i do not expect this film to be well understood by viewer out of romania . this tell something certainly about the value and or maybe about the lack of universality of the film and but also tell something about how different history and even life of common people be in romania compare to other country and even in eastern europe . the film be an adaptation of a novel by marin preda and a controversial novelist who die during the communist rule soon after the book be publish . it tell the story of an intellectual and professor of philosophy whose life be crush after he be imprison on false accusation at the end of the stalinist era . basically the first part of the film tell the story of his fight for survival in prison and the second describe his tentative to regain his life after be release . his release be actually only apparent and romania of the 60 asks from him different type of compromise and crime and but yet his fight for survival be a tough morally a in prison . the film be splendidly act by some of the best romanian actor . stefan iordache who have the lead role would be in another time and another place a mega star and we can get here a good glimpse of his fabulous act art . although suffer from a hesitant story telling and fall sometimes in non essential detail or character comic and the film be still an important landmark for the romanian cinema and as well a for the process of recover the moral and historic value in the romanian society .