esrosedotblog

I have had a long time interest in the unique life of the Romanian people under the rule of the Nicolae Ceausescus.An idle interest to be sure. But I am not Romanian. If I was, this man and his wife would have ruled my life in an iron clad embrace for over 45 years.

I couldn't figure out how the people swallowed this chicanery for so long>

Now, this is all documented in the narration less documentary film

The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceausescu (2010),

a NYTimes Critics' Pick.

Composed almost entirely of propaganda clips throughout the era, we see how the people and the world were fed a diet of almost constant praise for the Ceausescus version of the Communist Party which organized for one man rule under a "party congress" dominated by the usual thugs, a tightly loyal military and a regimentation of public spectacle which at least kept a dissatisfied people busy putting on pageants, marching in parades and attending "patriotic rallies". These are the common currency of the totalitarian leader.

The Ceausescus used communism and the communist bloc for the power they needed but they were also the black sheep of the Soviet bloc and caused no end of trouble. Even more isolating and economy and a people who were helpless to grow or fix ingrown problems.

They were very similar in affect to the North Korea of today. A similar "cult of personality", a favorite term of derision of the communist functionaries all over the red world. The accusation of the very thing a state or a party or a dictator was guilty of themselves. This kind of attack is still around. You see it in Washington DC every day.

This thing is three hours long and I had no desire to see the whole thing and I did not. I was at the beginning and the sad end. Sad for the Romanian people. Fatal for the Ceausescus. There are scenes of their kangaroo court trial right prior to their being taken out and shot.

The use of their own stuff against them, leading us to make our own conclusions, is powerful stuff but way too much of it for me.

But I am glad I saw it, or pieces of it, and it did close a door for me that I did not know I had opened. I was just so interested, even obsessed with these people. Hard to figure. Now, banal bullshit has cured me. I will not have to type their fucking name again.

I will give this a 3 out of Netflix5.

This is not on the film I saw. It is the gruesome outcome and may be hard for you to watch so be careful.

Labels: dictatorships, films