The personality of the selected actors, the metamorphosis of some of them, supported by
Svetlana Mihăilescu`s costumes, by
Florin Mihăilescu`s science of the close-ups, I think that even nowadays still asserts faces that seem to be taken right from the book. You can`t even tell which one to prefer: the versatile collectorBonifaciuHagienuș (TănaseCazimir), the greedy trader Manigomian (
Petre Gheorghiu), the ill-fated hunter for high positions GonzalvIonescu (
Gheorghe Dinică), the scared PanaitLittle Soul (
Mihai Pălădescu), the tough princess Hangerliu, the proud, ready to die (
Olga Tudorache), the cynical legionary archangel Max Hangerliu (
Ion Caramitru), the son PetrișorHagienuș who tenderly defends “the auntie`s tomb” (
Dorel Vișan), the snob Angela ValsamakyFarfara, a great admirer of Ioanide (
Marga Barbu).I left the protagonist behind on purpose, the one who goes from the one end of the first novel to the other and who is to be found in the second novel as well, without being in the center of attention. Choosing the painter Ion Pacepa to play the architect Ioanide, is not essentially inadequate. The artist`s beauty, his sculptural profile remind us of the very portraits of the writer. The character on the screen…is far from being “the nice, jaded man” from the books, “with an impenetrable face”, from the dreamy constructor of some great monuments, from “the charming man” described by Valsamaky. Not daring to give him too many acting directions, Dan Pița introduced Ion Pacea to us more as an object of admiration: intellectual appearance, photogeny of the often used image of handling the pipe, abstraction from reality and mystery. The dubbing of his voice was very inspired and the actor who`s voice was used was
George Constantin, He brought the necessary shades, colour and especially a subtle irony to the character.