Communism in practice takes the first half of its slogan — “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need” — to the vicious extreme. Cristian Mungiu’s new film “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days” proves just how far a negligent regime can reach in stamping out ingenuity, intellect, and dignity.

Communist Romania was cursed by malevolent indifference. Dispassionate about the needs of its people, the Romanian government, specifically that of Nicolae Ceausescu between 1965 and ’89, put its citizens through increasing trauma without reflection. Mr. Mungiu’s film captures the hamster-wheel effect of trying to survive in a place where the lives and welfare of the citizens are deemed insignificant. Zooming in on the events of a traumatic day in the lives of two women, “4 Months,” which won the 2007 Palme d’Or at Cannes and has been an unmitigated triumph on the festival circuit, conveys the ripple effect of Romanian communism without stooping to hyperbole.

Set in Bucharest in 1987 during the waning days of the communists’ rule, the film follows a young woman and her friend as they try to procure an abortion. Gabita (Laura Vasilliu) wishes to terminate her pregnancy, but abortion and all forms of contraception are illegal in her country. A single student studying technology at the university, Gabita enlists her friend Otilia (Anamaria Marinca) to help handle the logistics and lend emotional support. Before long, the two have enlisted the dubious Mr. Bebe (played with disturbing precision by Vlad Ivanov) to help with the procedure.

Childlike and helpless, Gabita lacks the life skills of her friend, and relies on Otilia completely in her time of need. But for all of her self-reliance and other strengths, Otilia is often as prostrate as her desperate friend. While Gabita is stretched to her limits easily, Otilia’s resilience is pushed through increasingly trying tests.

Throughout the film, Otilia suffers indignities large and small, from compromising sexual affronts to being mocked by the friends of her boyfriend’s parents after she accepts their offer of a cigarette. Despite her strength of character, Otilia is in many ways broken down by the complacency adopted by those around her as a defensive survival tactic.

Ceausescu’s attack on personal property, livelihood, and happiness in Romania spawned a merciless nonchalance in the populace regarding the welfare of others. Romanians resorted to survival of the craftiest — to this day, few things happen in Romania without a baxish, or bribe.

Otilia buys extra cigarettes to grease the transactions of her day, gives tips to people for meeting the minimum requirements of their jobs, and is shaken by the costs of her friend’s decision. Having scrounged for the means to pay for Gabita’s abortion, the women soon learn that Mr. Bebe wants far more than money to perform his duty.

Eschewing direct reference to the communist party’s influence, Mr. Mungiu’s film manages to convey the trauma of the period with its attention to the details of everyday life. The photography is exquisite; appearing to use natural light, cinematographer Oleg Mutu achieves a startling realism. At night, Otilia wanders down unlit streets, her perilous situation underscored by indistinct and difficult sight lines. Often the camera loses control, using jagged, jolting shots to highlight the chaos of the moment as a representation of all moments. For interior scenes, Mr. Mungiu’s camera remains still for long shots, dissecting the room with its concentrated gaze. From voices off camera to Ms. Marinca’s unmoving face, the director manages to dissect the pressures, tensions, and expectations of Otilia’s life.

Ms. Marinca’s unyielding image is a study in combative resignation. Long silences convey far more information than dialogue could manage. On screen nearly the entire film, Ms. Marinca’s presence draws attention and emotion toward her at all times. She is the able eye of this storm, and the fear that she will be swept away propels the film forward.

“4 Months” is utterly brutal to the end, when Gabita and Otilia are served offal from a wedding party at the hotel where they are staying. A staple in the country, the butchered brains and leftover body parts on the table aggressively bring the violence of the story full circle.

In a place where the motives of self-preservation often usurp family and state, altruism is rare, kindness risky. Otilia has extended herself for her friend, and been punished accordingly. But even her decision is one of self-preservation — it could easily be her up in that hotel room next time.

Mr. Mungiu’s film is an unblinking depiction of what comes down to survival instincts. Gabita, Otilia, and even Mr. Bebe are all trying their best to get by, though the morality of that endeavor is an extremely relative matter. “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days” leaves open the question: What do you do when there are no good choices?

mkeane@nysun.com