Moartea domnului Lazarescu (2005)

Director:

Cristi Puiu

Writers:

Cristi Puiu (writer)
Razvan Radulescu (writer)

Release Date:

22 September 2005 (Romania)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Mr. Lazarescu, a 63 year old lonely man feels sick and calls the ambulance. When it arrives the doctor...

Plot Keywords:

Hospital | Doctor | Ambulance | Black Comedy | Pension

Awards:

23 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Doru Ana	...	Sandu Sterian
Monica Barladeanu	...	Mariana
Alina Berzunteanu	...	Dr. Zamfir
Doru Boguta	...	Ambulantier
Mimi Branescu	...	Dr. Mirica
Mihai Bratila	...	Dr. Breslasu
Dragos Bucur	...	Misu
Robert Bumbes	...	Robert
Dan Chiriac	...	Medic triaj Spitalui Universitar
Mirela Cioaba	...	Marioara
Laura Cret	...	Medic ecograf, Spitalui Sf. Spiridon
Dana Dogaru	...	Mihaela Sterian
Bogdan Dumitrache	...	Medic, Spitalui Sf. Spiridon
Alexandru Fifea	...	Brancardier, Spitalui Sf. Spiridon
Ion Fiscuteanu	...	Mr. Domnul Lazarescu (as Iaon Fiscuteanu)
Luminita Gheorghiu	...	Mioara Avram
Florina Alina Gleznea	...	Asistenta, Spitalui Sf. Spiridon
Tudor Hristescu	...	Dr. Kelemen
Rodica Ionescu	...	Asistenta, Spitalui Universitar
Cerasela Iosifescu	...	Asistenta, Spitalui Filaret
Irina Kozsar	...	Asistenta, Spitalui Universitar
Iulia Lazar	...	Asistenta. Spitalui Filaret
Rodica Lazar	...	Dr. Laura Serban
Serban Pavlu	...	Gelu
Simona Popescu	...	Asistenta, Spitalui Bagdasar
Alexandru Potocean	...	Brancardier, Spitualui Bagdasar (as Alexandru Cristian Potocean)
Calin Adrian Puia	...	Brancardier, Spitalui Universitar
Anca Puiu	...	Vecina
Emil Puiu	...	Dl. Sandu
Iuliana Puiu	...	Dna. Sanui
Smaranda Puiu	...	Smaranda
Gabriel Spahiu	...	Leo
Jean Lorin Sterian	...	Medic, Spitalui Universitar
Mariana Stoica	...	Pacienta, Spitalui Sf. Spiridon
Maria Serb	...	Assistenta, Spitalui Bagdasar
Andrei Serban	...	Brancardier, Spitalui Sf. Spiridon
Adrian Titieni	...	Dr. Dragos Popescu
Cristian Turungiu	...	Brancardier, Spitalui Universitar
Clara Voda	...	Dr. Gina Filip
Ionel Zaharia	...	Brancardier, Spitalui Universitar
Florin Zamfirescu	...	Dr. Ardelean
Lorena-Andrada Zabrautanu	...	Asistenta, Spitalui Universitar

Directed by
Cristi Puiu

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Cristi Puiu		writer
Razvan Radulescu		writer

Produced by
Alexandru Munteanu	....	executive producer
Bobby Paunescu	....	associate producer
Bobby Paunescu	....	producer
Anca Puiu	....	line producer
Anca Puiu	....	producer

Original Music by
Andreea Paduraru

Cinematography by
Andrei Butica		(hand camera)
Oleg Mutu

Film Editing by
Dana Bunescu

Casting by
Ana Szel

Production Design by
Cristina Barbu

Costume Design by
Cristina Barbu

Makeup Department
Silvana Bratu	....	makeup artist
Lidia Constantin	....	key hair stylist
Lidia Ivanov	....	key hair stylist
Maria Savulescu	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Tudor Hristescu	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Radu Jude	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Constantin Fleancu	....	sound editor (as Titi Fleancu)
Constantin Fleancu	....	sound
Cristian Tarnovetchi	....	sound recordist

Camera and Electrical Department
Silvana Bratu	....	still photographer
Adrian Sandor	....	focus puller
Octavian Sotir	....	camera loader

