Surrealism in Films

French film Amélie and American film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind both demonstrate how an unlikely blend of multiple genres can meld together into one seamless film. While these two films are not completely similar in genre, they both put their twists on the conventional melodramatic romantic comedies of Hollywood. The fantastical world of the cheerful Amélie Poulain starkly contrasts with the dark and often cynical feel of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; yet, both of these films successfully incorporate a surrealist motif in two completely different ways. The remainder of this essay will focus on how this is accomplished.

Merriam-Webster dictionary defines surrealism as “the principles, ideals, or practice of producing fantastic or incongruous imagery or effects in art, literature, film, or theater by means of unnatural or irrational juxtapositions and combinations.” From the start, Amélie undoubtedly falls into this category of surrealism. This is due almost entirely to the unique filming techniques and editing employed in this film. The starting credits alone portray uncharacteristic surreal qualities of not seen in the average romantic comedy. Gold and red tones highlight the young girl Amélie as she performs odd yet ordinary actions such as eating raspberries off her fingers and peeling glue off her finger. However, these normal actions look almost unnatural and have that surreal quality as a result of the unusual cinematography. The camera goes in and out of focus occasionally, blurring the actions and at times the actions are sped up. The scenes are extremely saturated with an emphasis on the red tones and the low key lighting contributes greatly to the unreal feel of the scenery. By the end of the credits, director Jean-Pierre Jeunet had already successfully created an extraordinary, surreal world for the viewer out of everyday objects through his unique cinematography.

Unlike Amélie, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind does not employ any elaborate filming techniques to create the surrealistic feel of the film. Instead, the viewer is eased into the film’s surreal world. In the first scene we are introduced to Joel, a shy, self-conscious man who can find no meaning in life and Clementine who has a personality as vibrant and unusual as her blue hair. Throughout the course of the movie we gain a deeper understanding of their relationship through various flashbacks. One of the most surreal aspects of this film is the storyline. Amélie dealt with everyday happenings. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind on the other hand involves the idea that certain memories can be erased through a procedure. As Joel is undergoing this procedure, he experiences flashbacks. But, instead of these memories simply replaying in his mind, his past self is cognizant of the people performing the memory erasing. He hears their voices echoing in the background and at times his memories start to combine into one. This void of any feeling of time or space contributes greatly to the surreal motif. In one scene, he is remembering one of his lunches with Clementine but suddenly begins to hear the voices of the present. His past self questions these voices and he wanders into another memory. He walks up to a man and to determine his identity, he turns that man to face him. But because he has no recollection of the man, he is faceless. This scene is one of the first predominately surreal scenes in the film.

Despite their differences in cinematography that contribute to the surrealism, both of these films have certain common aspects contributing to the surreal motifs. One of these similarities is the symbolism throughout the films. The symbols are not understated, but rather blatantly displayed. In Amélie, when her Nino (the man she’s in love with) leaves the café, she literally melts into a puddle of tears. Scenes showing her love-struck visually show a heart throbbing on her chest. Later, when Amélie comes to the aid of a blind man, he ‘sees the light’. In Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, there is a scene showing Joel and Clementine laying face up on ice symbolizing how they would both “like to freeze the moment” (Elvis 1). A birds-eye view of the scene shows an enormous crack spread through the surface symbolizing how Clem is breaking through the tough exterior Joel creates.

Another similarity in the two films is the nonlinear storyline. As explained earlier, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind goes through series of flashbacks that often cross each other. Ebert describes the film as “[moving] freely, dizzyingly, forward and backward in time… During the course of the film… they will each experience fragmentary versions of relationships they had, might have had, or might be having.” (Egbert 1) Amélie also follows a nonlinear storyline because of the many side stories that are revisited throughout the film. The nonlinear storylines help to create a sense of unknowing what will come next.

The last similarity between the two films is the characterization of Amélie and Clementine. Both of these female characters contribute greatly to the surrealistic feel because of their odd personalities. Elvis describes Clementine as having a “neurotic assertiveness that makes someone like Clem seem less attractive every time she opens her mouth, yet she also projects the charm of someone who needs to be heard.” (Elvis 1) Amélie is equally as charming and odd as Clementine. And it is because of these odd personalities that the surreal world the viewer encounters throughout the movies seems less unreal. The characterization blends perfectly in each of these movies and contributes to the surreal feel on a whole.

