Seventeen Moments in Twelve Parts

If you read the blog post previous, you may have noted in the opening paragraph I mentioned an obscure TV show called 'Seventeen Moments of Spring' or 'Semnadtsat mgnoveniy vesny' if your Russian is better than mine. I called it the best TV drama to come out of the Soviet Union. I don't presume to let that statement go unqualified so allow me to introduce you to the television brilliance that is this little 12-part espionage drama.

Opening Titles: 'By commission of State Committee of the USSR Council of Ministers on Television and Radio Broadcasting' - something we don't see too often at the start of our regular TV programming...

I can't profess to be an expert on how television was put together in the USSR during the 70's. But when the heartfelt intro song is playing and an official government approval is stamped onscreen at the opening credits, you get a vague idea of what it could be. To us historical nerds, we call this a primary source as it gives a glimpse into life in the Soviety Union, at least via television broadcast. 'Seventeen Moments of Spring' is probably one of the most popular TV series in Russian history.

Despite the title informing us the State is responsible for making what we're about to see, you'll be pleasantly surprised it isn't all propaganda. You can choose to completely ignore the subtle patriotic moments if you want and treat it as just another black and white World War Two espionage drama.

Seventeen Moments is set in the final 17 days before the end of the Second World War. It centres around a Soviet spy, Maxim Isaev, who has deeply infiltrated Nazi Germany under the guise of Max Otto von Stierlitz. He discreetly sabotages the efforts of the Nazi Party as they attempt to discreetly broker a peace with the West. This would give Germany a singular focus: the Eastern Front and create a bit of grief to the Soviet Union's war efforts. In the meantime, Stierlitz has to constantly watch his back and fend off any suspicious looks he might gain from the uniformed Nazi officers around him.

Our first view of the hero standing alone in a forest, in a deeply contemplative mood.

Stierlitz, played very deadpan yet rather touchingly by Vyacheslav Vasilyevich Tikhonov, is a dedicated Soviet citizen, depicted as bravely risking his life for his homeland by out-espionaging the Nazis. He has a handful of allies to assist him, but they run the risk of compromising the Soviet spy more than once. Even when fingers are pointed towards our hero and Stierlitz faces torture or worse, he remains calm, controlled and... damn those eyes. You just want to hug the guy when he's seated alone, lost in his thoughts, and quite possibly facing a nasty demise. I don't know how but Tikhonov says so much whenever he has no dialogue. Must be the eyes. The USSR's answer to Humphrey Bogart with the grey-tinged fringe of Scott Bakula.

Stierlitz had rather thorough deductive reasoning which is shown both in Tikhonov's actions and the dead-pan narration accompanying most of the dialogue-less moments of the series. Due to the popularity of the character this has spun into some rather clever jokes in Russia, spanning its own genre of jokes still to this day. 

For example: Stierlitz opened a door. The lights went on. Stierlitz closed the door. The lights went out. Stierlitz opened the door again. The light went back on. Stierlitz closed the door. The light went out again. "It's a refrigerator," concluded Stierlitz.

And: One day, Stierlitz wore Red Army uniform, took a Red Flag and marched down Prinz-Albrecht-Straße singing The Internationale. Never has he been so close to failure.

Joking aside, I march on to more gushing praise for the series...

I first became aware of the series when the Australian news networks kicked up a surprisingly huge fuss around Tikhonov's passing in 2009. I lived out in a desert at the time and with no DVD store or much choice of TV channels, I ventured online and watched parts of Seventeen Moments on YouTube. I eventually acquired the whole series on DVD when I discovered the full set was available with subtitles. There's also a colourised version that was shown some time after the original. It's nice to see as an aside, but about 10 to 20 minutes are cut from each episode.

The DVDs with English Subtitles are easy to obtain from online retailers such as Amazon.com.

I realised this show is popular for a reason. It was heartfelt, intense but kudos to Tikhonov for making it human and realistic. It wasn't a James Bond espionage with shiny ladies and sexy cars, it was how it should be: silent, conspiratorial, heart-wrenching and at times, tense. The narrator, who pretty much runs the show, gives you insight into Stierlitz's thoughts as though you were reading a live-action book (funnily enough, the series is based on a book of the same name...).

Stierlitz interrogates a Nazi prisoner. A singular challenge when prisoners know who he really is.

I won't go on about the plot as you can find a synopsis anywhere (or better yet, watch the series!), but I'll pick out a few points that stand out for me and make this series worth watching.

Firstly, Tikhonov is awesome. It genuinely feels like the actor bares his all in this.
Secondly, the side-plot with Stierlitz bravely protecting his contacts at risk of his own life.
Thirdly, Stierlitz having a tearful reunion with his wife after years apart from her. I say 'tearful' mostly on my part. I cried as the sombre piano music played, and the pair looked at one another from across the room of a cafe. Due to Stierlitz's cover he is unable to speak with her. He can only watch her enter with another man, have a coffee, and then leave. End of reunion.
Forthly, someone has been leaking intel. Fingerprints point to Stierlitz. He is thrown into an interrogation room with various devices of torture scattered around. Will he get out?
Fifthly, the Red Army is marching to Berlin and as the 17 days draw to a close. The inevitability gets all the more poignant with the Nazi officers, some of whom are actually fairly likable and have befriended Stierlitz.

Will Stierlitz's Nazi colleagues trigger his downfall...?

...Or will his civilian contacts risk his cover to save themselves?

If you do have the time/interest/inclination, I highly recommend giving this series a go. There's something for everybody except perhaps small children and axolotls.