Anthology films, like anthology books, can be a hard thing to watch. You may enjoy a few of the portions while others fail to impress; that happens to be the case with Tales from the Golden Age which mostly works aside from a few minor stumbles. As Mungiu explains, the film was made as response to fellow countrymen who were interested in a more accessible film and the resulting series of stories, all penned by Mungiu himself, range from the purely comedic to the quietly humerous, all the while sticking closely to the realities of life under an oppressive Communist regime.

Based on folk tales (and judging from conversations overheard after the screening, folk tales which people still remember well), these are stories that highlight daily life for the everyman. Everything from the absurd preparations which took place before political visits to the importance of food over money are carefully and beautifully crafted by Mungiu and the talented group of directors. The stories Mungiu shares span all walks of life, city and country and in doing so (and with a little comedic help), he and his fellow directors have created an entertaining film which also captures the realities of life during that time.

Tales from the Golden Age begins with the hysterical “The Legend of the Official Visit,” easily the funniest of the stories, and is ended by the sombre “The Legend of the Chicken Driver” which, though still amusing, lacks the comedy of the earlier portions of the film. Though it chances tonally throughout, the overall project is a great success, mixing light entertainment with the difficulties of life under the Ceausescu regime.

Though not as light hearted as I expected (mostly because I had hoped for more laughs), Tales from the Golden Age proves to be a good mix of comedy and drama and one well worth a look.

It’s worth noting that the print shown at VIFF was missing “The legend of the Zealous Activist.”