PROMISIUNI (PROMISES)
Romania, 1985, 90 minutes, Colour.
Medeea Marinescu, Maria Ploae, Mercea Diaconu.
Directed by Elisabeta Bostan.
Promises was made during the communist regime in Romania. However, it has no references to the regime, for or against. Rather, it is a family and human drama which transcends it particular time and place.
The film focuses on a young girl, aged 12, the eldest daughter in a loving family. Her mother, however, has a secret. She had a brief affair with an artist and her daughter is the offspring of the artist. She has never told her husband. There comes a time when the secret is revealed and the film focuses on the effect on the young girl, especially after the long flashbacks showing the happiness in the family.
The film has a feminine perspective on life, a focus on relationships rather than the harder edges of the question. This means that it has a very broad appeal to a wide audience.
The film offers a great deal of pathos, especially in the performance of Maria Ploae as the mother, a loving but rather reserved figure. The film also shows strongly the effect on the father and his having to cope with the news – compared with the rather detached information of the birth father.
The film also makes parallels between the loving family and the family of the birth father whose wife is the teacher of two girls who in fact are sisters.
The film raises the issues of secrets and lies in family and whether it is better to tell the truth or conceal it.
1.A Romanian story, universal appeal? A film of the 1980s? Its not being political? Family themes, social themes? The focus on children and the effects of secrets and lies?
2.The scenes of home life, happiness? School? The studios? The musical score?
3.The tone of the film, the feminine perspective, the emotional impact, for a wide audience?
4.The opening, the anger of the young girl, the clash with her mother? This situation for the flashbacks? Filling in the story of the family, the mother, the girl? Returning to the crisis again – and then the resolution of the crisis?
5.The story of the young girl, the flashbacks to her mother and the relationship with the artist? Her pregnancy? The mother’s marriage and her not telling the husband? The little girl born, loved? Feeling at home in the family, with her brothers? The filling in of detail of life at home, going out, the picnics, at school (and the irony of her half-sister)? Picnics? The music, the piano, the singing, the studios and the audition? Her growing up, achievement? The impact of the truth, her angry reaction, her being hurt? Her attitude towards her mother, the visit of the birth father, feeling alienated from him? Her family father, the bonds with him? The fashion show, the family watching outside the window, the forgiveness and reconciliation? Her future?
6.The portrait of the mother, her memories, the artist, giving birth, the wedding, her not telling her husband? At work in the shop? Her bringing up her children, her gentleness with them? Sharing their experiences? The truth, her daughter being hurt? The reaction of her husband and the pain for her? The encounter with the birth father, his reaction, harshness? The end and the fashion parade, her looking through the window, her experiencing love and forgiveness?
7.The birth father, his wife, the house, the mother-in-law and her dominance, the children? At work, his friends? The truth about his daughter, the meeting the mother, the daughter, his severer attitudes? His being rejected?
8.The father at home, loving, his work? His doting on his children, the outings? His rejoicing in their success? His reaction to the news, his being hurt, with his daughter, the other children? His coming to terms, dealing with the problem, the finale outside the window at the fashion show?
9.The focus on children, happiness, growing up, the potential for hurt and having to cope?
10.Audience response to the issues of secrets, truth, lies, cover-up? Decisions made – and the later consequences?
