View Poll Results: Best Andrei Tarkovsky movie
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Best Andrei Tarkovsky movie
03-30-09, 11:26 PM
#5
Senior Member
Re: Best Andrei Tarkovsky movie
well... i've only watched Solaris and Ivan's Chidhood.. and i didn't care much for Ivan's Childhood aside from the visually magnificent cinematography
03-31-09, 05:42 AM
#7
Moderator
Re: Best Andrei Tarkovsky movie
Stalker.
03-31-09, 10:05 AM
#9
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Best Andrei Tarkovsky movie
They're all good, but I'd also have to say Stalker.
I tend to find Russia art really dreary and dreadful, and mostly it makes me want to go to sleep or dig up Eisenstein's body so I can kick his bony ass just once for all of us folk who wish we'd never heard the phrase "Soviet montage".
Tarvovsky is pretty much the exception and Stalker is a film that's haunted me since the first time I saw it. I don't want to make any comments about the dramatic action, because I doubt I'm actually capable, but I would like to point out that I've never seen a movie which has such a complex relationship to sound. I don't think anyone has ever really come close to developing such a textured and interactive relationship. If you ever bother to see this movie, really, listen to it as much as you watch it. You'll be amazed.
I tend to find Russia art really dreary and dreadful, and mostly it makes me want to go to sleep or dig up Eisenstein's body so I can kick his bony ass just once for all of us folk who wish we'd never heard the phrase "Soviet montage".
Tarvovsky is pretty much the exception and Stalker is a film that's haunted me since the first time I saw it. I don't want to make any comments about the dramatic action, because I doubt I'm actually capable, but I would like to point out that I've never seen a movie which has such a complex relationship to sound. I don't think anyone has ever really come close to developing such a textured and interactive relationship. If you ever bother to see this movie, really, listen to it as much as you watch it. You'll be amazed.
03-31-09, 08:07 PM
#10
DVD Talk Legend
04-01-09, 10:50 AM
#12
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Re: Best Andrei Tarkovsky movie
I've posted this before, but for those of who didn't see it then you may find this interesting:
Tarkovsky's 'Stalker' is my pick for the most tragic loss in the history of film.
See he had a huge budget for 'Stalker', big production, he filmed the entire movie and edited it. They had a few master copies made of the final film. Now you all know Tarkovsky knew how to use a budget and not let effect shots take over a film, 'Solaris' is a fine example of that, the huge budget and sets didn't distract from the human story, it enhanced it.
Anyway the building that Andrei edited and finished 'Stalker' in burned to the ground. Every copy of the film and the negatives were lost forever. So Andrei had to re-shoot the film on a shoestring budget. Just shy of an indie film. From what little I have read about the original Andrei commented that they had accomplished some of the 'effects' of the Zone like the supergravity, the blue wisps, the witches brew, and etc. very effectively. We will never see it. It's a testament to Tarkovsky as my pick for the greatest director in the history of film that he pulled of what he did on a shoestring budget.
But in the shoestring version all we have are the warnings of the Stalker, nothing to really show/reveal the nature and danger of the zone. I can imagine the movie being effective with a few well placed effect shots instead of just exposition by the Stalker about the dangers. You know why they throw the bolts in the short story, for only one example.
If you read the short story 'Roadside Picnic',you'll know what I'm talking about on the effects.
For my favorite I guess I would go with 'Andrei Rublev'.
Tarkovsky's 'Stalker' is my pick for the most tragic loss in the history of film.
See he had a huge budget for 'Stalker', big production, he filmed the entire movie and edited it. They had a few master copies made of the final film. Now you all know Tarkovsky knew how to use a budget and not let effect shots take over a film, 'Solaris' is a fine example of that, the huge budget and sets didn't distract from the human story, it enhanced it.
Anyway the building that Andrei edited and finished 'Stalker' in burned to the ground. Every copy of the film and the negatives were lost forever. So Andrei had to re-shoot the film on a shoestring budget. Just shy of an indie film. From what little I have read about the original Andrei commented that they had accomplished some of the 'effects' of the Zone like the supergravity, the blue wisps, the witches brew, and etc. very effectively. We will never see it. It's a testament to Tarkovsky as my pick for the greatest director in the history of film that he pulled of what he did on a shoestring budget.
