Зеркало

Zerkalo; known in the UK as Mirror.

This is a film by Andrei Tarkovsky made in 1975. It's regarded as Tarkovsky's most inaccessible film, and probably his most 'experimental'. Some sites even claim it's a "learning curve". Just sit and watch it, it's just a different experience. You don't need "tools" to watch this film, you don't need to follow a story line. You'll follow a series of emotions.

This is actually a really beautiful film. I don't actually think that I am able to describe to you in words what the film entails, as its all series of childhood memories. Somehow, Tarkovsky was making me feel nostalgic. Childhood nostalgia. How he managed to do that through the Russian countryside I do not know. Perhaps whatever presence is out there in the Russian countryside is also present within myself. I would say tranquility, but the film is far too speculative for that.

I think this film, as seems to be the case with all of Tarkovsky's I've seen has so many aspects of depth in it's very nature. His father, Arseny Tarkovsky was a poet, and a lot of his poems feature in this. Poems don't tell stories the same ways in which novels do. I think this film is the closest film gets to poetry.

You'll probably find such 'advice' from the movie sites online, but it's something I think you'll learn to adopt if you have an open mind. Does that mean you'll have to endure and force yourself to like it? No. It just means that film, in its rawest form, is a series of moving images, and the storyline of a film shouldn't actually be necessary. Let the visuals and genuine artistic value of this film tell the story for you -- adopt your own story and your own perspective.

A quote from Tarkovsky: "A book read by a thousand different people is a thousand different books." - perhaps the same can be said for this film? I think it can.

Here's another: "A literary work can only be received through symbols, through concepts - for that is what words are; but cinema, like music, allows for utterly direct, emotional, sensuous perception of the work." This quote alone gives you an insight why he'd combine his directing talents with his father's poetry, right?

Even the sounds in this film will just change the way you think about sound completely. Yes, music is supposed to do that, but film as such a visual form of art tends to neglect music completely and uses it to enhance certain emotions that the viewer is supposed to feel from a scene. The case with Tarkovsky is that sound seems to be prominent force, and the visuals enhance the sound. A greater example is in Stalker.

Imagine walking into a deserted art gallery and have no choice but to be pulled into a nostalgic presence from so long ago, you are left questioning who you are? That's what this film did for me, even if the subtitles on the DVD version have been criticised, I still love this film. Perhaps I'd love the VHS version even more. To conclude: I don't know what rip of this film I have.

Тіні забутих предків

This is a Ukrainian film from 1964 by Sergei Paradjanov called Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors. This was the directors first film which won him international acclaim. The amount of colour and the craft and detail of the costumes in this film is stunning.

This film centres around 1 male protagonist and concentrates on Hutsul culture. You will see family warfare, hear unique, wonderful music, and become somewhat accustomed to the traditions of the culture.

This isn't just some family-orientated boring domestic film. I actually watched about 15mins before realising I didn't have the subtitles on. A lot more happens in it than that. This is film is one big visually stunning phantasmagoria. Also... Copious amounts of folklore.. and sorcery!

Ivan's Childhood

This is a Russian film from 1962 directed by Andrei Tarkovsky.

It's about a Russian boy whose village is destroyed by the Nazis, and he becomes a prisoner. He manages to escape and ends up convincing the Russian army that he'll spy for them, and he does.

This is a fantastic film, and Tarkovsky's first. Apparently, he's not even credited in this. I can't say much about this film without spoiling it.

It's about the loss of childhood innocence. I knew when I was watching it that if I wanted to say something about it, it would just ruin it.

A lot of directors were influenced by this film (Bergman etc), but Tarkovsky itself wasn't pleased with it. I can understand why to some degree, as there's only small bits that emphasise his style.

Oh, if you've seen Come and See, this is similar, although not as terrifying.

AllMovie Link
imdb link

Andrei Rublev

This is a Russian film directed by Andrei Tarkovsky made in 1966. It spans 2 DVDs and is 205 minutes long, and has 7 chapters.

Andrei Rublev was a great 15th century Russian icon painter. This film depicts the lives of people in 15th century Russia, and Tatar invasions.

It's a very difficult film to analyse, as are most Tarkovsky films; there's so much content involved in them. It's quite religious, but it's more about artistic value than religion. It's more a film about the value and power of art and how Rublev deals with all in madness at the time. I've only seen Stalker, but I also plan to see Solyaris, The Mirror, and Ivan's Childhood by the same director. Andrei Rublev is hailed as a master piece. I really want to watch it again, I found it very interesting.

This is a very slow-paced, beautifully photographed film, and really does make me think. I think a lot of the ignorance portrayed in the film, and the fact that it's from USSR 1966 is still relevant in our society. So we don't (usually) resort to outbursts of violence and total slaughter, but people probably would if they could. The Sun thoroughly encourages such behaviour - "GOT HIM!"

My copy of the DVD from Fopp.



Here is a link to a gallery of screenshots I have taken using smPlayer.

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