Andrei Tarkovsky

[DarkImbecile]

Andrei Tarkovsky (1932-1986)



The idea of infinity cannot be expressed through words or even described, but it can be apprehended through art, which makes infinity tangible.

Filmography
Features
Ivanovo detstvo / Ivan's Childhood (1962)
Andrey Rublyov / Andrei Rublev (1966)
Solyaris / Solaris (1972)
Zerkalo / The Mirror (1975)
Stalker (1979)
Pervyy den / The First Day (1979) [unfinished, lost]
Nostalghia (1983)
Tempo di viaggio / Voyage in Time (1983) [documentary, co-directed with Tonino Guerra]
Offret / The Sacrifice (1986)

Shorts
"Ubiytsy" / "The Killers" (1958)
"Segodnya uvolneniya ne budet" / "There Will Be No Leave Today" (1959)
"Katok I skripka" / "The Steamroller and the Violin" (1961)

Books
Sculpting in Time by Andrei Tarkovsky (1986)
The Cinema of Andrei Tarkovsky by Mark Le Fanu (1987)
The Films of Andrei Tarkovsky: A Visual Fugue by Vida T. Johnson and Graham Petrie (1994)
Collected Screenplays by Andrei Tarkovsky (1999)
Andrei Tarkovsky: Interviews by John Gianvito, ed. (2006)
Andrei Tarkovsky: Elements of Cinema by Robert Bird (2008)
Andrei Tarkovsky by Sean Martin (2011)
Andrei Tarkovsky: The Collector of Dreams by Layla Alexander-Garrett (2012)
The Cinema of Tarkovsky: Labyrinths of Space and Time by Nariman Skakov (2012)
Andrei Tarkovsky: A Life on the Cross by Lyudmila Boyadzhieva (2014)
Andrei Tarkovsky's Poetics of Cinema by Thomas Redwood (2016)
Andrey Tarkovsky: Life and Work: Film by Film, Stills, Polaroids & Writings by Lothar Schirmer & Hans-Joachim Schlegel, eds. (2019)
The Films of Andrei Tarkovsky by Sergei Toymentsev (2019)
Andrei Tarkovsky's Sounding Cinema: Music and Meaning from Solaris to The Sacrifice by Tobias Pantara (2019)

Web Resources
andrei-tarkovsky.com's collection of interviews and articles
1967 interview with Aleksandr Lipkov, Literaturnoe obozrenie
Meeting Andrei Tarkovsky: "Cinema Is A Mosaic Made Of Time" (53-minute 1982 video interview/lecture)
Andrei Tarkovsky: A Poet in the Cinema (100-minute 1983 video interview/essay)
1982 interview with Gideon Bachmann, Chaplin
1985 interview with Leonard Neuger, Res Publica
Sacrifices of Andrei Tarkovsky (54-minute 2012 documentary)
"The Drenching Richness of Andrei Tarkovsky", Alex Ross, The New Yorker (2021)

Forum Resources
Artificial Eye / Curzon: Andrei Tarkovsky Collection
397 Ivan's Childhood
34 Andrei Rublev
164 Solaris
888 Stalker
Nostalghia (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1983)

[perybo]

Can anyone vouch for any Tarkovsky books besides Sculpting in Time? I'm doing a paper on the adaptation of Solaris.

Also, I'm wondering what else is most important to view. I look to eventually owning all his works but have limited funds at the time.

I have seen Solaris, Andrei Rublev, The Mirror, and Stalker.

The Films of Andrei Tarkovsky: A Visual Fugue by Vida T Johnson and Graham Petrie. A chapter for each film and much more, quite interesting IMO

[yoshimori]

There are a few pages of interview at the back of Tarkovsky's Time within Time: Diaries: 1970-1986 in which AT talks about Solaris and his relation with Lem. The second half of the interview - re Cannes 1972 - is typical AT invective: Fellini's Roma "offended", Polanski's Macbeth is "very shallow, very superficial", etc.

