Review of 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007) by Michael O — 02 Jan 2009

Is morality individual, or at the very least conditional?

I grappled with that thought while watching [i]4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days[/i]. I'm morally opposed to abortion; I believe that human life begins at the moment of conception, and abortion is nothing less than murder. Taking a human life is wrong, simple as that. Or is it? There are many arguments about cases of rape, incest, or possible harm to the mother and/or baby during delivery. It's these cases that add ambiguity to an issue that could otherwise be more or less black and white. This ambiguity is carried into the film even further: we're never told why Gabita wants to have an abortion. She admits that it's her fault, but maybe there are outside causes that have brought her to her unpleasant situation. Resorting to the black market, she's required to undergo a dangerous process in order to maintain her future dreams, which is yet another point in a complicated issue. If abortion were declared illegal, how many black market operations would take place? How many more lives would be lost as a result? There's so much to consider, so many variables and possibilities that make morality merely one factor in a sea of many.

I love a movie that makes the viewer think. And it's also nice when the movie is well-made, to boot. [i]4 Months[/i] is beautiful and tender with utterly honest performances. The shift from static cinematography to more dynamic camerawork mirrors the increasingly stressful situation, and the final moment when the ordeal is "resolved" was incredible in the mixture of emotion it invoked. There's relief, and sadness, and above all, a sense of wondering where guilt's place is, if it has a place at all.

I realize that this isn't much of a review; more of a blog inspired by the movie. But really, this is one you have to see for yourself. It's unlike any other movie I've seen.