Abortion still remains a taboo subject in the mainstream media. Often filmmakers will casually skirt around the subject matter, touching upon it in passing without really reflecting on the character’s decision to go ahead with the procedure and the aftermath. In the past, films such as If These Walls Could Talk (1996), and A Private Matter (1992) have addressed the subject of abortion, these were made for Television films which didn’t receive a theatrical release.
While Juno, which was also released in 2007, touched briefly upon the subject, it never really went further to explore this issue fully. Cristian Mungiu’s 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days doesn’t shy away from showing the viewer the true experience of abortion and extreme situations that our main characters have to endure. We are plunged into this complex situation, where nothing is truly black and white. Even our main antagonist is shown to be somewhat human which makes what he does as profession even more unsettling.
Whereas Juno was somewhat blessed with other options for her unwanted pregnancy, in 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, the character of Gabita (Laura Vasiliu) is deprived of such a privilege. Mungiu may be pro-life, but he never allows for his views to bleed into his work and risk the film becoming propaganda. Instead, we are left to come to our own conclusions and we are treated with a level of respect.
This is not an easy film to watch, but it is a necessary one. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days will remind you of a vivid fevered nightmare. Long after it is all over there is still a chilling feeling of dread that you can’t quite shake off. Without giving too much away, there is a certain brief moment of horror that burns itself into your memory. Mungiu could have exploited this moment, but instead, he simply reflects on it and allows it to sink in with us.
“This is not an easy film to watch, but it is a necessary one.”
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days centers around a young woman’s decision to have an abortion, but the film isn’t just about this incident. Rather, 4 Months is about the complexities of female friendship and explores a timeless bond. The film is also a reflection on how far society and culture have come, but the fact that so few films on the subject matter have been made since 2007 is a sad reflection that we still have so much to overcome.
Set in communist-ruled Romania in the 1980s, 4 Months follows young student Gabita who is seeking an abortion. The procedure is illegal. For those who want a quick history lesson of Romania under communist rule, here we go. From 1967 until 1989, the country was under the totalitarian rule of Nicolae Ceaușescu. Under the rule of Ceaușescu, Romania was considered one of the most repressed countries in Eastern Europe. Abortion, among many other human rights, was made illegal as a way of controlling the population.
Gabita has requested help from her roommate Otilia (Anamaria Marinca), who steps up (and beyond) the line of duty as a friend. In a period of 24 hours, we follow the two friends in their journey of desperation. We learn quickly that out of the two women, Otilia is the one that seems to have her head screwed on tight. Gabita depends on her for everything. She has managed to persuade Otilia to raise money for the operation.
“Mungiu was inspired by an experience recounted by a close friend.”
Requested that it is Otilia who goes to meet the abortionist, a sleazy man named Mr. Bebe (Vlad Ivanov), on her behalf. Gabita even neglects to make a reservation at the hotel that the abortionist specifies, which results in Otilia having to fork out a fortune for another room at a less than desired hotel.
Mungiu was inspired by an experience recounted by a close friend. In 1966, soon after Ceausescu assumed power, a law was passed banning abortion, which had been legal since 1957. As the country battled with mass poverty, having another mouth to feed wasn’t an option for some women. Therefore, they would resort to having illegal abortions in the same manner that Gabita does. It is estimated that up to half a million women died from illegal abortions before the revolution in 1989. Of course, the exact number will remain unknown and lost to time.
Time is something that Mungiu uses to great effect here. The film’s narrative unfolds over the course of one day. The procedure takes place in real time, in one extremely claustrophobic hotel room. We feel as trapped as Gabita and Otilia. Once the event is done, Otilia reluctantly leaves Gabita to have dinner with her boyfriend, Adi (Alex Potocean), and his parents and their noisy friends.
“And, we can see the truth eating her up inside, a true testament to actress Anamaria Marinca performance.”
Otilia is trapped once again in a tight space, unable to escape. Each second ticks by. It is truly agonizing to watch. Of course, we know why Otilia needs to leave but she is unable to confide in the truth. And, we can see the truth eating her up inside, a true testament to actress Anamaria Marinca performance.
The film’s bleak mise-en-scene and often handheld camerawork coupled with long takes help ground the film in this form of social realism and documentary filmmaking. Despite being set in the 1980s, there is no romanticizing or nostalgic longing for the past. It is a history that many would like to forget, but Mungiu denies us such a blessing. If we chose to forget, then surely history is doomed to repeat itself? There’s much we can learn from 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, and its time we saw more filmmakers willing to approach the subject of abortion.
