Sunday, September 15, 2013

Stalker by Andrei Tarkovski-1979

Slow pan into an inky black, graphic novel-esque bar.  This is the opening scene.  Visual texture is so prevalent you could say it plays a supporting role.

The main character, a "hunter" who has been roughed up by life, acts as a guide, bringing people in and out of a mysterious "zone" in which all the rules of our natural world seem to be somehow skewed.  Paths lead in circles, and for some reason, laying down fully clothed in water seems like a perfectly normal thing to do.  

If you haven't seen it, it may be worth your time.  The cinematography as well as the stage sets are stunning...and though a little slow for our time, the story is a tense tale of personal transformation.  I loved it for this alone.  It was an unusually accurate metaphor for inner change.  It's messy and confusing to do battle with the subconscious, but that is precisely what our hero's do here.    


No comments:

Post a Comment