Amélie and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind both demonstrate a wide range of techniques used in filming to create the feel of a surrealistic world. Amelie’s director Jean-Pierre Jeunet played more with unusual cinematography techniques such as saturated colors, odd frames, varied lighting and diverse camera movements. On the other hand, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind twisted the content of the movie to create the same surreal effect Amélie had on the viewer. However, both made use of a nonlinear storyline and bizarre characters to solidify the surreal motifs in the movies. Regardless of the methods used, both of these movies succeed at creating an extraordinary world for the viewer that seems completely natural.

Globalized Dualism and its Effect on Mankind

Globalized Dualism and its Effect on Mankind
Stories are built upon the basis of conflict and resolution; when something is not right, it must be fixed. Thus the basis for modern storytelling and film is born. A story has no motion without conflict, which gives it the dynamics to make it pull at the emotions of its audience. Like the push and pull of the tides, a story progresses through the crests and troughs of the plot line until finally it climaxes, which is then generally followed by some sort of falling action. This entire act is made more drastic and given greater emphasis when considered with the idea of binary oppositions, or dualism. Seeing things in pairs of opposites can give the illusion of greater conflict with stark contrasts, leading to moments of dissonance within the plot line followed amelioration. The films No Man’s Land and Turtles Can Fly show these ideologies of binary oppositions within their own context, using similar themes to portray different storylines.
From the onset of the film No Man’s Land, the contrasts are thrust upon the viewer. In the middle of war, the two sides are watching over the small area that separates them, adding a physical element and explicit meaning to the underlying ideological divide. The two sides each think that they themselves are in the right and the other is completely and totally wrong, as is usually the case in almost any war. A viewer can take much more from this film than just those ideas drawn from the placing of the two sides. When the soldiers find themselves together in the trench, they at one point erupt into argument over which side started the war. This argument resurfaces multiple times, and each time the victor is the party who happens to be holding a gun at that moment.
Amy Corbin makes a very insightful point in her article saying, “When Ciki finds a gun and shoots Nino, Nino falls to the ground, filmed from a high-angle shot suggestive of Ciki’s point of view. (Tanovic often films from various subjective angles to underscore his point that wars always have multiple points of view, especially one with so many nations involved)” (Corbin 47). This is opposing to the general context of dualism, due to the fact that it bridges the gap between the two, showing that they are not so different from each other after all. With this the conflict shifts from primarily being between Nino and Ciki, the two soldiers from opposing sides, to being between them and everything that is outside of the trench. Their teamwork temporarily blurs the lines that divided them due to the innate need for survival. Bringing them closer together and thus bringing out one of the implicit meanings of the film in the universality of human-kind. This bond is formed over the course of the film, but it takes very little for it to digress back into the bitter animosity it once was. Thus, showing a feeling of reversion back to chaos, which through the eyes of the main U.N. soldier, shows a global attitude of hopelessness, both through his eyes and through those of the feuding sides.

Dualism plays a more subtle role in Turtles Can Fly, where the young and impoverished child followers of Satellite are seen as the opposite of the Americans who live in luxury with everything they could ever want. Satellite’s followers have almost a Marxist way about them. Since there really is no upper class other than Satellite himself, arguably, they take to a more communist approach to society, doing the tasks they are asked for the greater good of the group. Satellite takes the role of the bargaining capitalist, trying to get what he can for and/or from everyone. His counter-image, Henkov, an aloof boy with no arms who can predict the future creates an interesting conflict with Satellite in this film.

