Motley Blog

STALKER

Written and Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky

1979

The Russian Director Tarkovsky is best known for his movie 'Solaris' remade in the US starring George Clooney. Like the original Solaris, released in 1972, 'Stalker' deals with the deeper questions of life like others in it's sub-genre of Science Fiction, including '2001' (released in '68) and the more recent 'Fountain'.

I highly suspect the title has different connotations in the original russian - it refers to the lead character - a 'proletatarian' tracker/guide. The other two main characters are refered to anonymously as 'writer' and 'professor', symbolizing the artistic and scientific elites of pre-Reagan Russia.

This movie is complex. Perhaps the simplest summary of it would be an allegory about the Chernobyl Disaster - though it's release pre-dated that tragedy by 7 years. (Tarkovsky also died that same year, 1986). Another of Tarkovsky's movies was about the Russian religous icon painter Rubleyev - this movie may well place Tarkovsky himself in that same league. Call him, if you will, a prophet of the godless Soviet State.

Again, this movie is complex and difficult to write about - but another good comparison would be Shelley's 'Frankenstein' in the way it deals with the potentials and pitfalls of science. Nuclear engineers were perhaps the most prominent scientists in that era of Soviet history, as symbolised in the 'professor' character.

The DVD I saw has a two voice English soundover track. Though rough, and by native russian speakers, the voiceover does add to the the depth of the movie. Definitely a five star movie, if not my all time top ten.