Oppression of Women Under Communism - Essay Example

? 4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AND 2 DAYS A look at Mise-en-Scene Inserts His/Her Inserts Inserts Date: Introduction The award winning film 4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days chronicles the life of two Romanian university girls as they navigate the difficult communist life of 1987 Romania. In the film, the two friends embark on journey to perform an illegal abortion after one of the girls, Gabriela, becomes pregnant. The film was directed by Christian Mungiu and produced with his cinematographer Oleg Mutu. The film performed well in the Cannes Film Festival where it won the FIPRESCI and Palme d’Or awards. It also won various other awards all over the world and performed well in the box office. The film mainly portrays the life experienced in the communist regime of Ceausescu through the eyes of the two girls. In the film, the director uses mise-en-scene and long takes to bring out important changes and problems faced by Otilia and Gabita and thus by association portraying the difficulties women faced during the communist era. Through the use of these elements of cinematography, the oppression of women in various forms is illuminated through nostalgia and passive criticism (Bordwell & Thompson 23). Mise-en-Scene Mise-en scene is term the means “putting in the scenes”. The term defines the design features of a film production or theatre. Basically, the term describes the presentation of the visual theme both through cinematography, story boarding or the use of virtual art (Bordwell & Thompson 23). In film studies, the term is used to cover all that appears before the camera and the manner in which they are arranged and shown. The key aspects of mise-en-scene include set design, lighting, film stock, space, composition, costumes, makeup and hair styles, acting and finally aspect ratio (Pramaggiore and Wallis 60). Mise-en-scene and theme development 4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days is presumably a film about abortion, however it a study of important skills women required in order to survive in the 1980s in Romania. The script shows a gentle evolution from the protective cocoon of the dorm to a point of painful exposure. In the film, mise-en-scene is used superbly to bring out the main message to the audience. The film does not attack the communist era but however brings out a nostalgic feeling for those who lived during the era and show other viewers an untarnished image of how things were. It is through the use of the various aspects of mise-en-scene that audience is presented with an outsiders look at the plight of women during this era. In the initial setting, the film employs set design to show ambiance of the dormitory as a place of camaraderie, a protective bubble gifted with most of the things communism had promised to bring about, where material things pose no problem as everyone is willing to share. In the opening sequence of 4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days we are introduced to two roommates preparing for a journey to an unknown destination. The first shot is of a table that has a smoking cigarette, a ticking clock, a bizarre fish bowl with shallow water and two orange fish inside and some papers possibly classroom materials. As the camera moves, we are introduced to the two girls who are preparing to embark in a journey to perform an illegal abortion. In the dormitory, Otilia buys soaps, cigarettes and other items that they may need to use in their journey for the small black market that exist inside (Bordwell & Thompson). The set presents the viewer to a glimpse of the life of the ordinary Romanian during the 1980s. The manner in which these objects are framed by the camera seeks to remind the audience that they are on display. They are mementos from the past and the audience views them with the narrow and prejudicial eye of the present. According to Bordwell and Thompson (34), film setting has the ability to transport the audience to not only the time period the film is set in but also the emotional environment that exist within the film. The set shows a life in which people are trapped with minimal resources inside a dysfunctional country and in which only through camaraderie can the people prosper. This is best shown by the bizarre fish bowl on top of the table. The initial set design is also used to offer the audience a look on the private lives of Otilia and Gabita. The audience is kept at a distance through the use of alienating back camera shots that allow the audience to view but not relate to the girls lives. After the two friends pack for their travels, they leave this protective bubble and are thrust into an environment where human relationships are skewed, and where distrust and hostility are the order of the day. Otilia’s experience in the bus on her way to meet her boyfriend has also been presented to the audience in such a way that that it offers a glimpse on the challenges faced by people living in the 1980s. Through visual fixation on Otilia, the film is able to make the audience share the tense situation as Otilia attempts to evade the overzealous bus ticket checker. In the communist era, these minor officials sometimes acted as small-time law enforcers. Through medium framing, the audience is able to experience the survival tactics employed in communism: become invisible, avoid quick motions, pretend you are contemplating big problems; ask for help in quiet non-threatening tones while finding a way to get out of the dicey situation. The use of mise-en-scene to bring out the oppression of women is best portrayed in the hotel scene. After Otilia’s ordeal in the bus and the frustrating dialogue with her boyfriend, the two girls head to the hotel in which Gabita had previously booked. After being rudely turned away, they head to a new hotel where they acquire a room after much haggling and begging. The scene where Otilia tries to acquire a room employs the use of three-point lighting to bring out the intricacies of obtaining service from hostile and corrupt service providers. When Otilia passes out her identification, a pack of cigarette can be seen beneath her ID card. The set design also contributes to help the viewer to focus on small details (such as the script during the exchange of favors) by limiting the number of objects framed by the camera. One of the most memorable scenes in the whole film is the hotel room scene where Otilia, Gabita and the Doctor, Mr. Bebe discuss the impeding