Cristian Mungui’s 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days follows two college roommates, Otilia and Gabita, in their search for an illegal abortion in communist Romania. The movie is dark, strikingly realistic and presents a shocking view of what many desperate young women in this situation endured at that time in history.
Cristian Mungui’s 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days follows two college roommates, Otilia and Gabita, in their search for an illegal abortion in communist Romania. The movie is dark, strikingly realistic and presents a shocking view of what many desperate young women in this situation endured at that time in history.
The film is set in 1987, at the very end of the Ceausescu regime. Although Gabita is the pregnant one, the story mostly centers on Otilia.
It begins with the two roommates secretly packing their belongings and buying items from their fellow students. They don’t discuss what they’re going to do, but as the movie progresses it slowly becomes clear. Otilia travels around, sees her boyfriend, books a hotel room after some trouble and finally meets with an abortionist, “Mr. Bebe.” Things get complicated when Gabita lies about how far along she is in her pregnancy.
Gabita is panicked and naïve and makes many mistakes as she attempts to arrange her abortion. Otilia helps her devotedly despite the strain of the situation. Later, Otilia fights with her boyfriend when she brings up the possibility that she herself might get pregnant. He insists that there is no reason to talk about it since it won’t happen. But the experience with Gabita convinces Otilia that pregnancy is not something to be taken lightly.
The film not only delivers an in-depth view of the terrible experiences of these two young women; it presents a nuanced look at communist Romania. The oppressive regime is not the focus but is heavily tied to the plot. The state of society must have contributed to the dangerous decision to have an abortion. You can tell that the two girls are desperate, though their reasons and fears are not explicitly discussed.
The movie had a profound impact on me. Many people know about the horrors of illegal abortions, especially those of the past. It is another matter entirely to see it with your own eyes. The film could almost have been a documentary. There are many long takes, there is no background music and the acting is natural and cold.
It seems that many forms of entertainment have horrific situations and imagery just for spectacle—to get a reaction from the audience, even if that reaction is only disgust. However, this film is an example of how a movie can leave a lasting impression. It educates the viewer about something terrible. When I finished viewing the film, I felt like I had been slapped in the face by its realism. But it isn’t utterly depressing, as many stories about abortion are.
The film is meaningful, well executed and definitely worth seeing—but be prepared for some shocking imagery and heavy material.
In Romanian with English subtitles.