But in the shoestring version all we have are the warnings of the Stalker, nothing to really show/reveal the nature and danger of the zone. I can imagine the movie being effective with a few well placed effect shots instead of just exposition by the Stalker about the dangers. You know why they throw the bolts in the short story, for only one example.
If you read the short story 'Roadside Picnic',you'll know what I'm talking about on the effects.
For my favorite I guess I would go with 'Andrei Rublev'.
04-01-09, 11:48 AM
#15
Re: Best Andrei Tarkovsky movie
I've posted this before, but for those of who didn't see it then you may find this interesting:
Tarkovsky's 'Stalker' is my pick for the most tragic loss in the history of film.
See he had a huge budget for 'Stalker', big production, he filmed the entire movie and edited it. They had a few master copies made of the final film. Now you all know Tarkovsky knew how to use a budget and not let effect shots take over a film, 'Solaris' is a fine example of that, the huge budget and sets didn't distract from the human story, it enhanced it.
Anyway the building that Andrei edited and finished 'Stalker' in burned to the ground. Every copy of the film and the negatives were lost forever. So Andrei had to re-shoot the film on a shoestring budget. Just shy of an indie film. From what little I have read about the original Andrei commented that they had accomplished some of the 'effects' of the Zone like the supergravity, the blue wisps, the witches brew, and etc. very effectively. We will never see it. It's a testament to Tarkovsky as my pick for the greatest director in the history of film that he pulled of what he did on a shoestring budget.
But in the shoestring version all we have are the warnings of the Stalker, nothing to really show/reveal the nature and danger of the zone. I can imagine the movie being effective with a few well placed effect shots instead of just exposition by the Stalker about the dangers. You know why they throw the bolts in the short story, for only one example.
If you read the short story 'Roadside Picnic',you'll know what I'm talking about on the effects.
For my favorite I guess I would go with 'Andrei Rublev'.
Tarkovsky's 'Stalker' is my pick for the most tragic loss in the history of film.
See he had a huge budget for 'Stalker', big production, he filmed the entire movie and edited it. They had a few master copies made of the final film. Now you all know Tarkovsky knew how to use a budget and not let effect shots take over a film, 'Solaris' is a fine example of that, the huge budget and sets didn't distract from the human story, it enhanced it.
Anyway the building that Andrei edited and finished 'Stalker' in burned to the ground. Every copy of the film and the negatives were lost forever. So Andrei had to re-shoot the film on a shoestring budget. Just shy of an indie film. From what little I have read about the original Andrei commented that they had accomplished some of the 'effects' of the Zone like the supergravity, the blue wisps, the witches brew, and etc. very effectively. We will never see it. It's a testament to Tarkovsky as my pick for the greatest director in the history of film that he pulled of what he did on a shoestring budget.
But in the shoestring version all we have are the warnings of the Stalker, nothing to really show/reveal the nature and danger of the zone. I can imagine the movie being effective with a few well placed effect shots instead of just exposition by the Stalker about the dangers. You know why they throw the bolts in the short story, for only one example.
If you read the short story 'Roadside Picnic',you'll know what I'm talking about on the effects.
For my favorite I guess I would go with 'Andrei Rublev'.
04-01-09, 11:56 AM
#16
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Re: Best Andrei Tarkovsky movie
I read somewhere that the reshoot was caused by improperly developed film. Either way, Stalker gets my vote...just rewatched it yesterday. 
04-01-09, 02:52 PM
#18
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Re: Best Andrei Tarkovsky movie
I've seen all his features except for The Sacrifice, and I voted for Stalker.
Regarding the first version of Stalker, I believe the footage was destroyed by the lab while being developed. There was no final cut yet. They used an experimental film stock from Kodak that was specially imported from the capitalist West. I've heard it suggested that the disaster in the lab may have been the result of incompetent lab workers that didn't know how to handle this film stock. I've also heard it suggested that it may have been deliberate sabotage by the lab who were jealous of the luxuries being lavished on Tarkovski.
I also dream of seeing this first version. Stalker, probably more than any movie ever made, has an incredible "mystique" around it: The first version being destroyed, the fact that nearly everyone who worked on the film died of cancer within the next 20 years (thought to be a result of industrial/nuclear waste at the locations), and the strange way the film's design seems to predict the appearance of the Chernobyl fallout, all give the film one of the weirdest vibes of all time.
