Forest of the Hanged
Classic Romanian Cinema: before the New Wave
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2h 44m
Directed by Liviu Ciulei • 1965 • Romania
The Eastern Front during the First World War. Lieutenant Apostol Bologa (Victor Rebengiuc) fights on the side of the multi-ethnic Habsburg Army against the forces of his native Romania. As the absurdity of the conflict becomes impossible to ignore, and under the influence of haunted Czech officer Klapka (director Liviu Ciulei himself) and kind-hearted compatriot Petre (Ştefan Ciubotăraşu), Bologa is forced to choose between duty and humanity. Ciulei’s third and final film put Romanian cinema on the map when he won Best Director at Cannes. Anchored by a set of remarkable lead performances and featuring stunning landscape photography from Ovidiu Gologan, Forest of the Hanged is one of the finest films to emerge from the Romanian studio system.
FOREST OF THE HANGED • PĂDUREA SPÂNZURAȚILOR
Directed by Liviu Ciulei
Written by Titus Popovici
From the novel by Liviu Rebreanu
Cinematography by Ovidiu Gologan
Music by Theodor Grigoriu
Starring: Victor Rebengiuc, Liviu Ciulei, Ştefan Ciubotăraşu
In Romanian with English subtitles
Winner of Best Director at the Cannes Film Festival 1965
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