Aferim! (2015)

The only downside of Aferim! is that the director really assumes you know Romanian history and are very familiar with the cultures of that time. That didn't make me enjoy this beautiful film any less.

The story alone is great fun. It makes for a fantastic road movie in which the main characters travel through Romania to find a "criminal." Along the way, they end up in many fun/crazy/bizarre situations with equally fun/crazy/bizarre characters they meet. Strangely enough, although they are a very different type of director, Kusturica crossed my mind a few times. Because Jude also captures a piece of culture very well on screen. The final payoff is also very fitting.

Aferim! is truly one of those films where everything works. The characters' outlook on life, the story, the situations, the dialogue, the humor. Somehow, everything here comes across as incredibly sincere and wonderfully refreshing.

Audiovisually, it is truly stunningly beautiful. As the trailer nicely indicates, it was shot on 35mm film and everything is in glorious black and white. The shots when they drive through the woods look fantastic. And even when they drive across the plains, there are shots that are simply mouthwatering. A great deal of depth has been incorporated throughout. Everything comes to life on screen. The music and sound only serve to elevate the film to an even higher level. A very fine track.

A really wonderful film. I enjoyed it. Everything seems to fit, and audio-visually it is a delight from start to finish. Refreshing in every way, and it will once again inspire a whole range of young directors to come up with something beautiful and unique like Arefim! They can do it as far as I'm concerned.

Translated from Dutch · View original

A very fine and unexpected piece of black-and-white cinematic art from Romania. Aferim! (Bravo! in Turkish or Romanian) is set in 1835 in the historical region of Wallachia, when the state of Romania did not yet exist. Instead, there were a number of separate principalities, each headed by a boyar. Police officer Costandin attempts to teach his son Ionita the trade while hunting for an escaped slave. Along the way, they encounter a series of strange characters, and the viewer is treated not only to the beautiful visuals but also to a number of striking (comic) sayings and local legends. Naturally, the film is Eastern European in character, but due to the theme of the hunt, some nature shots, and the use of black and white, there is at times a pleasant Western atmosphere surrounding it.

Translated from Dutch · View original

Besides the beautiful cinematography, the film relies mainly on encounters with various more or less picturesque characters and on the life lessons from the father to his son. It is probably just me, but those words of wisdom were wasted on me. Perhaps it is my fault that I am not sufficiently familiar with the culture and history of Wallachia. It therefore seems to me that the film is primarily intended for domestic consumption in (Southern) Romania.

In any case: I am less enthusiastic than many before me. The gruesome ending doesn't help either, by the way.

Translated from Dutch · View original