I am fascinated by films that employ the ‘one-shot’ technique. A select few—very few—of them are, in my opinion, masterpieces. These are films that combine technical expertise, flawless coordination, complex logistics, and actor dedication with a story where the technical approach is not merely a display of virtuosity, but the very best way to bring the narrative to life for the audience. Tudor Giurgiu’s ‘3 Days in September‘ is not quite such a masterpiece, yet the plot is effectively showcased and amplified by the ‘one-shot’ technique. Had this method not been used, ‘3 Days in September‘ would have been nothing more than just another soap opera. Nothing more, nothing less. The term is not necessarily pejorative.
The “three days in September” refer to the day before, the day of, and the day after Bianca’s wedding. However, the wedding does not go according to plan. Bianca is forty years old; for her, this wedding represents perhaps the last chance to start a “normative” family and possibly have a child. The appearance of a rival on the wedding day ruins the celebration, and Bianca flees—driven by anger and despair, searching for meaning in the events unfolding around her.
September on the Black Sea coast is a classic setting in Romanian cinema. The tourist season has ended, the weather wavers between the lingering warmth of summer and the chill of the colder seasons, and the atmosphere lends itself to introspection and melancholy. Here, the setting is utilized beautifully, efficiently, and movingly. The one-shot technique works perfectly because it allows—especially during the Saturday segment, the day of the wedding—for an immersion into the protagonist’s psyche, a dramatic confrontation with the collapse of her world, and a search for support among the people she encounters on that fateful night. It is hard to find the right words to express my appreciation for the fantastic performance of Andreea Vasile; she is on screen 95% of the time and embodies her character’s drama with great intensity. The technical team—handling cinematography, sound, and logistics under Tudor Giurgiu’s direction—is remarkable. All of these transform what might otherwise have been a film I would have skipped, or dismissed as a mediocre melodrama, into a memorable artistic achievement.