There are few filmmakers as completely daring as Andrei Tarkovsky. Tarkovsky's cinema is one that makes no accommodations for your average audience. His film's are intentionally slow moving, ponderous and demand a lot of the viewer. To watch his movies you have to give yourself completely to the screen and if you fail to do so then they will have little to offer you. They can not be background noise or something you mindlessly have on the TV. Yet when you give a Tarkovsky film all that it requires of you, then you will find yourself very moved and affected in a way few other filmmakers can make you feel.
Those of you familiar with the films have Ingmar Bergman, may find that this movie can quite often feel like a Bergman's cinema. This is hardly a coincidence. The movie is produced by the Swedish Film Institute (the only Swedish film from this Russian filmmaker), was shot in the island of Faro (where Bergman shot many of his movies), was shot by Bergman's regular cinematographer, Sven Nykvist, and stars Erland Josephson (who was in such Bergman movies as The Magician (1958), Hour of the Wolf (1968), The Passion of Anna (1969), Cries & Whispers (1972), Scenes from a Marriage (1974) and Autumn Sonata (1978)). However while the Bergman connections are unmistakable, this movie never feels like an imitation of Bergman, but instead like a passionate and personal movie for Tarkovsky. Knowing that the director was dying of cancer while making this film makes it feel even more personal.
A plot summary of this film would be pointless. While this is a clearly a narrative film, the story itself is purposely vague and there are long spaces between the major plot points where not much happens. However it is these moments that stay with us. One of my favorite moments is a long scene in which our main character talks for a long period about philosophy to his young son. Both we and him know that he is really talking to himself and this becomes even clearer when the son leaves and he doesn't even notice but keeps on talking. He even notes that he is tired of people simply talking endlessly and not doing anything but this does not stop him from doing just that. This scene is told in one long shot held for what can feel like an incredibly long time. This is something that no Hollywood filmmaker would ever dare to do and something that could never be seen in a mainstream movie. Yet under the direction of Tarkovsky it becomes something beautiful and powerful.
One thing that even those who hate Tarkovsky's cinema will admit is that his movies are visually beautiful. Add to this that he is working with one of the world's greatest cinematographers and you know you have a beautiful looking movie. Many images from this movie will stay with you and haunt your mind long after the film is over. The climatic scene is as visually perfect a moment as a filmmaker could ever capture.
This is simply an incredible work of art.
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