If I’m honest sitting down to watch a Romanian drama about getting an illegal abortion during the Ceausescu era does not make for a pleasant time. I’m not suggesting that it should or merely trying to be glib about the subject matter, just being honest. 432 is, at times, a very hard film to watch but is is also well worth watching.
Despite being set during the 80’s Cristian Mungiu’s film has neither the comforting historical distance provided by Mike Leigh’s Vera Drake or any overt moralising (on either side of the debate) to provide a barrier. Instead the film maker has opted for a straight-on portrayal of events that leaves (or even forces) the viewer to make up their own mind about the rights and wrongs of the situation.
As a piece of film making 432 is faultless. The direction and script favour a ‘less is more’ approach that manages to convey a sense of immediacy without simply turning the film into a docu-drama. In keeping with this aesthetic the performances are uniformly unfussy, not to mention excellent.
This is, in many senses, a difficult film. It’s combination of a refusal to actively seek allegiances on either side of the emotive subject matter and it’s cold, simple cinematography will leave many viewers feeling isolated and somewhat detached but, for myself, it is completely engaging and it’s winning of the Palme D’or at Cannes 2007 is indicative of it’s high quality.
Of course many people will give it a wide berth purely because of the uncomfortable subject matter. If this applies to you please still take note of the name Cristian Mungiu – this is a director to look out for in the future.
8/10