Set in the war-torn slums of Iran, the setting is one that shows of a history of war and hardship, with the children showing the brunt of the pain through their crippled and emaciated states. Yet, the viewer is not shown any fighting to speak of. Save a few instances, there is no actual hardship shown in relation to the war, with the exception of the obvious poverty of the area. Instead, the primary conflict lies within Satellite’s journey of taking care of the local children, his pursuit of Agrin, and his rivalry with Henkov. These ideas create a much more universal approach to the film, seeming to make the children in their horrific state seem normal, and share similar problems to children in other areas at times. This works in contrast with the ideas of dualism and how things must work in opposites. Yet the film does show instances of the divide between U.S. culture and Iranian culture through the human interactions, or lack thereof, between the two. The American troops are portrayed to be cold and distant, even though they bring humanitarian relief to the village. This shows a global perspective to the film, but a lack of globalization due to the perspective.
Returning to No Man’s Land, we see a similarity between the two films in perspectives on globalization. Within each film lies the awkward situation in which the outsider, the U.N. in the case of No Man’s Land and the U.S. in the case of Turtles Can Fly, comes in to better the situation, when in reality they paint a sour image of self-interest taking priority to helping those really in need. The scene of No Man’s Land where the soldier is left laying on the mine to die shows a dualism between reality and what we are shown. The reporters believe, or at least are told to make their viewers believe, that the soldier has been rescued, when in reality his life is determined less valuable than a slight smudge on the reputation of the U.N. This makes it seem as if globalization could be seen as a negative idea, and that the two sides should be left to settle their disputes on their own.
At the same time, it tugs on the emotions of the viewer, making them want the U.N. to do more even though in reality the soldier’s fate was sealed from early on in the film. It portrays this idea though its use of viewpoints. There is not one national point of view in this film (Corbin 46). The viewer has an omniscient viewpoint, knowing everything that is happening. This contributes to a global viewpoint by not weighting the film down with one cultural identity.
Personalities can be easily seen as opposites in Turtles Can Fly; Satellite always keep a positive attitude about himself, while Agrin battles deep seeded depression due to her past. This is seen throughout the film with her quiet and dark attitude, her lack of caring for her younger “brother,” who in reality turns out to be her son. Her struggle of how to deal with her son shows a position away from globalized ideals of a mother’s love. She does not want the child and tries several times to pawn off her responsibilities with him (Lane 93). As already mentioned, Satellite’s businessman mentality and extroversion give the viewer an impression of him as the leader who takes very little time to think introspectively. He works on how he feels at the moment rather than brooding over situations like Agrin does.
Binary oppositions present themselves throughout both films and are an essential tool in developing the conflict in both stories. Where there is not uniformity, there is the potential for conflict and thus tension is created. Where there is tension there is the potential for the conflict on which stories are developed, and films such as these provide an excellent medium for this. Each film uses dualism to portray its conflicts. Even though they may be different in content with regards to how these oppositions shape the story, the underlying ideas behind them are similar.

Globalization: Delivering a Labyrinth of Ideologies

New ways of thought have historically swept across continents, sparking revolutions and changes in lifestyle. Social movements can have impacts reaching past the borders of just one country. The widespread nature of some ideas is due to the impact of globalization, while in other places it is due to independent developments within a region. As a part of their impact on culture and society, such ideas also have an indelible impact on films. While each has a distinct style and is impacted by different local influences and histories, Italy’s Il Postino and Spain’s Pan’s Labyrinth each show signs of similar ideologies and universal themes that are the product of both globalization and independent local development of ideas.

Pan’s Labyrinth, set in Spain in 1944 during post-civil war unrest, is the tale of Ofelia, a girl who is confronted by fantastic creatures that send her on a quest to prove herself to be the exiled princess of their underworld realm. Her fairytale adventures, though often perilous, are starkly contrasted by the real-world conflicts, as her misogynistic stepfather, a violent and self-righteous general Vidal, is battling against the Spanish guerrilla resistance in the mountains.

Il Postino, on the other hand, is set in Italy in the 1950’s and follows Mario Ruoppolo, a man whose sole job is to deliver mail to the venerable Pablo Neruda, an exiled Chilean poet. While Mario is initially interested in following Neruda’s footsteps to use poetry to win over his love, he is also influenced by Neruda’s Marxist leanings. After Neruda returns to his home in Chile, Mario is invited to read one of his own poems dedicated to Neruda at a communist rally. As Neruda learns upon returning to the Italian island for a visit, Mario is killed in a subsequent riot days before his first son is born.

While each film has circumstances that are unique to its respective setting, both films are clearly influenced by global ideologies. Marxism, which is largely influenced by the idea of a classless society for the benefit of the community, is a key ideology in Il Postino. Modern communism began developing in the late nineteenth century and spread like wildfire throughout the world. The concept of it reaching an isolated Italian island is clearly a sign of globalization, which is the passing of ideas and goods across the world with increasing speed and efficiency, within the scope of the film. Fascism is another ideology that became widespread in many countries throughout the twentieth century. The regime that was in control of Spain following the Spanish Civil War was largely fascist. Ofelia’s stepfather, Captain Vidal, is a general of this regime. The spread of fascist principles, which involve strictly-enforced nationalism and self-righteous pride in one’s country, marked the history of many countries following World War I. Although each specific instance of fascism focuses the attention on a national level, fascism has been seen in a plethora of countries; its incorporation into Pan’s Labyrinth is a sure sign of globalization.

