Andrei Tarkovsky
When Ingmar Bergman said, "Tarkovsky for me is the greatest, the one who invented a new language, true to the nature of film, as it captures life as a reflection, life as a dream," I knew I had to see everything by Andrei Tarkovsky as quickly as possible. And I did.
The first five of his mere seven feature films was filmed in the Soviet Union. Tarkovsky films are characterized by a omnipresent and distinctive camera style, dark - almost gloomy atmosphere, and haunting themes on life, death and an arsenal of spiritual commentary. Basically - Tarkovsky was deep...which is why Bergman would have found him so wonderful. I approached his films slightly biased but in the end it turned out not to matter. He really was that good.
There's no real way to compare or describe what his movies are like unless you've seen one. It's impossible to copy - the best any director could do is pay him a moving homage. Tarkovsky is a wholly unique package. My top five choices were pretty easy considering there were only seven total. He died way, way too early. When you see what he created - imagining the lost possibilities by an untimely death makes you really depressed. That being said, let's break it on down now...
5) "ANDREI RUBLEV" (1966): The first time I ever heard of this - was through the Criterion Collection. It just so happened to coincide with my burgeoning interest in Tarkovsky - and I probably should really love this one more than I do. I've actually given this one a fair attempt to rock my world because it seems to blow so many people away ... I don't know why, but it just doesn't tickle my fancy parts in that way. It's a fantastic film. It's educational and visually worth watching - I think it's the dry-ass subject matter that makes me drift. A huge number of Tarkovsky fans believe this to be his finest accomplishment and you're free to watch it and decide for yourselves. It's 205 minutes long, about a religious icon painter in the 15th century. Russia is on full display in this epic.
4) "SOLARIS" (1972): To me, Solaris changed science fiction to the same degree that 2001 did. There was/is/will-be nothing else like it. It's completely surreal and yet strikingly beautiful. Just the opening thirty seconds alone belong in a frame on a gallery wall. The majority of the film takes place aboard a space station orbiting the planet Solaris. As we learn from this era of sci-fi, things can get really trippy out there in space - and they do. The three crew members aboard the space station are in the middle of a full scale emotional meltdown and the planet has something to do with it. The story involved is compelling and (at times) almost concealed behind the visual bedazzlement. This is a core and imperative film in the Tarkovsky canon. It's one of his finest achievements if only for the sake that it altered the perceptions as to what a sci-fi flick could be about. Things got far deeper, more philosophical and cerebral for many years following Solaris. Sci-fi films received better budgets so that their directors could create their dreams properly - and the world received a half-dozen new masterpieces all inspired by Tarkovsky's original work. See it.
3) "THE SACRIFICE" (1986): Some people dismiss this one. I cannot. It has Erland Josefson (from Bergman fame) in the lead role, it's filmed in Sweden...I mean, come on. It's like Tarkovsky is making a Bergman film, in Bergman-land, with Bergman-stock. His distinctive visual style is wide open here. The Sacrifice is just as beautiful to witness as any of his other films. It's sad that Tarkovsky died just a few months after this film debuted (the official report claims the cause of death as being lung cancer - but since then, it has been widely rumored to have been a KGB assasination, you decide). It would go on to win Grand Prix and FIPRESCI Prize at the 1986 Cannes film festival. It's a pretty depressing flick. Not really as thought-provoking and heart-rendering as some of Tarkovsky's earlier work, The Sacrifice is a beautiful, gripping masterpiece from an auteur in full control of his genius.
2) "IVAN'S CHILDHOOD" (1962): This is such a beautiful movie. Ivan's family is killed during the war - and he seeks to avenge their deaths by joining up with a passing band of soldiers. He runs reconnaissance missions and has lots of dreams and flashbacks. It seems like a simple setup - but wait until you see the emotional crescendo Tarkovsky wrenches out of this one. His first feature-length film, you have to wonder what it was like to see this in 1962 while echoes of the war were still not twenty years distant. The black and white cinematography is razor sharp. The actor playing Ivan will crush your life. There are so many redeeming qualities to this film, it would take 90 minutes just to explain it properly and in that amount of time you could have popped popcorn and watched the whole damn thing. I suggest seeing this film before seeing number one. It will prep you for what's about to happen once Tarkovsky became famous and gathered an infinite budget to work with...cause...you'll need preparation for...
1) "STALKER" (1979): One of the ten greatest cinematic experiences a human being can have, Stalker is a one of a kind theatrical phenomenon. Fact: "The Stalker" is a man who's job it is to lead paying customers through "The Zone" (a region where the rules of physics and nature no longer apply) to take them to "The Room," (a place where all their conscious and unconscious wishes will be granted). He is hired by "The Professor" and "The Writer" and off they go - from the sepia-toned opening segment into full technicolor splendor...into The Zone. This is one of the few movies in existence that you will watch and gasp when you realize it's nearly three hours long. It flies like the Milennium Falcon. With Tarkovsky behind the camera, the photographic moments in this film outnumber the lines of dialogue. It's almost easier to explain what an awesome film this is by showing a series of pictures. I first saw this by accident in a theater. I knew Tarkovsky rocked ass and I knew this was supposed to be (yet another) masterpiece, so I coughed up the $12 and had my whole mind blown right away. I would suggest anyone who likes science fiction, art, surrealism, Russian history, suspense, action, experimental or independent films ... see this now. If you're one of the billions who have already fallen in love with Stalker - can I get a woot woot!?
