The Thistles of The Bărăgan

The title translates as Fools of Bărăgan, in reference to a band of beleaguered feudal Rumanian peasants. But these are no fools: instead, they are fearless freedom fighters, organizing a brave (though foredoomed) revolt against the tyranny of the landowners. The parallels drawn between the people of Bărăgan and Russia's revolutionary leaders are all but impossible to miss. It would have been nice, however, if the story had not been told in such a heavy-handed, spell-it-all-out fashion.

Director: Louis Daquin

Cast: Florin Piersic, Clody Bertola, Marcel Anghelescu, Nuță Chirlea, Ana Vlădescu, Ruxandra Ionescu, Nicolae Tomazoglu, Mihai Berechet

Audience-only score — full critic data not yet in the ReelXO vault.