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Ivan's Childhood (1962)
Set during World War II, this is the story of Ivan - a twelve year old orphan who spends his days wandering the woods in his area. He spots a cuckoo one day, then begins to levitate above the trees. He then is reunited with his mother (Irma Raush Tarkovskaya) and tells her of the startling events. Then the peaceful reunion between mother and son is interrupted by Ivan's rude awakening to the sound of mortar firing. Suddenly, it is evening, and a hungry, weary Ivan awakens in the attic of an empty windmill. These scenes turn out to be dreams of course, and young Ivan resumes his reconnaissance mission, crossing a treacherous swamp amidst enemy fire. A high ranking officer, Colonel Gryaznov takes an interest in the welfare of the young orphan, and decides to enroll him in a military academy, but Ivan refuses to leave, preferring to use his talent for scouting. This is one of the most moving depictions of childhood and loss of innocence during wartime ever made. |
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Andrei Rublev (1966)
Contrary to what the title suggests, this film is not a biographical account of Andrei Rublev, the Russian icon painter. Here, Rublev (Anatoli Solonitsyn) is, in fact, almost a peripheral character: a chronicler of medieval life, attempting to create religious art in a harsh world where there is little or no inspiration. The film is about the essence of art and the importance of faith and shows an artist trying to find a way to cope with the tragic events he sees happening around him. It also explores a wde range of issues surrounding the reasons and importance for artists to do what they do, to the extent that artists will carry on producing their art in spite of great and powerful adversity from their government and other authorities who may be against it. This is a film that requires patience and also many viewings to unravel everything there is to gain from the experience of watching it. |
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Solaris (1972)
Set mostly on a space station in orbit around a planet called "Solaris" this is science fiction unlike most you're likely to have seen before. Rather than relying on special effects or immersing the viewer in a created world Solaris is much more reflective and meditative. The Soviet space program has been receiving strange transmissions from the three remaining cosmonauts aboard the Solaris space station: Dr. Snouth (Yuri Yarvet), Dr. Sartorius (Anatoli Solonitsyn), and Dr. Gibarian (Sos Sarkisyan). The Solaris program is at a crossroads, the scientific mission on the space station that the cosmonauts are there to complete has fallen into disarray, and psychologist Kris Kelvin (Donatas Banionis) has been enlisted to visit the crew, report on their mental health, and recommend a course of action to the agency. He travels to the station to evaluate and explore the situation, but soon experiences the same kind of hallucinations that have befallen the other crew members. The film concentrates on the thoughts and the conscience, thoughts and fears of its characters and as such is head and shoulders above your average sci-fi film - certainly on an intellectual level. |
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Mirror (1975)
This is Andrei Tarkovsky's autobiographical film on lost innocence and emotional abandonment. Presented as a montage of modern day life, personal memories, historical news footage, and dreams, Mirror is an introspective journey through the course of human existence, with all its hopes longings and fears. A young man whose stuttering is cured through hypnosis; a neglected wife (Margarita Terekhova) humoring a village doctor who's lost his way; a custodial argument between a faceless narrator (Innokenty Smoktunovsky) and his ex-wife; a precocious young man trying the patience of his military instructor (Yuri Nazarov). The profusion of these images can't be summed up in terms of conventional narrative or plot but merely serve as a portrait of Tarkovsky's tormented soul: his search for spirituality in a non-spiritual world, and for meaning to man's exitence. |
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Stalker (1979)
Twenty years ago, a meteorite fell to Earth, and decimated a provincial Russian town. Villagers traveled through this curious area, now known as The Zone, and disappeared. Stories tell of an inner chamber within The Zone called The Room that realises one's deepest desires. Even with the government assigning army resources patrolling the zone's periphery, the desperate continue to make the treacherous journey, in the hopes of salvation. These troubled souls are led by a disciplined, experienced stalker who can navigate the constantly changing traps and pitfalls of The Zone. A successful Writer (Anatoli Solonitsyn), and a Scientist (Nikolai Grinko), enlist a Stalker (Aleksandr Kaidanovsky) to guide them through The Zone, one in search of inspiration, one for the truth. It soon becomes evident that reaching The Zone is not the greatest challenge to these people, but rather their fear and trepidation for the materialization of their answered prayers as they reach The Room. It's slow and can be obtuse at times, verbose at others, but it's rich in theme, is brilliantly directed and is packed with stunning imagery and jaw dropping cinematography. One of the few films out there deserving of the term 'masterpiece'. |
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Nostalgia (1983)
Andrei Gortchakov (Oleg Yankovsky), a Russian author, is on an Italian research expedition with translator, Eugenia (Domiziana Giordano) to retrace the journey of an 18th century Russian composer who lived in Italy and committed suicide after his return to Russia. The narrative of this film is intercut with abstract dream-like sequences, featuring among other things an eccentric old man named Domenico (Erland Josephson) who once imprisoned his family for seven years in an apocalyptic delusion - perhaps the inspiration for the character of Alexander that Josephson was to play in Tarkovsky's 'The Sacrifice'? Separated from his family, far from his homeland, and now alone, Gortchakov sets out to perform an existential mission - that of crossing a natural spring with a lit candle. Tarkovsky, out of favour with the Soviet authorities and effectively living in exile in Italy presents us, with Gortchakov's journey his reflections on his own new life, his feelings of displacement, frustration and alienation in a typically oblique but elegiac way. |
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The Sacrifice (1986)
Erland Josephson stars as Alexander - an aging atheistic playwright whose family has gathered at his house in the remote countryside to be with him on his birthday. While the family is gathered the beginning of the end of the world by nuclear holocaust seems to come upon them. In despair at the potential loss of his family Alexander vows to God to sacrifice all he loves if only the nuclear holocaust may be undone. He sleeps with a local woman whom he believes to be a witch, under the impression this will aid in his quest to undo events. When he wakes up the next morning everything seems normal, but whether Alexander dreamt the whole episode isn't clear. More than ever suggesting the actions of a man beyond the brink of sanity Alexander proceeds with his promise of giving everything he possesses by burning down his house containing everything he owns.
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