Un été inoubliable (1994)

English title: An Unforgettable Summer

Based on a chapter from the novel Cronica de familie (Family Chronicle), by Petru Dumitriu (first published in 1957).

In 1925, a Romanian officer is transferred to an outpost at the border with Bulgaria, where a series of attacks by smugglers terrorize the Romanian army. The officer's wife and children accompany him.

A very interesting story, competently told in cinematic terms. The sharp sense of humor and attention to detail make this a solid, thoroughly enjoyable film. The sublime climax near the end is a masterfully orchestrated explosion of violence which one is not likely to easily forget. The film's outlook on politics and human relations is bleak and yet paradoxically the story is suffused with lyricism and joie de vivre. One might want to question whether the film presents us with a tragic situation or something else altogether.

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Rating: 71