HOREA (1984) – historical film online

Directed by: Mircea Mureșan
Script: Titus Popovici
Cast: Ovidiu Iuliu Moldovan, Șerban Ionescu, Dan Săndulescu, Radu Beligan, Mircea Albulescu, Enikö Szilágy, Ion Besoiu, Petrică Gheorghiu, Florin Chiriac, Siegfried Siegmund, Alexandru Repan, Mircea Diaconu, Nicolae Albani, Zoltán Vadász, Mircea Hindoreanu, Costel Rădulescu
Producer: Radu Stegăroiu, Vily Auerbach, Lucian Dante Gologan
Cinematography by: Vivi Drăgan Vasile
Edited by: Elena Pantazică
Sound: Nicolae Ciolcă
Music: Tiberiu Olah
Year: 1984
Category: Feature film
Genre: History
Duration: 122 minutes

27,698 – Cinepub viewers

PLOT SUMMARY

The movie is a cinematic evocation of the Revolt of Horea, Cloșca and Crișan, set in 18th century Transylvania. Led by Horea, Cloșca and Crișan, the peasants revolt against the local nobles, who end up asking the Austrian army for help. But Horea also goes to Vienna to speak to Emperor Joseph II, who assures him that he will see to a peaceful resolution of the conflict. Things take a harsh turn when the authorities put a bounty on the leaders of the rebellion.

AWARDS:

• 1984 – ACIN – Grand Prix. Screenplay Award (Titus Popovici).
• 1984 – ACIN – Award for male performance (Ovidiu Iuliu Moldovan, Radu Beligan).
• 1984 – ACIN – Award for the Best Set Design (Marcel Bogos).
• 1984 – ACIN – Music Award (Tiberiu Olah)

CRITICAL REVIEWS:

“In one of his most solid and original screenplays, Titus Popovici leaves the path of the classic fresco-like reconstruction of events, orchestrating a meticulous study of individual and collective psychology, a duel between the vain semblance of the undeserving and the greatness of those who instinctively make history” – Tudor Caranfil, Romanian Film Dictionary, 2nd ed. Litera International, 2003, p. 100-101

“The figure of Horea (Ovidiu Iuliu Moldovan) takes on truly heroic proportions. In the first part of the movie we have the slim chance to see him acting as the human leader of a popular movement. Quite quickly, however, as if aware of his destiny, Horea is seized by a metaphysical aura. He appears in all sorts of courts and delivers a parable to the people, including his son, who deliberately mourns him. Once captured, Horea becomes the sacrificial lamb of the revolt.” – Emil Vasilache, cinepub.ro

“The frequent jumps in time, from present action to moments taking place in parallel (or not), flashbacks and so on, produce gratuitous boredom with the unfolding story arc. There’s little dramatic tension within the sequences either. The moments look good on paper, but they’re fudged.” – Emil Vasilache, cinepub.ro

“The sadism of the peasants, present in the second part of the movie (in the buffoonish narration of the poet played by Mircea Diaconu) also has a kernel of appeal – one could imagine a “Salò” in 18th century Transylvania. But Mureșan’s movie doesn’t have time to delve deeply into the elements laid out on the table – strange, especially because there aren’t many of them.” – Emil Vasilache, cinepub.ro

“(…) ambitious historical fresco realized by Mureșan in 1984.” – Dinu Ioan Nicula, revistaculturala.ro

TRIVIA:

