Sergiu Nicolaescu
Sergiu Florin Nicolaescu (born 13 April 1930) is a Romanian film director, actor and politician. He is best known for his historical movies, such as Mihai Viteazul (1970, released in English both under the equivalent title Michael the Brave and also as The Last Crusade), Dacii (1966, Les Guerriers), Razboiul Independenţei (1977, War of Independence), as well as for his series of thrillers that take place in the interwar Kingdom of Romania, such as Un Comisar Acuză (1973, A Police Inspector Calls). He is one of the most popular film directors in Romania.
Sunday, 13-th of April 2008, Sergiu Nicolaescu reached the age of 78, ambitious to direct more movies and, why not, to win an Oscar (funny... what for?). This year, the "inspector" celebrated his birthday at work, together with friends and coleagues, preferring a small party in his office. He received gifts and also praises for his most recent movie, "The Survivor (2008)" (ro. "Supravietuitorul").
"He owns that recipe, I would say American recipe. He combines very good art amd comerce", said director Mihai Surubaru. "I always made history. I have sung <<Desteapta-te romane>> (current Romanian anthem) when it was forbidden. I would like to get an Oscar", declared Sergiu Nicolaescu.
Sergiu Nicolaescu knows that the film didn't bring him only joy. "I have a wife now but I never had a family life. I don't feel completed, I should have lived two lives. But one ends, next time I will do the rest", said Nicolaescu.
Early life and education
Sergiu Nicolaescu was born in Târgu Jiu, but he grew up in Timişoara, where his family moved when he was 5 years old. He graduated from the Polytechnic University of Bucharest as a mechanical engineer. After graduation he started to work as a camera operator.
Film director
Nicolaescu's debut as a director was in 1962 with the short film Scoicile nu au vorbit niciodată (Shells Have Never Spoken). His first feature film was the 1966 French-Romanian co-production Dacii (Les Guerriers). Nicolaescu continued his film-making career by directing a large number of movies and also starring in many of his own movies.
Most of Nicolaescu's movies are centered on figures and events in Romanian history, and be they with a greater realism, they somehow followed the patterns of the historical movies in the Communist countries. During the Communist period, some of his movies were seen as ground-breaking through their way of publicly presenting Romanian history, while other insisted on a heroical dimension. For instance, the movie "Războiul independenţei" was the first Communist-era Romanian file to present a Romanian king (namely Carol I) in a positive fashion. On the other hand, Mircea (1989, also known as Proud Heritage) is less realized artistically, including elements of personality cult and a legendary, standardised version of reality, common in the European communist countries. Nevertheless, Mircea was officially blocked from distribution, until the Romanian Revolution of 1989 (All I've done was to present a differet state leader than Ceauşescu. He understood and stopped the movie [from premiere])[1]. After the latter, Nicolaescu expanded on historical themes, directing films that shed a positive light on Ion Antonescu, Romania's Axis-aligned dictator in the World War II period (his Începutul adevărului, also known as Oglinda), or glorified the World War I heroine Ecaterina Teodoroiu (Triunghiul morţii, "Triangle of Death").
An accomplished director of battle scenes, Nicolaescu allegedly produces 70-80 meters of useful shots in the time that the average other director would take to produce 12-15 meters.[2]
Although his recent films have not been as popular as his earlier productions, he continues to direct new films, such as Orient Express (2004) or Cincisprezece (2005), a love story set against the background of the 1989 Revolution.
Politician
Nicolaescu began a career as a politician after the Romanian Revolution and was elected to the Romanian Senate in 1992 as a member of the Romanian Social Democratic Party.
Feature films
- Dacii - 1967
- Lupta pentru Roma (co-director Robert Siodmack) - 1968
- Ciorap de piele (co-director Pierre Gaspard-Huit) - 1968
- Ultimul mohican - 1968
- Lacul din Ontario - 1968
- Preeria - 1968
- Mihai Viteazul - 1971
- Atunci i-am condamnat pe toţi la moarte - 1972
- Cu mâinile curate - 1972
- Lupul mărilor (co-director Wolfgang Staudt) - 1972
- Răzbunarea - 1972
- Ultimul cartuş - 1973
- Un comisar acuză - 1974
- Nemuritorii - 1974
- Insula comorilor - 1975
- Piraţii - 1975
- Zile fierbinţi - 1975
- Osânda - 1976
- Accident - 1977
- Războiul independenţei (Pentru patrie) (co-directors Doru Năstase, Gh. Vitanidis) - 1977
- Revanşa - 1978
- Nea Mărin miliardar - 1978
- Mihail, câine de circ - 1978
- Ultima noapte - 1979
- Capcana mercenarilor - 1980
- Duelul - 1981
- Întâlnirea - 1982
- Viraj periculos - 1982
- Ringul - 1983
- Căutatorii de aur - 1985
- Ciuleandra - 1985
- Ziua Z - 1985
- Noi, cei din linia întâi - 1986
- François Villon - 1987
- Mircea - 1989
- Coroana de foc - 1990
- Cucerirea Angliei - 1990
- Începutul adevărului (Oglinda) - 1993
- Punctul zero - 1996
- Triunghiul morţii - 1999
- Orient Express - 2004
- Cincisprezece - 2005
- Supravieţuitorul - released on April 11 2008