abortion. The first close up shot of the film is of Mr. Bebe as he declares that he will not be tricked by the girls and that they may face dire consequences if found out. The close up shot used by the director presents the viewer with a glimpse of the immoral sociopathic predators that plagued women during the communist Romania. Mr. Bebe (ironical bebe is Romanian for infant), uses this opportunity to extract sexual favors for his services while making the girls feel cheap and immoral. The film zooms in on the girls where a close up shot shows a blank expression on Otilia thus leaving the audience wondering what is running through her mind and a panicked, confused and resigned look on Gabita, the pregnant girl. In this scene, we are introduced to the various forms of oppression women in particular faced. In 1967, Ceausescu decreed that abortion and all forms of contraception were illegal under the ruse of promoting family values. In truth, he intended to increase the number of people he ruled while ensuring that more laborers were present if needed. During his rule, sex education was not carried out and the standard of living was very low (Charlotte et al. 234). These factors ensured that maintaining a large family was difficult and the chance for a healthy pregnancy was next to zero. In this scene, the film utilizes the element of space through the use of deep space to bring about the difference in positions between the girls and the abortionist Mr. Bebe. The use of deep space also brings out the dilemma facing the girls and their resignation to their fates. The audience is forced to empathize with the girls. In the scene, Gabita capsulizes the typical under-informed Romanian girl forced by her inferior role in society to resort to drastic and emotional scarring practices to survive. Comparing this scene to the dorm scene, we can see how the directors utilized set design to portray the mood and emotional state of the girls. The set in the dorm brought out feelings of nostalgia, peace and security whereby the girls were surrounded by normal objects and activities of day to day lives such as bathing and grooming. In the dorm scene, the objects were the center of attention in camera framing and served to create a sense of normalcy. In the hotel, the occupants were the center of attention and the surrounding objects are drab and constricting thus creating and oppressive ambience. In the bathroom scene, a single static shot was used to give the audience a glimpse of traumatized and abused women. The girls have been forced to accept prostituting themselves in order for the abortion to be carried out. The director does not shot the actual act but places the camera fixed on the two protagonists thus relying on the sound track to divulge what is happening and the mood. The audience is captured and has to feel what Otilia’s calm face refuses to display, and what Gabita’s quite sobs reveal. The use of mise-en-scene is spectacularly used in the dinner scene creating a sense of unbearable frustration and disappointment. Through the use of visual fixation, three point lighting and set design, the audience is able to feel the estrangement of Otilia, the average Romanian woman, from everything around her. The set design places Otilia’s at the center sitting quietly as the rest of the people carry on their activities. The framing of the scene illustrate the level with which parents are removed from their children, especially the girl child. Otilia has essentially been raped and has left a friend in a precarious condition yet no one seems to notice that she is withdrawn and disturbed. The long take on Otilia invites the audience to emphasize with her quiet suffering, ranging from uncertainty, humiliation and rape. The long take draws the audience in allowing them to simmer in anger and feel the disconnection that exists within the personal relationships in communist Romania. The casting of Otilia’s boyfriend, Adi, also seeks to show how women are oppressed by society by being considered as either workers or mothers thus lacking a sense of self. The film employs a scare factor to drive the message home to the audience. Through long takes that show the abortionist invasive paraphernalia, the procedure and the realistic fetus in the bathroom, the film shares the girls trauma with the audience. Through the use of low key lighting, the director develops a horror-movie environment in the hotel after the fetus is expelled. Otilia journey to find a place to dispose the fetus is surreal and the film utilizes jerky camera movement, sound reduction to concentrate on Olivia’s breathing, and unclear pictures. At this moment, the audience are not only aware that the abortion has occurred, but also a struggle of enormous proposition exist and has been in the making since the table scene with two orange fish swimming in shallow water without food. In the final scene, the film utilizes alienating camera angles and low key lighting to show the disconnections that exist between the girls and their carefree past, and between the audience and the girls. The dim lit setting in the closing scene presents the viewer with the crushing difficulties women faced in communist Romania and the scars they bear in their struggle to survive. Even though the audience can see what the girls have faced, they cannot link with the girls, that is, the emotions arising from what has transpired is closed within the girls. Conclusion Film directors and cinematographers can use mise-en-scene to present their message and themes in a way that captures the audience complete attention. In the film 4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days, the director employed elements of mise-en-scene to show the various forms of oppression women faced in communist Romania. The director was able to do this by creating a distance between the audience and the protagonist as well as between the past and the present. The audience is then forced to try and bridge this gap by placing themselves in the shoes of the girls. This fact is definitely the reason the film has performed very well in the box office. Works Cited Bordwell, David and Kristin Thompson. Film Art: An Introduction. 7th Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003. Charlotte, Hord, Henry P. David, France, Donnay, and Merrill, Wolf. “Reproductive Health in Romania: Reversing the Ceausescu Legacy.” Studies in Family Planning 22.4 (1991): 231-240. Pramaggiore, Maria and Tom, Wallis. Film: A Critical Introduction. London: Laurence King Publishing, 2005. Read More