CLASSIC
Director: Andrei Tarkovsky
Screenplay: Andrei Tarkovsky, Aleksandr Misharin
Production Co.: Mosfilm
Year of Release: 1975
So... Tarkovsky, one of the kings, where do I start? I watched this flick a few weeks ago and have been postponing a review for a while now, simply out of laziness. Now let me just get all my cards on the table right now and say that I. Adore. Tarkovsky. You know all that Avant-Garde symbolism crap that hipster fags go nuts for? (You know, a single flower in a garbage dump? etc.) Well sorry to disappoint you but this film which runs at 108 minutes with very little dialogue, slow pacing and imagery like this:
Has none of it. No symbolism whatsoever. Now, I like that. Because the idea of symbolism to me just seems stupid and pretentious and I feel like an dick deciphering imagery and translating it into 'beautiful poetry'. And if you enter this film with the intention of doing so, you will fail at life. Because that is exactly what Tarkovsky didn't want his audience to do. The point of the image itself is to be different from the word. And as the protagonist of our story explains that 'Words can't express everything.... a person feels. Words are flaccid'. The films poses (Or, even more, this is something Tarkovsky really had been proposing throughout his entire career, but it was never made more clear than with this film.) the notion that some things really just have to be felt, rather than explained. So when the film comes to a dead stop, the music begins a monolithic crescendo and the camera focuses in on condensation from a coffee cup disappearing, don't overwhelm yourself with the meaning of it all, because there simply isn't one. So really the best thing to do with the film is let go of all your thoughts, sit down, and get captivated by the amazing imagery (and it's not very difficult when it's shot this damn well). So relax, unwind, turn the lights off and just let go.
As far as the plot goes, it's pretty straightforward. It's about a (rather faceless) man who's dying and reflecting (or mirroring, huzzah!) on his past, whilst the film unfolds into a continuous reflection of his previous and current (and possibly future) familial generations, and the similarities thereof. But don't really worry about the plot, as it really stands to support the surrealistic sequences.
Now, it's not the best of Tarkovsky's work, but that's really like saying The White Album wasn't The Beatles' best work (although I'm aware of how debatable that topic is so I'll leave it at that.), but this film is still leaps and bounds amongst the best flicks in a lot of other auteurs' back-catalogues. So watch it, sit back, and let the nostalgia enfold you.
Overall rating: 9.0
Mega Awesum
Hey man. Hopped on over here when I saw that you became my first follower. Thanks! Good post! I've been a casual fan of Tarkovsky ever since I saw Mirror but I don't think I was fully aware of how much he hates symbolism until now, even if I did consider the movie as more of a visceral or emotional experience than an intellectual one. But it's true--the man hated when people tried to find deeper meaning by deciphering his images. Although, I think he's exaggerating when he says things like "I did not do any deep thinking about my work." There's obviously a lot to think about in movies like Andrei Rublev or Solaris even if he doesn't work with allegory.
ReplyDeleteI gotta recommend Uncle Boonmee Who can Recall his Past Lives (my number one movie from this year) if you liked Mirror, although it's probably even slower. Just realized how similar they are; dying man revisits past memories (or lives), really beautiful and strange images, nothing to analyze. Good stuff.
White Album's nowhere near Abbey Road or Sgt Pepper.
Hipster fags unite!
peace bro
Thanks for the follow man.
ReplyDeleteHave you read Tarkovsky's book 'Sculpting in Time'? I've not read it but it sounds pretty damn awesome.
Andrei Rublev is the shit, so is Abbey Road + Sgt Pepper.
Yeah I saw that flick as number one on your list, I plan on checking it out, though it seems rather difficult to obtain, I torrented it, as I couldn't even find a link to purchase it off of amazon ¬_¬.
Might review it once I watch it.
Take it easy.
Gonna have to start reading it since I'm doing some sort of project on Solaris for my school (it's not my favorite movie of his, but it's still interesting). Looks like a great book.
ReplyDeleteNoticed you weren't a fan of Somewhere. Not surprised... everyone I know who's seen it hates it! Guess I'm the exception.
I didn't hate it, everything about the film came off as flaccid to me. Glad you enjoyed it though.
ReplyDeleteI preferred Stalker or Andrei Rublev, but Solaris is still excellent.