On its international release, the film became partially viewed through the lens of the abortion debate, with Emma Wilson writing in "Film Quarterly" that IMDb user reviews were highlighting this and comparing it to "Juno". Wilson observed "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days" displayed the aborted fetus, comparable to the U.S. pro-life movement's use of such images, but argued the film was closer to pro-choice ideology in its focus on the law's harm to women. Wilson further argued that the true point was the loyalty of the two characters. Mungiu said the fetus shot was not linked to the pro-life movement, as Romanians did not commonly use these depictions and the abortion debate was no longer prominent there. Anti-abortion protests comparable to those in the U.S. or Ireland did not occur in Romania until 2005, when the Orthodox Church commented on the matter. Mungiu also declined to state his position on abortion, and said he attempted to keep his film and his personal position separate. Scholars Oana Godeanu-Kenworthy and Oana Popescu-Sandu argued the film was simply about communism, and the minimalism allowed for foreign audiences to see what they wanted, including a statement on the abortion debate.