‘4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days’ is a film directed by Cristian Mungiu and released in 2007. Set in Romania in 1987, this film depicts one long day of a female college student Gabita and her roommate and friend Otilia (Bitel, Murray & Starkman, 2008, p. 71). Gabita got pregnant by accident. With the help of her friend Otilia, she found a doctor and a humble hotel room to perform the abortion. However, the money raised by girls could not satisfy the doctor, they had to agree to the doctor's unreasonable request to use the body as a price.
‘4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days’ won the 60th Cannes International Film Festival Palme d'Or and other awards, it is undoubtedly an excellent film. Nonetheless, Romania in 1987 is so far away from us that it is difficult for audiences to empathize with Gabita and Otilia and have a deep understanding of the film without knowing the historical context. Next, I will introduce the relevant historical information involved in the film and show how they are fitted into the film.
Ceausescu Regime’s Body Politics
Cardullo (2013, p. 93) believes that the film has strong political intentions for Romania. Batori (2016, p. 128) stated that under the policy guidance of Nicolae Ceausescu, the leader of Romania at the time, the female body was regarded as a docile and disciplined entity. According to Foucault (1976, as cited in Batori, 2016, p. 129), sex is an important political issue. Thus, the control of the female body and the adoption of sexual behavior reflect power relations (Batori, 2016, p. 127).
National mandatory policy on birth
Ceausescu considered that the fetus is "the socialist property of the whole society" (Harsanyi, 1992, as cited in Batori, 2016, p. 127). Therefore, in addition to banning contraception and abortion, the Ceausescu government also required women to undergo regular medical examinations to confirm that their fertility was satisfactory (Batori, 2016, p. 127). Moreover, relevant laws were revised. If a doctor is found to perform an abortion, the gynecologist will face up to twelve years in prison, and accordingly, the woman who aborted herself will also be punished (Batori, 2016, p. 130). In other words, in such a political environment, women lose control of their bodies, and this power is forced to hand over to the government that represents patriarchal hegemony.
For one thing, the most basic context of the film is that contraception and abortion are not allowed. Therefore, the film hints that in addition to Gabita, many of her classmates have also experienced unexpected pregnancy and abortion operations. This shows that the policy of banning contraception and abortion has caused great harm to people, especially women. For another, at the beginning of the film, one classmate told Otilia that the teacher found her excuse for taking time off was bad because she had her menstruation two weeks ago. At first glance, it may seem like the teacher is excessively dutiful, but in the context of history, it is the embodiment of the state authority's emphasis on female fertility. In addition, at the family dinner of Otilia's boyfriend Adi, friends of Adi's father mentioned that for students, getting married can add extra credits. It is justified in the context of the population decline at the time.
This kind of action that takes women as reproductive tools and objectifies women further reduces women's social status and makes their lives miserable and humiliating.
Motherhood
Batori (2016, p. 130) emphasizes that for women, the only identity that fits the socialist theme under the Ceausescu regime is motherhood. This proposition eliminates women's individuality and personal will, but most females in the film are forced to accept this identity.
This setting is strengthened at Adi’s family dinner. A woman mocked herself for being introduced as a doctor's wife when she was a pharmacist. If there is a hint of resistance in this episode, then the small talk reflected unconscious obedience. At the dinner, men were talked about the difficulties they encountered when they were young, while women talked about how to cook and the eating habits of their husbands and sons. The contrast is intensified by the intersecting of the two types of talk.
Patriarchy
Patriarchy refers to a system of rights in which men are given power over women (Dalla, 2019). Fischer (1998, as cited in Batori, 2016, p. 130) stated that the socialist leadership at the time considered women’s premarital sex to be evil and to be punished, while it was forgivable and worth brag about if men did the same. Such inequality between men and women is the result of patriarchy. In the film, the role of Gabita's boyfriend is missing, but this did not surprise anyone at all. The absence of the role of the boyfriend in abortion is a consequence of society's different perceptions of premarital sexual behaviors of different genders. Additionally, the doctor would be furious by the fear that the abortion would be exposed, but he was not worried about girls accusing him of rape. Because having sex with girls as he wishes was the male privilege given by society.
If the owner of power is expanded from the physical to the conscious level, the hotel receptionist also represents the patriarchal authority. Although the receptionist of the hotel is female, when she represents the authority, she is given the power. When Otilia begged for a room, the receptionist showed contempt and humiliation to Otilia by not looking up while talking. This more specifically shows Otilia's loss of dignity in the face of authority.
Useless Resistance
Batori (2016, p. 130) proposed that under the patriarchal system, Romanian women could resist by liberating their bodies. However, it has to be admitted that it is difficult for females to resist the power of the regime (Cahill, 2000, as cited in Batori, 2016, p. 131).
In the film, abortion is the resistance of Gabita and Otilia and they want to regain complete control of their bodies through the operation. However, the price of resistance is a further loss of control over their bodies. This sense of powerlessness was the portrayal of Romania. Moreover, Batori (2016, p. 135) believes that Otilia's throwing the fetus into the trash bin is symbolically sends the child back to the country's womb through the fallopian tube, thus ending the motherhood. However, both Gabita and Otilia were and will continue to be affected by the fetus.
This sense of unbreakable bondage and inability to resist makes girls just like the fish in the tank and they are nowhere to escape.
Reference
Bitel, A., Murray, J., & Starkman, R. (2008). Film Reviews. Film International (16516826), 6(2), 71–75. https://doi-org.ez.xjtlu.edu.cn/10.1386/fiin.6.2.71
Batori, A. (2016). Power and acts of resistance in Cristian Mungiu’s 4 months, 3 weeks, 2 days. Studies in Eastern European Cinema, 7(2), 127-138.
Cardullo, B. (2013). 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days (2007). Film & History, 43(1), 92-95.
Dalla, R. L. (2019). Patriarchal system. Salem Press Encyclopedia.
Mungiu, C. (Director). (2007). 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days [Motion Picture]. United States: IFC Films.
