Review of 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days

It is unfortunate that the people who would benefit the most from watching 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days are probably never going to hear about it or see it. When I started this blog I decided that I was going to try and avoid stating my political opinions, yet after watching a film such as 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days it is basically impossible to review it without mentioning the impact that the movie had on my opinion of abortion laws. Despite already being a believer in a woman's right to choose, this film gave me an idea of what might happen if there were laws preventing women from obtaining an abortion. In a similar sense to films like The Hurt Locker, this film feels like a documentary caused by infrequent cuts, the feeling of hand held camera use and the realism of the issues that the movie explores. The personal feel of the film makes 4 Months, 3 weeks, and 2 Days an incredibly powerful cinematic experience.

I am not sure how close the U.S. government may be to passing an anti-abortion law, but I hope if it ever becomes a more serious issue that those opposed to a woman's right to choose will seriously consider the negative consequences it could have. According to the Guttmacher Institute, over 20% of American pregnancies end in abortion meaning that there are over one million legalized terminated pregnancies per year in the U.S. In our current state abortions are performed by trained professionals who have medical degrees and know how to safely terminate a pregnancy. Yet, if abortions became illegal, the question comes to mind of whether women would still find ways to obtain them and who would perform them. I personally had never thought about this until I watched 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days.

This film takes place over the course of one long day in Communist Romania during the mid 1980s. The dictator of Romania has made abortion highly illegal not because he is personally against it but because he wants more people to control. A college student named Gabriela is 4 months pregnant and wishes to get an abortion. She speaks to a few of her friends who have gotten abortions before and learns of a man who performs them. Feeling scared and insecure, she confines in her roommate named Otilia to help her raise the necessary money and to go with her. However, things do not go as smoothly as planned. After a lot of difficulty in finding a hotel room, the man they hire to perform the abortion named Mr. Bebe turns out to want more than just money. Overall, this film brings forth the question, if doctors are not allowed to perform abortions, what kind of people will end up terminating pregnancies? The answer, people who are not qualified, experienced, and/or people who are greedy for money, sex, and/or drugs. It is unrealistic to assume that accidental pregnancies are not going to happen. This film is not meant to assert when the fetus becomes a human being, but is simply meant to show what could happen if people are not allowed to have legal abortions. People make mistakes and no matter if abortions are legal or not, women will continue to get them so it is better that it remain legal so they can be performed safely.

Although 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days is slow at times, the steady gradual pacing adds to the suspense. Throughout the film I had absolutely no idea what could happen in the next scene. Overall, this film may be dark yet it is unforgettable. Once again if you have Instant Netflix, be sure to add 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days to your queue.

RATING: 3.8/5

YouTube Trailer