The eruption of an oil well is much needed for the survival of the workers and their families living nearby.
Enter the movie synopsis: It was a desolate place, torrid, filled with abandoned oil wells, entirely covered in dust and melted by the heat. The people living there spoke little. Most had already left the inhospitable place, abandoning the small settlement that just months earlier had been bursting with life. A handful of enthusiastic workers, led by Barcu, an energetic engineer, still remained, drilling desperately in search of oil, the oil that would breathe new life into the entire region and reignite the spark of happiness in the abandoned homes. Things change when a young student comes from Bucharest for an internship. She is drawn to the energy of the young engineer, but her presence will ignite passions in the hearts of the other oil workers as well…
Good movie about the hardships of people working in the oil industry in the first part of the twentieth century. Good pacing, great music, and also marks the debut in cinema of Eva Christian. As a fun fact, some of the scenes were filmed in my hometown.
Update: Marking the directorial debut of Liviu Ciulei, this is also probably one of the most Hitchcock-esque movie made in the Romanian cinematography. I’m still amazed that a masterpiece like this was allowed to be made in Communist Romania. Bump to six popcorns and putting this into the Movie Vault, where it should be. Also adding some HD rip screenshots.
