Codine

Henri Colpi, the same who made the masterpiece "Mona, l'Etoile sans nom", got in his filmography another masterpiece, even bigger: this "Codine". Both films, "Codine" and "Mona, l'Etoile sans nom", are screenings of Romanian writers, Panait Istrati and Mihail Sebastian. Exceptional films, having nothing communist, no bit of propaganda, although made in communist Romania of the 1960s. "Codine" is one of the best films ever made. In the main title role, a non-professional, non-actor, profession teacher, Alexandru Virgil Platon. A very difficult role for any other actor, this man has achieved something absolutely exceptional. We've met and we talked in front of the Italian church on Magheru Boulevard in Bucharest, many years ago, a modest and good-natured man. In the role of the child Adrian Zograffi, Razvan Petrescu is flawless. Françoise Brion in the role of Irène, and Nelly Borgeaud in the role of Zoitza Zograffi, are beautiful and emotional. All the other actors, both French and Romanian, are great. To mention Dorin Dron, an absolutely unique figure in Romanian cinema, an actor who deserves much more consistent roles, based on his talent. Mihai Mereuta, does his best performance, in the role of the one who has a cholera attack and dies. Also Mihai Fotino and Victor Moldovan, in their best roles in a film. This movie marked my childhood, I saw it when I was very young, not even 10 years old, and it obsessed me all my life and I always wanted to see it again. I only remembered a few images and only now I can understand it as only an adult can understand. I reviewed it now at 61 years old and, I repeat, I consider it one of the best films ever made. One last thing, writing this review, I found out that Nelly Borgeaud died in 2004, she was so beautiful and delicate, specially in "The Man Who Loved Women"(1977), directed by François Truffaut, with Charles Denner, a great great film.