Regarding the first version of Stalker, I believe the footage was destroyed by the lab while being developed. There was no final cut yet. They used an experimental film stock from Kodak that was specially imported from the capitalist West. I've heard it suggested that the disaster in the lab may have been the result of incompetent lab workers that didn't know how to handle this film stock. I've also heard it suggested that it may have been deliberate sabotage by the lab who were jealous of the luxuries being lavished on Tarkovski.
I also dream of seeing this first version. Stalker, probably more than any movie ever made, has an incredible "mystique" around it: The first version being destroyed, the fact that nearly everyone who worked on the film died of cancer within the next 20 years (thought to be a result of industrial/nuclear waste at the locations), and the strange way the film's design seems to predict the appearance of the Chernobyl fallout, all give the film one of the weirdest vibes of all time.
Last edited by Mabuse; 04-02-09 at 02:54 PM.
04-01-09, 04:42 PM
#19
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Re: Best Andrei Tarkovsky movie
I've seen all his features except for The Sacrifice, and I voted for Stalker.
Regarding the first version of Stalker, I believe the footage was destroyed by the lab while being developed. There was no final cut yet. They used an experimental film stock from Kodak that was specially imported from the capitalist West. I've heard it suggested that the disaster in the lab may have been the result of incompetent lab workers that didn't know how to handle this film stock. I've also heard it suggested that it may have been deliberate sabotage by the lab who were jealous of the luxuries being lavished on Tarkovski.
I also dream of seeing this first version. Stalker, probably more than any movie ever made, has an incredible "mystique" around it: The first version being destroyed, the fact that nearly everyone who worked on the film died of cancer within the next 20 years (thought to be a result of industrial/nuclear waste at the locations, and the strange way the film's design seems to predict the appearance of the Chernobyl fallout, all give the film one of the weirdest vibes of all time.
Regarding the first version of Stalker, I believe the footage was destroyed by the lab while being developed. There was no final cut yet. They used an experimental film stock from Kodak that was specially imported from the capitalist West. I've heard it suggested that the disaster in the lab may have been the result of incompetent lab workers that didn't know how to handle this film stock. I've also heard it suggested that it may have been deliberate sabotage by the lab who were jealous of the luxuries being lavished on Tarkovski.
I also dream of seeing this first version. Stalker, probably more than any movie ever made, has an incredible "mystique" around it: The first version being destroyed, the fact that nearly everyone who worked on the film died of cancer within the next 20 years (thought to be a result of industrial/nuclear waste at the locations, and the strange way the film's design seems to predict the appearance of the Chernobyl fallout, all give the film one of the weirdest vibes of all time.
I wish I could remember where I read it was a fire, maybe I mixed it up over the years.
Either way that the first version was vastly different is something that was attested to by Tarkovsky and others. The brothers who wrote 'Roadside Picnic', the short story the film is based on, wrote the screenplay for the first version of the film. The second 'shoestring' version was so different from the original screenplay Andrei wrote the brothers a letter of apology for changing it so much. I wish I could remember where I read that too.
08-01-12, 09:29 PM
#20
Re: Best Andrei Tarkovsky movie
I love all of Tarkovsky's films but I have to say that my least favorite is Ivan's Childhood. It is very difficult for me to pick one from his other 6 films, they all have touched me personally in one way or another.
Yes they are all that good! Today I will go with Solaris.
Yes they are all that good! Today I will go with Solaris.
08-02-12, 05:35 AM
#21
Re: Best Andrei Tarkovsky movie
I'm ashamed to say I've never seen a Tarkovsky movie and I've had plenty of opportunities to do so. I have SOLARIS on tape and had pulled it out for the Sci-Fi Challenge last month over on DVD Talk, but never had the time or energy to devote to it. I also have the book it's based on and have been meaning to read it first.
08-02-12, 07:14 AM
#22
DVD Talk Legend
Re: Best Andrei Tarkovsky movie
1- Andrei Rublev
2- Solaris
3- Stalker
2- Solaris
3- Stalker
08-02-12, 09:30 AM
#24
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: Best Andrei Tarkovsky movie
It's the only one I've seen, but Andrei Rublev is an incredible film.