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Ultimul cartus (1973)
The second leg of a great Romanian cop movie
Ultimul Cartus (The Last Bullet) is the sequel to Cu Mainile Curate (With Clean Hands), set several months after the events in the first movie (i.e. late 1945).
This second movie marks the transformation of Roman, from the idealist rookie who tries to put bad guys behind bars, to a gritty hard-nosed cop, who finally realizes that sometimes you must find crime with its own dirty weapons. In his dogged pursuit of Semaca, he sometimes loses his cool and clear judgment, but never forgets that he is in it for his former partner.
SUMMARY (contains spoilers) ---------------------------------------
Still reeling after his partner Miclovan was killed by villainous Semaca's men, commissary Roman is appalled to see Semaca acquitted by the Grand Jury. He vows never to rest until his friend is avenged.
Hearing a rumor that some of Semaca's henchmen are hiding in a church disguised as monks, to avoid being called as witnesses, Roman goes undercover as a priest. It turns out that that holy place is a haven for monks whose churches were destroyed in the war. Roman discovers that the prize may be even bigger, as a former Nazi war criminal is also hiding here, waiting to be "sold" by Semaca to the Allies.
Eventually, Roman catches up with Semaca and finds himself in the same room with his partner's murderer. Semaca takes his gun, offers a bribe and, upon Roman's staunch refusal, tries to kill him too, not knowing that Roman has a concealed gun loaded with a single bullet - the bullet that he retrieved from the dying Miclovan's gun. In a very electric scene (Semaca: "- I will do it as you said, commissioner. With clean hands"; Roman: "As you say, Semaca (reaching for his gun). With clean hands..." (takes out his gun, turns and shoots Semaca, with that haunting piano theme in the background))
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Cu mâinile curate (1972)
Best Romanian cop movie
First of all, let me just say that I cannot speak about Cu Mainile Curate (With Clean Hands) without mentioning Ultimul Cartus (The Last Bullet). I can't. They are twin movies. They are practically a 3-hour movie cut in two.
The definitive Romanian cop movie has always divided Romanian film fans into lovers and haters. Sure, the acting is sometimes awful, the clichés are blatant and the script sometimes lingers, but one can't deny the raw feeling you get when watching this movie, and that unforgettable piano theme sticks with you for the rest of your life.
The plot involves two cops ("comissaries") in 1945 Bucharest. Miclovan is a dandy, trigger-happy tough cop who thinks it's better to kill villains rather than bring them to justice. Roman is a Communist-party-member-former-rugby-player idealist newbie (although the same age as Miclovan) who joined the force thinking life on the street is just like playing "cops and robbers". They are forced to work together following a series of bank and jeweler's stores robberies that Miclovan thinks are orchestrated by industrialist Semaca. The two embark on an investigation that will set them against Semaca's henchmen, with tragic consequences.
The chemistry between the two cops is what it's important in this movie. Their different views on justice are obviously on a collision course and it all culminates with a fist fight between the two. They are, however, aware of each other's qualities and decide to be more open minded towards each other, taking on the bad guys as a team (it's kinda like "L.A. Confidential", if you will).
The ending is symbolic, with Miclovan lying dead, shot by Semaca's men, and Roman retrieving the last bullet from his partner's gun and putting it in his pocket. At the time (1972), the audience was baffled by the ending, not knowing that Nicolaescu was already planning the sequel, in which the eponymous last bullet would play a pivotal role.