In addition to Marxism, feminism is a movement that is sweeping the globe. More feminist-conscious films portray women not as weak and submissive objects of desire, but as people with their own strengths, weaknesses, and trials. In Il Postino, women are, at first glance, treated only in the context of their appeal to men. Mario himself is only preoccupied with learning the art of poetry in order to woo Beatrice, a beautiful woman in the village. The way women are shown to flock almost mindlessly toward Pablo Neruda, on the premise that they are solely interested in his love poetry and not at all in his more intellectual ideas, also adds to this unfair portrayal of women. On a deeper level, however, Il Postino is on par with other feminist films of the present day. The film’s two most prominent female characters, Beatrice and her aunt, are clearly independent women. As seen in the image, the aunt successfully runs her own café without the help of any man. When Beatrice first meets Mario and beats him in foosball, she conquers the stereotype of a submissive female. While the idea of women being subordinate to men may be a dominant cultural thought, the real women of the film are smart and self-sufficient.

In Pan’s Labyrinth, the women are also stuck in a society that places them in subordinate roles. Ofelia’s mother, Carmen, “has become nothing but a show piece and vessel for Vidal's unborn baby” (Zipes 2). This is particularly manifested when she is made to sit in a wheelchair while she is pregnant, a symbolic gesture showing that the society places women in subordinate conditions. Mercedes, another prominent female character, is stuck in the role of a servant to the general. Finally, Ofelia herself, the main character, is expected to simply sit quietly and look nice. While their society may treat them as inferiors, the film brings out the strength in each of the women, focusing on their courage. The film focuses on the mother’s conscious decision to marry the general, which she does purely because she thinks he will provide for the survival of her family. While she may have less power in the social constructs of the time, she shows her courage and strength through her plight as she chooses to make sacrifices for her family to be safe and well. Mercedes also breaks her stereotypical submissive servant role; “Mercedes, dismissed as ‘just a woman,’ is in league with the guerrillas and will conspire against her tyrannical master under his very nose” (Smith 3). Her courageous actions show that she is not a mere object of the general’s possession; she is her own person and has the power to undermine his authority. Ofelia also goes against societal constructs concerning the expectation that she be seen and not heard. One particular scene, which can be seen in the shot, in which she does this is when she dirties her beautiful new dress while on one of her many quests. The film also gives her power in that she is a princess, which is traditionally a position of power. The portrayal of women in both Il Postino and Pan’s Labyrinth as independent, strong characters marks these films as influenced by feminist ideology, which could be considered either a product of globalization, as the feminist movement has been a global trend, or locally-developed feminism.

Another ideological trend that pervades each film is that of Christianity. First of all, the main character of each film can be viewed as a Christ figure. In Il Postino, Mario takes on communist ideals that are portrayed to be to the benefit of the entire community, and, like Christ, Mario is sacrificed for trying to bring good to the people. Ofelia, on the other hand, refuses to complete her final task, which would entail handing her newborn brother over so his blood could be used to open the portal to the underworld; she proves she is truly the underworld princess, is subsequently shot by her stepfather, and joins her true family in the underworld. She shows such a strong belief in protecting her sinless infant brother that she is similarly martyred to save him and born again, as Christ was. Both characters die for their cause in an attempt to benefit others, marking them as Christ figures. Christianity is also present in Il Postino as the film follows a celebration honoring Mary, which involves setting a likeness of Mary, surrounded by candles, out to sea in a raft. Another biblical reference in Pan’s Labyrinth can be found when Ofelia succumbs to the temptation to eat a grape in the dungeon of the Pale Man. Ofelia has been warned by the faun that the feast in the dungeon is forbidden fruit and eats it anyway, bringing death and destruction in the wake of her action. The image to the left shows Ofelia as she is about to eat the grape, ignoring the fairies warning her not to.This scene is reminiscent of Adam and Eve eating of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, which results in a loss of innocence. In Pan’s Labyrinth, the faun turns away from Ofelia and tells her that she is no longer welcome in the underworld because of her mistake. In a similar way, God expels Adam and Eve from paradise for their actions. In another scene, Ofelia is being pursued through the labyrinth by her violent stepfather. When she appears to be cornered, the walls of the labyrinth simply open up to make a pathway for Ofelia, leaving the general behind. This scene is reminiscent of the story of the parting of the Red Sea in the Bible, as both the Jewish people and Ofelia are running for their lives and a path appears for them out of nowhere, apparently as a result of some divine power. Because Christianity is a widespread ideology and both films have strong Christian influences, the films show evidence of globalization simply by having Christian themes.

