of this opinion,by his innate and healthy,strong realism,although sometimes a little biased by the 19th. century's dull materialism and positivism;because,in the first instance,Sadoveanu,unlike Blake,Novalis,etc.,is an atheistic materialist,a skeptic,he speaks about the "everlasting darkness".(As a youngster,Sadoveanu has translated ...Taine!)All the natural elements mean,objectively,something:to the heart,to the mind.By that time,it took faith and courage to believe that nature is not just some scenery lacking all deep,inner meaning.

A little girl,much pained by her fiddling and fiendish step mother,runs away with her dog.All this is very humanely narrated.Who caresses,who cares for an orphan girl?("Helpless,[...]/Like a fiend hid in a cloud",Blake--INFANT SORROW)The Sunflower does,and Saint Wednesday,and woods manikins ("And wondering behold/A spirit armed in gold",Blake-THE LITTLE GIRL FOUND),wild beasts who flee the men ("To this day they dwell/In a lonely dell,/Nor fear the wolfish howl/Nor the lion's growl.",Blake--THE LITTLE GIRL FOUND),a whole hidden world of fragrances.The Sunflower,Sun's sister and the corn's Empress("Ah Sunflower, weary of time,/Who countest the steps of the sun"--Blake,AH SUNFLOWER);and Saint Wednesday;all this is told with a seeming equanimity,like Creanga's.But behind that there is a tearing sadness,unknown to Creanga.

Sadoveanu speaks about "a smoke of light".("When the green woods laugh with the voice of joy,/And the dimpling stream runs laughing by;/When the air does laugh with our merry wit,/And the green hill laughs with the noise of it;//when the meadows laugh with lively green,/And the grasshopper laughs in the merry scene",Blake--LAUGHING SONG).

Sadoveanu was himself an orphaned child,although at another age than Lizuca's.( 'When my mother died I was very young,/And my father sold me while yet my tongue/Could scarcely cry "Weep! weep! weep! weep!",Blake-- THE CHIMNEY-SWEEPER).

"From his eyes of flame,/Ruby tears there came"(Blake,THE LITTLE GIRL LOST)