The daffodil represents rebirth and hope.

I have just discovered this Russian television miniseries “In the First Circle”, which is based on Solzhenitsyn’s Gulag Archipelago, and Solzhenitsyn himself was the playwright and narrator. I just finished watching it, and it is fascinating. 

Many years ago, I had discovered a Russian film adaptation of Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s autobiographical novel “In the First Circle”.  And, before I could watch it, life hurried by me, and I forgot all about it.  

While perusing old musings of mine, I found my reference to this gold nugget of a Russian TV miniseries in my defunct blog.  I finally started watching it a couple of nights ago and went through the ten 45-minute episodes in two sittings.  

It is profoundly beautiful, poignant, sad and, despite the anguish presented, it is deeply hopeful and redemptive.  No wonder!  Solzhenitsyn himself worked on the adaption of his novel for the series, and wrote its screenplay.  

It is a 2006 beautiful series directed by Gleb Panfilov, who had been thinking of adapting Solzhenitsyn for over 30 years.  The music score is perfection. The composer, Vadim Bibergan’s romance at the end evoked memories of Ashokan Farewell of Ken Burns’ Civil War series.

The actors are amazing in their portrayals of the characters, and how I wish I knew Russian well enough to understand the intricacies of the dialogue.  Their eyes, their faces capture the turmoil of a disastrous time in Russia and the moral dilemma they all face, whether victim or foe, while attempting to survive under a draconian and unjust episode of history. 

The portrayal of the eternal conflict between good and evil and the moral choice between escaping horror and inhumanity and not compromising one’s own principles and conscience is deeply moving. 

While some people hate all things Russian nowadays, it is interesting to note that Solzhenitsyn himself was half Russian and half Ukrainian.  

The English subtitles are not optimal.  For those who have never heard of Solzhenitsyn or have not read the book, it might be frustrating initially.  Give it more than 15 minutes.  

This is not your typical boom-boom/ka-boom series.  It is not a documentary, although Stalin seems so real in the film!  It is a lyrical series, with intertwining historical and philosophical dialogue that invites retrospection.

Am sharing because I found it to be a gem of a film.  I am still searching for my own “ataraxia”.  Come to think of it, I did not realize that it was “ataraxia” I was chasing, until I delved into In The First Circle!

“They could look forward to nothing but the worst. Yet in their hearts they were at peace with themselves. They were gripped by the fearlessness of people who have lost absolutely everything-such fearlessness is difficult to attain, but once attained it endures.” In the First Circle.