Different ideas often spread quickly throughout the globe, as evidenced by the spread of Christianity, Marxism, and feminism. Some ideas, however, seem to be ingrained in the human psyche. The ideas come in the form of universal themes, timeless messages about life and humanity that can be found throughout literature, the arts, and, in present times, movies. Both films, for example, make use of the tendency of humans to associate the great heights of mountains with enlightenment and clarity of thought. In Il Postino, for example, Pablo Neruda’s house (seen in the image) is located on a mountain; “Mario must bicycle to see Neruda at the remote hilltop outpost,” working hard in order to earn Neruda’s enlightening thoughts on poetry and the meaning of life (Maslin 1).In Pan’s Labyrinth, the rebels, portrayed as valiant heroes, are in hiding on top of the mountains, shown in the image, while the general’s forces are relatively low geographically; the rebels’ values are set to a high standard, while the general is portrayed as unenlightened and relatively savage. The idea that the mountains are a place of enlightenment is common throughout many cultures and is evidence of common themes in both films.

The two films are marked by very different features. One has a fast-paced plot, the other a slow-paced plot. One is full of fairy tale creatures, the other is highly realistic. One has shorter takes with a lot of panning of the camera, while the other has longer takes. However, both films show the presence of widespread ideologies, displaying the universalism of human ideas and the globalization that has influenced them both.

Once Were Warriors

Made in 1994, Once Were Warriors is a film that takes place in New Zealand and focuses in on the life of poverty and loss of traditional culture of the native Maori people. Beth Heke, the wife of an angry alcoholic and mother of five children, deals with hardships as her husband abuses her, one of her sons is sent to a correctional school, and one of her daughters writes fairy tales as a means of escape from the moral degradation all around her. Throughout the film, the children gain a better appreciation for their Maori heritage, learning self-discipline and what it means to look out for one another.

Conflicts between local and global ideas play a particularly important role in this film; the characters and the culture around them are caught in a battle between local traditional culture and more global culture. Global culture is portrayed negatively in this film, as more global-influenced rock music and westernized bars are associated with the macho, alcoholic culture that the father is immersed in and that brings down the family. Scenes of poverty and the use of graffiti also add to the negative portrayal of a more urban, globalized culture.

Maori culture, on the other hand, is portrayed positively. When Boogie is taken away from his family to go to a correctional school, where he is taught Maori traditions and dance, traditional culture is shown as being a good influence and having power to conquer poor behavior. The teacher at the school instills in Boogie pride for his heritage. Additionally, the mother’s tale of how she and her husband were married adds to this positive portrayal of Maori culture. The two of them used to live with their tribe, but the elders did not approve of their marriage, so they decided to leave. The fact that abandoning their culture has led them to the squalor that they presently deal with implies that Maori culture is superior.

Mise-en-scene plays a particular role in this dichotomy of a global and local culture clash through setting. The more urbanized, and therefore more globalized setting in the city is related to the global culture. This setting is full of graffiti, dark alleys, and filth. This gives a negative connotation to a life that is more globally influenced. When the family takes a road trip to a country-side setting, they visit the land where the Maori tribe lives and where the parents grew up. This setting, which represents the local culture, is a beautiful land of green grass, gentle hills, and pristine lakes, all bathed in golden sunlight. This setting represents the purity and bright joy to be had in returning to Maori life and starkly contrasts the darkness to be found in the city away from the Maori lifestyle.

Once Were Warriors shows both global and local influences and even goes as far to present a battle between the two. The film glorifies Maori traditions, while it treats a more globalized way of life disapprovingly for its role in marginalizing local culture.

No Man's Land

No Man’s Land is a foreign drama about the encounter of two soldiers fighting for opposing sides during the Bosnian War. The two men meet in an abandoned trench and while fighting all along, must find a way to convince the UNPROFOR to lead them out of “no man’s land”. There is also a man who is lying on a mine and therefore cannot move. This man spurs the actions of the other two on several occasions.