***Note: I only omitted Nostalghia and The Mirror based solely on the fact that those are the two I have seen the least number of times. They are more of an investment with a lessened re-watchability factor. You kinda have to be in the mood for them - so for that reason I didn't include them here. They are ... by no means ... worth skipping. They're unbelievable works of art. Dense, heavy and ominous works of art ... but art.***
The first five of his mere seven feature films was filmed in the Soviet Union. Tarkovsky films are characterized by a omnipresent and distinctive camera style, dark - almost gloomy atmosphere, and haunting themes on life, death and an arsenal of spiritual commentary. Basically - Tarkovsky was deep...which is why Bergman would have found him so wonderful. I approached his films slightly biased but in the end it turned out not to matter. He really was that good.
There's no real way to compare or describe what his movies are like unless you've seen one. It's impossible to copy - the best any director could do is pay him a moving homage. Tarkovsky is a wholly unique package. My top five choices were pretty easy considering there were only seven total. He died way, way too early. When you see what he created - imagining the lost possibilities by an untimely death makes you really depressed. That being said, let's break it on down now...
5) "ANDREI RUBLEV" (1966): The first time I ever heard of this - was through the Criterion Collection. It just so happened to coincide with my burgeoning interest in Tarkovsky - and I probably should really love this one more than I do. I've actually given this one a fair attempt to rock my world because it seems to blow so many people away ... I don't know why, but it just doesn't tickle my fancy parts in that way. It's a fantastic film. It's educational and visually worth watching - I think it's the dry-ass subject matter that makes me drift. A huge number of Tarkovsky fans believe this to be his finest accomplishment and you're free to watch it and decide for yourselves. It's 205 minutes long, about a religious icon painter in the 15th century. Russia is on full display in this epic.
4) "SOLARIS" (1972): To me, Solaris changed science fiction to the same degree that 2001 did. There was/is/will-be nothing else like it. It's completely surreal and yet strikingly beautiful. Just the opening thirty seconds alone belong in a frame on a gallery wall. The majority of the film takes place aboard a space station orbiting the planet Solaris. As we learn from this era of sci-fi, things can get really trippy out there in space - and they do. The three crew members aboard the space station are in the middle of a full scale emotional meltdown and the planet has something to do with it. The story involved is compelling and (at times) almost concealed behind the visual bedazzlement. This is a core and imperative film in the Tarkovsky canon. It's one of his finest achievements if only for the sake that it altered the perceptions as to what a sci-fi flick could be about. Things got far deeper, more philosophical and cerebral for many years following Solaris. Sci-fi films received better budgets so that their directors could create their dreams properly - and the world received a half-dozen new masterpieces all inspired by Tarkovsky's original work. See it.
3) "THE SACRIFICE" (1986): Some people dismiss this one. I cannot. It has Erland Josefson (from Bergman fame) in the lead role, it's filmed in Sweden...I mean, come on. It's like Tarkovsky is making a Bergman film, in Bergman-land, with Bergman-stock. His distinctive visual style is wide open here. The Sacrifice is just as beautiful to witness as any of his other films. It's sad that Tarkovsky died just a few months after this film debuted (the official report claims the cause of death as being lung cancer - but since then, it has been widely rumored to have been a KGB assasination, you decide). It would go on to win Grand Prix and FIPRESCI Prize at the 1986 Cannes film festival. It's a pretty depressing flick. Not really as thought-provoking and heart-rendering as some of Tarkovsky's earlier work, The Sacrifice is a beautiful, gripping masterpiece from an auteur in full control of his genius.
2) "IVAN'S CHILDHOOD" (1962): This is such a beautiful movie. Ivan's family is killed during the war - and he seeks to avenge their deaths by joining up with a passing band of soldiers. He runs reconnaissance missions and has lots of dreams and flashbacks. It seems like a simple setup - but wait until you see the emotional crescendo Tarkovsky wrenches out of this one. His first feature-length film, you have to wonder what it was like to see this in 1962 while echoes of the war were still not twenty years distant. The black and white cinematography is razor sharp. The actor playing Ivan will crush your life. There are so many redeeming qualities to this film, it would take 90 minutes just to explain it properly and in that amount of time you could have popped popcorn and watched the whole damn thing. I suggest seeing this film before seeing number one. It will prep you for what's about to happen once Tarkovsky became famous and gathered an infinite budget to work with...cause...you'll need preparation for...
1) "STALKER" (1979): One of the ten greatest cinematic experiences a human being can have, Stalker is a one of a kind theatrical phenomenon. Fact: "The Stalker" is a man who's job it is to lead paying customers through "The Zone" (a region where the rules of physics and nature no longer apply) to take them to "The Room," (a place where all their conscious and unconscious wishes will be granted). He is hired by "The Professor" and "The Writer" and off they go - from the sepia-toned opening segment into full technicolor splendor...into The Zone. This is one of the few movies in existence that you will watch and gasp when you realize it's nearly three hours long. It flies like the Milennium Falcon. With Tarkovsky behind the camera, the photographic moments in this film outnumber the lines of dialogue. It's almost easier to explain what an awesome film this is by showing a series of pictures. I first saw this by accident in a theater. I knew Tarkovsky rocked ass and I knew this was supposed to be (yet another) masterpiece, so I coughed up the $12 and had my whole mind blown right away. I would suggest anyone who likes science fiction, art, surrealism, Russian history, suspense, action, experimental or independent films ... see this now. If you're one of the billions who have already fallen in love with Stalker - can I get a woot woot!?***Note: I only omitted Nostalghia and The Mirror based solely on the fact that those are the two I have seen the least number of times. They are more of an investment with a lessened re-watchability factor. You kinda have to be in the mood for them - so for that reason I didn't include them here. They are ... by no means ... worth skipping. They're unbelievable works of art. Dense, heavy and ominous works of art ... but art.***
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