If you’ve ever had one of those extremely vivid dreams that seems to meander in a thousand directions, bordering on the nonsensical but actually packed with meaning, you have some idea of what it’s like to watch Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World. Premiering at the Locarno Film Festival in 2023, this latest darkly comedic outing from divisive Romanian director Radu Jude (Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn) takes no prisoners in its sprawling takedown of late-stage global capitalism, and has a lot of fun in the process.
Adding to the dreamlike atmosphere, the first – and longest – section of the film is shot in striking tones of black and white and follows overworked production assistant Angela (Ilinca Malonache) on a fascinating and profane existential road trip through modern day Bucharest. Overworked and underpaid, Angela has been tasked with interviewing potential candidates for a large Austrian company’s workplace safety video. Journeying to the far reaches of the city, she records the sad stories of workers injured on the job, each one hoping for a meager 500-euro payout.
Never at a loss for a vulgar proverb or dirty joke, it’s great fun to tag along as the charismatic Angela argues with just about everyone she meets, occasionally pausing to record over the top Tik Tok videos as her vulgar alter ego Bobiţă. The satirical Andrew Tate-inspired character, originally created by frequent Jude collaborator Malonache as a feminist response to the rise of misogynistic influencer culture and the conservatism of the Romanian theater world, adds an integral layer of surreal absurdity to the proceedings.
Whether she’s hitting the cemetery with her mother, taking a furtive meeting with a real estate developer, or sneaking away for a parking lot quickie, it’s impossible to predict where Angela’s journey will take her. At one point, legendary B-list director Uwe Boll even makes an appearance, gamely recording a video with Bobiţă as he lounges on the set of his latest sci-fi opus. In a strange coincidence, I once worked on one of Boll’s films, and can attest that the version of Boll we get on screen is the same one we encounter in real life, no matter how over the top he may seem.
Chock full of visual gags, the film can appear deceptively chaotic, but is secretly meticulous in its treatment of each minute detail appearing in the frame (and in our ears). Throughout this first section of the film, Angela’s journey is intercut with manipulated snippets from 1981 film Angela Moves On, about a female taxi driver in the Romanian capital. Despite the decades that separate them, the tribulations of the two women seem frustratingly similar. Colourfully contrasted with the modern black and white footage, the place of these clips is unclear at first, but a brilliant payoff is more than worth the wait.
Eventually, Angela finds her way to the safety video’s production meeting, where we are treated to the sight of Nina Hoss (Tár) making her first appearance in the form of a surreal head floating in a whimsical background. Playing one of the representatives of the Austrian company in charge, she’s Zoomed in to determine which of the workers strikes the right balance between relatable and pitiable. She deems the energetic man in the wheelchair to be the ideal choice – little does she know he’s in the midst of suing the company.
The final section of the film consists of the shoot for the safety video. Shot within one continuous frame, the sequence slowly becomes increasingly absurd over the course of about 40 minutes. Like the rest of the film, this scene sneaks up on the viewer, playing searing social commentary for increasingly uncomfortable laughs.
Jude has crafted a film that is baffling, confusing, and completely absorbing all at once. Taking on everyone from Prince Charles to Nicolae Ceaușescu, he is nothing if not ambitious in his reach. Who knew a three-hour film about the willful blindness of the western world to the inherently exploitative nature of global capitalism could be so much fun?
Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World is available to stream on MUBI from May 3rd.
© 2020-2024. UniversalCinema Mag.