Editorial Department
Maria Murgu	....	dailies colorist

Other crew
Ana Lungu	....	continuity

Production Companies

• Mandragora Movies

Distributors

• Filmmuseum Distributie (2007) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Stadtkino Verleih (2005) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Tartan (2006) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Tour de Force (2005) (Norway) (theatrical)
• Zeta Films (2007) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Øst Für Paradis (Denmark) (theatrical)
• AmaFilms (2005) (Greece) (all media)
• Bac Films (2005) (France) (all media)
• Mandragora Movies (2005) (Romania) (all media)
• Mantarraya Producciones (2006) (Mexico) (all media)
• Palisades Tartan (2009) (UK) (all media)
• Palisades Tartan (2005) (USA) (all media)
• Tartan Films (2005) (UK) (all media)
• Tartan Video USA (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Øst Für Paradis (2005) (Denmark) (all media)

Also Known As:

The Death of Mister Lazarescu (Canada: English title) (festival title) (International: English title)
The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (USA)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and brief nudity.

Runtime:

150 min | Romania:153 min (original version) | Hong Kong:153 min

Country:

Romania

Language:

Romanian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

Brazil:16 | USA:R | UK:15 | Hungary:16 | Argentina:16 | Norway:A | South Korea:15

Filming Locations:

Bucharest, Romania

Company:

Mandragora Movies

Trivia:

The movie is the first in a series of 6 feature-length films that Cristi Puiu will direct, entitled "Stories From the Suburbs of Bucharest".

Movie Connections:

Featured in 2006 Independent Spirit Awards (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Cum e oare?

A Hellish Ride

Mr. Lazarescu: nearing 63, lives alone with his three cats, underwent surgery due to ulcer, has a sister still living in Romania and a daughter who left (it seems) unannounced and moved to Canada. This is the man: old, alone and ill. A terrible fate.

Puiu's movie, inspired from true events (some years ago, a man has been transported from one hospital to the other with a most tragic consequence) follows its protagonist through the final stages of his life: feeling ill, Lazarescu calls for an ambulance and awaits its (delayed) arrival drinking and giving telephones. As the hands of the clock turn and the ambulance is nowhere to be heard or seen, the old man goes next door, trying to get some help from the neighbors: a stereotype of their kind. Once the ambulance finally arrives, Lazarescu embarks on a most dreadful road trip, from hospital to hospital, in an elaborate attempt to diagnose and operate him. The story begins.

It would be unfair not to acknowledge the film's authenticity from the beginning. Truly segmented - as the director himself affirmed, regarding "Lazarescu" as the first in six stories about the Romanian capital - in several (short) "stories of Bucharest", we meet most intriguing characters and situations, each of them highly rewarding on different levels. Good doctors, bad doctors, grumpy doctors, snobbish doctors, pitiful doctors - all the guys and girls our great medical system can offer. Still, some continue to resemble human beings, which - to a certain degree - is quite an achievement.

The bad light Puiu sheds on them may be diminished by the fact that the night Lazarescu chose to fall ill was most unfortunate: a terrible car accident filled most of the hospitals so that it was extremely difficult to find a place for an old, drunk man who was automatically labeled as a drinker and treated as such. Few characters in the film show authentic sympathy for Lazarescu, as most of them just want to get on with the job and do themselves a greater good. There is no such concept of readiness to help a fellow man struggling between life and death: commodity reigns. Unlike Lazarus, our main character will most probably not rise from the dead. And the people who still stand and didn't give their everything are up to their throats in guilt.

But this is the terrible, depressing half of the story. A most regretful reality. Cristi Puiu's and Razvan Radulescu's (a bit overlong) script is at times filled with moments of sheer irony, sarcasm and cynicism, all worth their laughs. Some of these moments are brilliant. Lazarescu is witty and gutsy, as long as he can talk. He is a man who - despite what others think - wants to stand up for himself and would rather not let anyone treat him like scum. Sadly, though, all is part of a gigantic vicious circle: doctors remain people and patients are not at all different. Flawed. Yet, there is a question of humanity and dignity involved. A choice between what is right and what is easy, as the saying goes.