Over all, this film is a modern look into the personal ideas and thoughts of the individuals who were fighting in the Bosnian War. While trapped between the front lines by their own comrades, the two soldiers share their ideas on why the opposing side is at fault in the war and why it continues to be fought. The fact that they both agree that the war is needless and should stop immediately has no affect on the deep grudge each has for the other. For quite awhile, the two soldiers trust each other enough to shoulder their weapons and work together in a dangerous call for help. Equal concern is shared for the immobilized man though he is clearly a friend of the Bosnian and would rather see the other man dead. The trusting relationship between the trapped soldiers does not last long though and a constant power struggle takes place in which each soldier takes control only for as long as he remains vigilant and watchful. The situation between these two soldiers is analogous to the very war that has led them into it. The ongoing tension as each nation carefully monitors the border binds the warring nations into a perpetual battle at the lines.

While the soldiers wait, the UNPROFOR has internal problems of its own creating a situation in which they claim they can do nothing, but must act when the media intervenes. The colonel responsible for the necessary actions to save the stranded soldiers cares much more about creating a possible conflict within no man’s land than saving the lives of three helpless men. In the end, the two soldiers are retrieved from the trench only to kill one another within minutes. Their story, rather than uniting the opposing sides, can only stimulate more anger and increased tension. The man trapped by the mine cannot be saved, exemplifying the interminability of the terrible conflict surrounding the story.

This film takes a clear view on the senselessness of the Bosnian war. It takes careful aim at the troubled internal workings of the UNPROFOR. The media are shown to be a vital aid in bringing people to realize that the war is needless, and inciting outsiders to intervene. There is a clear global message about the nature of war and fighting: It is an unnecessary, vicious cycle with an outcome that is never enjoyed by either side.

Turtles Can Fly

Turtles Can Fly tells the sad story of Kurdish refugees through the fall of Saddam Hussein and leading up to the American invasion of Iraq. Despite its focus on such a tense political issue, the film makes no attempt to form any solid opinion of either supporting or opposing the war. Instead we are drawn into the precarious lives of children refugees led by a boy they call Satellite as they face the hardships and daily struggles of life.

The cinematography perfectly captures the bleak and dying landscape of a small village located along the Iraqi-Turkish border. This atmosphere, which is maintained throughout the entirety of the film, serves to highlight the similarly tragic lives of the refugees. Left with no place to call their homeland, the Kurdish people lived repressed and hard lives under the regime of Saddam. Yet with the fall of Saddam, they are neither content nor discontented. They seem dispirited - as if nothing could change the hardships they've faced. News of the American invasion does not bring them hope. Even the children have learned that daily they must struggle to survive.

We see all these terrors faced by the refugees through the lives of children. This ironic spin in casting makes this movies unique and flawlessly portrays the struggles of these people. Seeing all of this suffereing through the once innocent eyes of the chilrdren makes the situation even harder to face and at the same time more tangible and real. In the end, we see American soldiers running past Sattelite and his friend, not sparing a glance. But that has been the story of the Kurds: always disregarded and without any land to call their own.

The Death of Mr. Lazarescu: Somber Sadness

Romania has been known for dark and somber themes in its cinema, and The Death of Mr. Lazarescu is no different. The film centers around the sickly, old Mr. Lazarescu and his trip through the Romanian medical system. This film concentrates more on those around him rather than his own story though. He acts more as a centerpiece, linking different ideas together. By doing this, one is able to see the disorganization of the medical system in Romania, thus showing the economic climate of the region.

The film has some very intriguing elements that do seem to bring out many ideas. First, early on in the film there is a scene where he is waiting in the hall of his building for one of his neighbors to bring him some medicine. The light in this hallway is controlled by a timer, and his neighbor has to turn it back on every minute or so. This happens several times creating an annoyance for the viewer. This use of misc-en-scene gives him or her a small taste of what living in that situation would be like. 

In a parallel to the story that is being told by the movie there has been a fatal bus crash in nearby. Throughout the entire film this is referenced through the doctors and through newscasts on television. This paints a picture of the harsh, depressing reality that is Romania.

The hospitals he visits are each different, with the attitudes of the doctors being the focus of the scenes. Mr. Lazarescu, as a patient is refused treatment early on because he simply has alcohol on his breath. This provincial mindset is definitely intended to be the focal point of the scene. The film is trying to convey the problems with Romanian society and how it fails to keep pace with global attitudes. On the other hand, by making this statement, the film itself does just the opposite and does gain a more global perspective.

-Matt Brundage