Mircea (AKA: Proud Heritage) is a 1989 Romanian film about Mircea the Elder, the Christian king of Wallachia who repelled the attempts at conquest made by the Ottoman Empire in the late 14th century and early 15th century. The film also depicts a young Vlad the Impaler, Mircea's grandson, who would succeed him on the throne and continue his legacy of resistance against the Ottoman invasion.
Contents
Cast
Sergiu Nicolaescu as Mircea I of Wallachia
Adrian Pintea as Vlad II Dracul
Șerban Ionescu as Michael I of Wallachia, Mircea's son
Vlad Nemeș as Vlad III the Impaler
Colea Răutu as Izzeddin Bey
Vladimir Găitan as Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor
Silviu Stănculescu as Ene Udobă
Ion Besoiu as the priest Gerolamo
Ion Rițiu as Bayezid I
George Alexandru as Mehmed I
Ioana Pavelescu as Elisaveta
Manuela Hărăbor as Irina
Traian Costea as Dan I of Wallachia, Mircea's stepbrother
Corneliu Gârbea as Ion Iercău
Ștefan Velniciuc as Jean de Nevers
Virgil Flonda as the archer Will Stapleton
Production
The screenplay was written by Titus Popovici and the film was directed by Sergiu Nicolaescu. In the film, the main character is named Mircea the Great, avoiding the wording Mircea the Elder in order not to be associated with the advanced age of Nicolae Ceaușescu (71 years old in 1989). After being edited at the direction of Ceaușescu (who disliked several aspects of the movie), the film premiered at the Patria Cinema in Bucharest, on November 17, 1989, just one month before the start of the Romanian Revolution.