As it happens, I was an assistant director to this movie - so my comments will provide some really valuable inside info.
Not surprisingly at all, the script was quite lousy. George Sovu, an education department inspector, was trying his hand at screen-writing, careful not to offend the communist authorities... I remember so well how exasperated Stefan Banica was - during the rehearsals, he was telling me: "I should paste on my brow the Communist Party status!"
...But what really saved the movie, was Nicolae Corjos' talent - his unique feeling of making it true. While shooting the most sensitive scenes, he used to say: "Now, silence, please... we must concentrate... and a sort of magic gets created, helping our actors to play their roles..." So, it's not surprising at all that this movie had such a box office success. Nick Corjos really knew how to talk to his audience.
