Legends of the Fall

This movie has a little bit of everything. It cannot be classified as a "love story", a "war movie", etc. That's the main reason why it is my most absolute favorite movie of all time. An amazing array of feelings are shown - love, lust, happiness, anger, sadness, helplessness, restlessness, jealousy, betrayal, revengefulness... and they are all portrayed wonderfully.
This complex saga of love, grief & loyalty is narrated with stark simplicity by old Stab, long-time friend to retired Colonel Ludlow & his 3 sons: staid Alfred, the eldest ("old even for his years"); idealistic Samuel, the youngest ("There was nothing these brothers would not do for him."); & wild Tristan ("Such people become crazy or they become legends."). The conflict between Ludlow's fiercely anti-government anti-war stance & his sons' determination to do what they see as their duty is but part of the story; the heart of the tale is the rift that threatens the mutual devotion of these 3 loyal brothers as they all come to love the same woman. "She was not to blame," Stab tells us, "She was like the ice that freezes in the rock and splits it apart."
A tragic tale, yes; heartbreaking at times, but never boring. Every time I felt certain I knew what was coming next, the plot took another unexpected turn & I sat there riveted, softly breathing "Wow!" now & again into the darkness. This film immediately became one of my all-time favorites; I've watched it half a dozen times since then & its scope & power still move me.

Dimitrie Cantemir

Fils du prince Constantin Cantemir, Dimitrie Cantemir se forme à la cour de Iassy, où il apprend le grec, le latin et les langues slaves. Très tôt, il est remarqué pour sa mémoire exceptionnelle.

A l'âge de quinze ans, il est invité à Istanbul, où il passe plus de vingt ans après y avoir parachevé ses études, conformément à la tradition. Il y apprend de nombreuses langues occidentales et orientales, notamment le turc.

En 1710, Dimitrie Cantemir est nommé hospodar de la Moldavie par le sultan ottoman Ahmed III en souvenir des services rendus par son père. Cependant, mécontent de la cour ottomane, il accepte en [1710] les offres que lui fait le tsar Pierre le Grand, alors en guerre avec l'empire ottoman, et joint ses troupes aux armées russes : d'après le traité, la Moldavie devait être érigée en principauté héréditaire pour la famille Cantemir, sous la protection de la Russie, avec le but d'unir la Moldavie et la Valachie, et en faire une entité indépendante.

Michael the Brave

Michael the Brave (Romanian: Mihai Viteazul, Hungarian: Vitéz Mihály; 1558-9 August 1601) was the Prince of Wallachia (1593-1601), of Transylvania (1599-1600), and of Moldavia (1600), the three Romanian principalities^[1][2][3] that he united under his rule.

He was born under the family name of Pătraşcu. During his reign, which coincided with the Long War, these three principalities forming the territory of present-day Romania and Moldova were united for the first time under a single Romanian ruller, though the unification lasted for less than six months. He is regarded as one of Romania's greatest national heroes.

His reign began in late 1593, two years before the war with the Ottomans started, a conflict in which the Prince fought the Battle of Călugăreni, considered one of the most important battles of his reign. Although the Wallachians emerged victorious from the battle, Michael was forced to retreat with his troops and wait for aid from his allies (prince Sigismund Bathory of Transylvania, Emperor Rudolf II of Austria). The war continued until a peace finally emerged in January 1597, but this only lasted for a year and a half. Peace was again reached in late 1599, when Michael was unable to continue the war due to lack of support from his allies.

Mihai Viteazul

Mihai Viteazu este una dintre cele mai marcante personalităţi ale istoriei româneşti. Ca nume şi origine este considerat ca fiind un descendent al familiei Pătraşcu, una dintre cele mai înstărite din Ţara Româneasca din acea perioadă, Mihai Pătraşcu fiind considerat cel mai mare latifundiar al acelei perioade. A fost ban de Mehedinţi, stolnic domnesc şi ban al Craiovei, apoi domnitor al Ţării Româneşti şi, pentru o scurtă perioadă în 1600, conducător al tuturor celor trei ţări ce urmau să formeze România de astăzi: Ţara Românească, Transilvania şi Moldova. Din acest motiv, el este considerat de istoriografia românească primul unificator al poporului român şi erou naţional.

Dimitrie Cantemir - cărturar

A fost primul român ales membru al Academiei din Berlin în 1714. În opera lui Cantemir, influenţată de umanismul Renaşterii şi de gândirea înaintată din Rusia, s-au oglindit cele mai importante probleme ridicate de dezvoltarea social-istorică a Moldovei de la sfârşitul secolului al XVII-lea şi începutul secolului al XVIII-lea.