The Early Years
Four years before the 19th century ended Cinema first appeared in Romania. This new film medium was introduced by The Lumiere Brothers when they came to Bucharest with their famous silent movie entitled L'Arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat.The medium was first utilized for political purposes during the filming of a parade for King Carol I. As the century progressed the industry created fiction, and animation. But because of a lack of skill, the industry never became fully successful on an international scale. With the onset of World War II film production moved from fictional movies and animation to news reels and other forms of propaganda. Below features the in chronological order the major events, and film that the Early Years of Romanian Film Industry. An era that had the funds, and freedom to create the medium but lacked the skill.
The Paradox: Funding , Freedom of Content, but Lack of SkillFreedom of ContentDuring the early years of cinema in Romania, citizens had civil liberties granted by the politics of the time. These civil liberties granted citizens the rights to produce any form of entertainment with out governmental consequences.
The time that cinema was first introduced to Romania there was a period of stability and progress that began in 1878 and lasted until 1914, at the start of WWII. This was instigated by the constitution that was erected in 1866. The document was fundamental law that united the Danubian Principalities. It created a constitutional monarchy as the form of government for Romania. Citizens rights and freedoms were the most modern of the time and included the rights of press, religion, individual liberty, and assembly. This was granted to citizens regardless of class, individual liberty and inviolability of the home. For the entertainment industry this meant that any medium could be produced. The problem was that even though the constitution granted most citizens access to civil liberties with the exception of the Jewish community, the new age of cinema was a new medium that the entire country was a novice in. As the years progressed it can be seen how Romania became acquainted with the new medium.
Lack of Skill
As the Romanian industry became acquainted with the medium it made significant accomplishments for the time until the onset of WWI. During peacetime after the first world war the country continued to make accomplishments in film however it was all relative to the success of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Which in comparison Romania lacked greatly in skill. Romania was five years behind the United States in creating its fist talkies. The United States simply had created an industry in film that was difficult to compete with. There were multiple studios that existed, and monopolies from Warner Brothers to the Fox Film Cooperation that enabled directors, actors, and film producers to gain experience in the industry.
However even though the Romanian Film industry was delayed it did make significant contributions and advancements to the world of film. Since the Romanian film industry lacked skill ,it had the advantage of filmmakers being able to film whatever was available. In the beginning of the film medium there was no special effects let alone CGI. In countries like Romania that jumped into the film industry a little late, they did not have the ten year advantage of having directors, actors and film makers with experience.. The time needed to create and learn from the medium was delayed. That is why Romanian's film industry filmed what they saw.
This can be seen by the first film that was created in Romania at the Coordination of King Carol I. The next significant film that was created in Romania was also filmed simply as a creation of what the film maker saw. The film maker was Gheorge Marinescu, a doctor who filmed patients who were afflicted with organic hemigplegia. This simple film was the world's first scientific film to ever created. The lack of skill was a benefit, because they filmed what they saw. The first silent film, and talkie that was created in Romania had no significant contribution to the world film industry. Besides the fact that it was the first movies created in this region. The lack of skill that the Romanian Film Industry had in the Early Years contributes to the paradoxical aspects of the industry. It was a time that citizens were able to create entertainment because they had the civil liberties. It also was a time where funding was limited though available for the industry. FundingThe time that the film medium was brought to Romania was the height of Romanian Culture and was known as the Golden Age. This Golden age brought a rise of painters, philosophers and literature to Romania. It was a time when these creative persons recognized the value in the Romanian Film Industry. The author Liviu Rebreanu who was an author, and famous playwright of the time, said of the film medium
"In the great haste toward the realization of the art, of a true cinematographic art, Romanian efforts cannot be futile. As much as our material and technical means have not permitted us to participate in the peoples' race toward the new art, I think the moment must come when we bring a Romanian contribution as well...Romanian talent would have a large possibility to manifest itself."
- Liviu Rebreanu This quote is of importance because in the Golden Age of Culture in Romania citizens and artists understood the importance of privately supporting the medium. There was problems with funding at times, but this was solved with ingenuity. Unlike America which had monopolized the film industry with Warner Brothers and Fox Entertainment Enterprises, it was difficult in Romania to find funding from one monopoly because none existed.
A solution that Romanian Film Makers found to this corundum was the formation of a cooperative. Enthusiasts would form a cooperative, having individuals contribute, the talent, script, and equipment. They would then find creditors to lend them the money under the condition that when the film was successful the money would be returned. This method of financing continued in Romania until the National Cinema Fund was created. As a form of taxation on movies. The Paradox of the Early YearsIn conclusion the Early Years in Romania had the freedom of content that was provided by the Constitution during the reign of King Carol I. It had funding through cooperatives that were created by enthusiasts of the time. But the Early Years lacked the skills to expand on the industry. The industry was at least five years behind Hollywood, and did not have the resources that the monopolies of Hollywood provided. Even so in the Early Years of the Romanian Film Industry Filmmakers filmed what they saw. And what they saw was important and contributed historical and scientific value to the film world.
|
Film was first introduced in Romania with the L'Arrivée d'un train en gare de La Ciotat.Cinema first appeared in Romania on May 27th, 1896 in the city of Bucharest.
