If I were to be very objective I would probably rate this movie a 7. But because I know Sergiu Nicolaescu's work in detail and because I know his inventivity and resourcefulness as a director I will give it a 10. "Duelul" is really a homage paid to the American gangster films portraying the 1930s or the documentary movies about the city children made in America during the 1940's. Nevertheless it should not be considered that Nicolaescu simply made a clone movie. The historical setting was Bucharest during the late 1930's and Nicoleascu superbly manages to bring to life the perfume of the inter-war era, in what seems to be a more romantic view easier to understand when you think that "duelul" was made in 1981 during the hardest stage of the communist era in Romania. This is a movie really worth seeing for Romanians and foreigners alike (if they get their hands on a translation)

Yes, he deserves it, not only because of this gangster-movie, but because of a lot more like Mihai Viteazul, nominated in 1970 for Best Foreign Language Picture, The Mirror (Oglinda), a picture that tells the truth about the World War II in Romania and of course Dacii, one of the best historical films in Cinematography history. VIVA Sergiu Nicolaescu !!! ....a romanian fan.... like other 23 milions more