• Mircea Mureșan has remained forever in the memory of moviegoers thanks to the series “All Sails High”, made in 1975 on a script written in collaboration with Alexandru Struțeanu, adapted from the novel of the same name by Radu Tudoran, which delighted the childhood and adolescence of many generations. However, his most representative creation is, without a doubt, the screenization of Liviu Rebreanu’s novel “The Revolt”, which made him on the short list of Romanian filmmakers awarded at Cannes.
• Mircea Mureșan has forever remained in the memory of moviegoers thanks to the series “All sails up”, which delighted the childhood and adolescence of many generations. However, his most representative creation is, without a doubt, the screenplay of Liviu Rebreanu’s novel “The Revolt”, which earned him a place on the shortlist of Romanian filmmakers awarded at Cannes.
• “Horea” is a socio-political order to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Revolt of Horea, Cloșca and Crișan.
• The director graduated from the Institute of Theatrical and Cinematographic Art in Bucharest in 1955, and was immediately hired at the Bucharest Cinematographic Production Center as assistant director.
• The director talks about the process of making the movie: “After finishing the series ” The Transylvanians”, subjects that were a hit with the public, Titus Popovici took a break. For several years I had been invoking our Transylvanian duty to honor Avram Iancu and Horea in films. Since the fall of 1984 was the 200th anniversary of Horea’s rebellion, Titus and I began an extensive documentary project, including visits to the history museums of Budapest. We were looking for a suitable narrative formula for the script for a historical event on the scale of the 1784 uprising, but nothing tied…Then we agreed to open the narrative with an “ex-abrupto” effect in Vienna, localization and the imperial court. Titus, with his talent and dexterity, finished the script towards the end of 1982, eliminating multiple secondary characters and emphasizing Iancovich’s role. It was approved without much comment. I wrote the director’s cut and in February 1983 we went into production.”
• They received a very small amount of money for the production of such a large-scale movie (9 million lei), which is why the screenwriter himself, Titus Popovici, sponsored the shots filmed by Vivi Drăgan Vasile that make up the pre-generic of the movie.
• The interiors were filmed in Buftea and at the Palace of the National Military Circle, adapted to resemble the Schönbrunn Imperial Palace in Vienna. The exteriors were filmed mainly in the counties of Alba and Sibiu, with the peasants providing most of the extras.
• The premiere of the film took place at the “Patria” Cinema, and in February 1985, on the occasion of the two centuries since the execution, a new gala screening was organized at the Palace Hall in the capital. “The hall was packed. I remember the reaction at the scene where Horea, imprisoned in the underground fortress of Alba Iulia, was talking to his son. “Dad, I wanted to shoot you, to escape the torment that awaits you” “No son, don’t do it… I want to fulfill my destiny… From now on, you will only mention me sometimes, but not too often…” “Why not too often, Father? “Lest it get cheap…” At the end of these lines, there was a rumor in the hall… Of course, Horea’s last line is just as valid today”. (Mircea Mureșan)
• Ovidiu Iuliu Moldovan confessed about his role in the movie (Horea): “I loved Horea because he was an emblematic personality for the history of Transylvania. For me it is all the more important considering that my father, Iuliu Moldovan, was one of the Transylvanian martyrs, one of the 40 Romanians who, together with 130 Jews, were shot in 1944 by the Horthist occupation troops.”

LINES:

• “The leaders must be caught!” – Iancovich (Radu Beligan)
• “Respect. I consider him (Horea) a brave soldier. – Xaverius Vaida (Mircea Albulescu)
• “You will go with me to Deva. There you will be told the Emperor’s command” – Xaverius Vaida (Mircea Albulescu)
• “None of us has sinned, unless it is sin to seek justice.” – Horea (Ovidiu Iuliu Moldovan)
• “We can’t fight the emperor’s army. For now.” – Horea (Ovidiu Iuliu Moldovan)
• “My son, who knows if you and I will ever sit at the table to honor each other.” – Horea (Ovidiu Iuliu Moldovan)
• “I did not command anything, you shouted. Kill them. Start with the infants.” – Horea (Ovidiu Iuliu Moldovan)
• “I’ll be there when you die.” – Agnes (Enikö Szilágy)
• “The sacred, eternal fury is coming!” – Kendy (Mircea Diaconu)
• “This naive Horea demands no nobility.” – Iancovich (Radu Beligan)
• “Horea had a mysterious nobility… of a kind of immanent justice.” – Kendy (Mircea Diaconu)
• “Let the nobles of the county swear on the cross with all their offspring!” – Horea (Ovidiu Iuliu Moldovan)
• “No more serfdom! No more nobility! Who, wherever he can, find a job and make a living from it!” – Horea (Ovidiu Iuliu Moldovan)
• “Is this how you knew me, that I am afraid of torment? I’m not afraid of torment; otherwise they wouldn’t have taken me alive.” – Horea (Ovidiu Iuliu Moldovan)
• “When I’ve raised men, I’ve also raised death.” – Horea (Ovidiu Iuliu Moldovan)
• “Hold on to life with your teeth, like a wolf to the prey. You’ll have to pull yourselves by the bootstraps, you’ll have to endure hunger, and you’ll have to give your children to schools.” – Horea (Ovidiu Iuliu Moldovan)
• “Justice is not won by plunder and murder.” – Iancovich (Radu Beligan)

ARTICLES:

• Behind the scenes of cinematography. Mircea Mureșan and the secrets of the movie “Horea” – adevarul.ro
• The revolt of Horea, Cloșca and Crișan – filmedocumentare.com
• Ovidiu Iuliu Moldovan in a memorable role of his career: “Horea” – tvr.ro
• An adept of screenization: Mircea Mureșan – revistaculturala.ro
• Mircea Mureșan, director of “All sails up!”, has died – historia.ro
• Mircea Mureșan. A personality of Romanian cinema – independentaromana.ro
• Mircea Mureșan: A small portrait for a great man – revistacariere.ro
• Director Mircea Mureșan has died (biography) – agerpres.ro

This premiere is part of a national archive project supported by the Romanian National Film Centre.
Special thanks goes to the Romanian Filmmakers Union and to the Romanian Film Archive.

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