The first projections of the movie were organized at the headquarter of the French paper L'independence Roumaine headquarters.
May 10th Parade King Carol's DayThe first film set in Romania was made on May 10th, 1897, more than one-hundred years ago. It was filmed by the French Cameraman Paul Menu, who was employed by the Lumiere Brothers. The film was titled The Royal parade on 10 May 1897, and featured King Carol I taking his place to lead the parade.
The First Scientific Film in the WorldIn 1897 the interest in cinema in Romania died down and Paul Menu offered his camera for sale. Gheorge Marinescu with his camera man Constantin M. Popscue contributed to the first scientific film in the world. It was titled Walking Difficulties in Organic Hemigplegia.
1900's-The First Romanian Fiction Film Amor FatalThis film was Romania's first fiction film. Was played in the Apollo Cinema in Romania in September of 1911. The film is argued by some critiques to have jump-started "The Golden Age" of Cinema in Romania. This film was directed by Gregory Brezeanu, the son of Ion Brezeanu a famous actor who promoted comic realism.
The film itself has been lost. Though through this quote:
"FATAL AMOR" . What the press say?"Some of the best actors of our cinema and played for a movie in which they are listed and. Always successful when on stage - but not so happens their performance when it comes to cinema. Actors do, in their game, different movements in relation to the camera, so they are either too big or too small "... ("L'Independence Roumaine 7/20 octombrie 1911). it is understood that the actors, cameramen, and the director was still adjusting to this medium. Amor Fatal, September 18, 1911 Director: Gregory Brezeanu Screenwriter: Gregory Brezeanu Production House: Pathe, Bucharest Operator: Victor de Bon Cast: Lucia Sturza - Bulandra, Tony Bulandra, Nicholas Neamţu - Otonel, Gregory Brezeanu, Aurel Barbelian Format: Black & White, silent, This film has unfortunately been lost and not be found. First Romanian Talkie CiuleandraThe first Romanian Talkie, or film with sound was based on a novel by Liviu Rebreanu and was directed by Martin Berger, a German Director who had previously directed a silent Romanian film entitled A Mill Was Coming down the Siret. The film also received harsh reviews like that of Amor Fatal, because of the directors unfamiliarity with the medium and lack of understanding the cadence of the Romanian Language. The actors who were Romanian were told to speak slowly with pauses in the middle of their sentence while the German actors were made fun of for their German accent when they spoke Romanian. Ciuleandra August 1930 Director: Martin Berger Cast: Petre Sturdza, Jeana Popovici-Voina Format: Black & White, Talkie National Cinema Fund CreatedIn 1934 the National Cinema Fund was created which taxed each movie goer the amount of 1 lei per ticket and 10 lei per meter of imported film. The purpose of this fund was to establish a bank account of sorts that the Romanian Film industry could start major film production with. In essence the fund was a major success before the dawn of WWII. It created the National Cinematographic Office in Romania and was headed by the film critic D.I. Suchianu. Romanians then began production on films In 1938 the National Cinematographic office in Romania won a prize at the Venice Film Festival for the film Motilor Land. There was limited success in producing films at a mass scale at the time because of the dawn of WWII and the lack of resources to create entertainment in wartime. Newsreels would replace artistic movies for sometime in Romania.
The following information on this webpage was provided by the following sources:
"Cinema of the World." Cinema of the World. N.p., n.d. Web. May 2013. Cook, David A. A History of Narrative Film. New York: Norton, 1981. Print. Gheorghiu-Cernat, Manuela. A Concise History of the Romanian Film. Bucharest: Editura Științifică și Enciclopedică, 1982. Print. Nelson, Barbara. "Hollywood's Struggle for Romania, 1938-1945." Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television 29.3 (2009): 295-319. Print. Roumanie: Le Film Documentaire (1898-1990) : Une Rétrospective Du 22e Festival International Du Film Documentaire, Nyon (Suisse) : Une Documentation Co-produite Avec La Section "Panorama" Du 41e Festival International Du Film De Berlin = Rumänien : Die Dokumentarfilme (1898-1990) : Eine Retrospektive Des 22. Internationalen Dokumentarfilmfestivals, Nyon (Schweiz) ... = Romania : The Documentary Films (1898-1990) : A Retrospective Programme of the 22nd Nyon International Documentary Film Festival (Switzerland) : A Documentation Coporduced with the "Panorama" Section of the 41st Berlin International Film Festival. Nyon [Switzerland: Festival International Du Film Documentaire, 1991. Print. |