Stalker - 10/10
Science fiction film from the USSR, made in the late 70’s, directed by Tarkovsky. Tarkovsky’s got a massive cult following, mostly for this film and Solaris, so I was apprehensive before seeing it.
It’s not about a stalker. The stalker is a guide, who leads people through a forbidden area called the Zone, heavily protected by the state. Something happened in the Zone, and no-one knows quite what, but it’s probably something to do with aliens. There’s a room in a building in the Zone that will apparently grant your most dear wish, but the landscape is fraught with unseen danger, illogicality and the threat of random death for those who don’t respect the Zone’s rules. The film is about Stalker taking two people, the Professor and the Writer, into the Zone. I can’t give any spoilers, or even confirm or deny that there are spoilers to give. It’s a very talky film, and after the excitement of breaking into the Zone, the pace slows right down and the harsh monochrome of the outside gives way to saturated, lush colours of the nature in the Zone. Everything about the Zone is non-linear, contrary to expectations, menacing in an entirely passive way.
It’s a film about man’s relationship with the unknown, about hope, truth and faith and uncertainty and how the stories we tell and the reasons we give are formed by, and form, our view of the world. And it leaves the unknown unknown, there’s no grand denouement in which a wizard is found behind the curtain or the magic of the Zone is explained, no aliens or deus ex machina. The final scene is beautifully-shot and strange, emphasising the unknown world that the people are dealing with. It’s a slow, thoughtful film that stayed with me for a long time afterwards. I am sure some people hate its intellectual pretensions, wordiness, lack of pace and resolution, but I think even they could enjoy the beautiful imagery in the Zone.
More details and shots here (not my blog, just a random google hit).
Ran is a fantastic film, no question.