[solaris72]

The Visual Fugue chapter is pretty comprehensive. Also of worth is Kurosawa's essay, which is printed in the booklet of Criterion's Solaris release and also available here:

Tarkovsky and Solaris

[zedz]

There's a really fascinating book of recollections by Tarkovsky's friends and colleagues, but I think it's only been published in Russia. I'll try to dig it out and give details, but if anybody knows of a more accessible edition, let us know.

I actually found this volume possibly more informative about his actual working methods than either Sculpting or the diaries. Time within Time offers an invaluable insight into Tarkovsky's personality, but you may need to prime yourself for disillusionment in some areas.

I've never been entirely satisfied with the various critical volumes devoted to Tarkovsky - they always seem to miss at least a couple of crucial dimensions, and there's a strong tendency to reduce him to his characteristic motifs and stylistic tics.

I have a sense that individual responses to the films differ wildly, so the less mediated an initial encounter with one of the works the better, in my opinion. (For instance, I find it hard to reconcile Margarita Terekhova's extraordinarily sensitive work in Mirror with the sexism exposed in the diaries, and I wonder how my reaction to the film would have been compromised if I'd read the latter first).

As for the films, you really need to see all of them (and I think some are much better than others). Because of the circumstances of his career, specifically the production obstacles put in his way and the downtime he had to fill, his style evolves quite markedly between films. He's one director for whom it's easy to trace a stylistic trajectory from feature to feature, even though almost all of them consist of specifically, idiosyncratically "Tarkovskian" elements.

However, as the films are so strongly visual, you really need to see all of them in good prints on the big screen. Home video is a substantial compromise to the experience of these films, and many of the available DVD editions of the films further compromise that experience to what seems an unacceptable degree. So it might pay to delay your first experience of the remaining films until the advent of a definitive DVD edition (or, better yet, a theatrical opportunity).

[blindside8zao]

well shit. I don't want to wait...

other than the sexism, what other areas do you suppose I will be disillusioned about?

[bunuelian]

I strongly agree with zedz's (zedz'?) points. It's best to experience Tarkovsky's films before seeking out discussion about them. They can be difficult and may require multiple viewings, but it's better to go through this "struggle" on one's own before reading critical reactions to the films. Tarkovsky was a very emotional guy and reducing his films to intellectual analysis, while useful and important, probably doesn't enhance an initial viewing.

There are plenty of areas where you may be disillusioned, though a lot depends on your attitudes about some of the philosophical perspectives Tarkovsky takes on things. This is especially the case with his religious perspective. But in general, the strong emotional content of his films can result in a personal reaction by the viewer that doesn't necessarily line up with Tarkovsky's intentions or philosophies, and finding that out can itself be somewhat disappointing.

I will say that of all of the directors I admire, Tarkovsky is the one I'd least like to hang out with. I think he'd be insufferable. That's a disappointing thing to figure out.

The DVDs for his films aren't entirely unwatchable. Some of them are pretty bad (Sacrifice, Stalker and Mirror) but they aren't so bad that you can't enjoy them. Don't let the quality of the discs discourage you.

[blindside8zao]

I'm not intending on reading before viewing. If you look at the post above you will see that I'm writing on Solaris, which I've viewed. I am very passionate about what I have seen of his, though, and intend to see the rest. I know I'll return to chapters on his other films, after viewing. I despise any sort of discussion of a film previous to viewing it.

BTW, was browsing amazon.com when I came across this, does anyone have a copy they could share?

Tarkovsky views Brakhage films.

Brakhage Meets Tarkovsky: An article from: Chicago Review

[bunuelian]

Well to answer your question at top (which I wasn't responding to), you should see all of his films, since they're all available. Also valuable to ask what Tarkovsky didn't like about 2001 and how he "responded" in Solaris.

For understanding Tarkovsky, a full understanding of Mirror is probably the single most important thing. I think the content and meaning of Mirror informs all of his films, even those that come before.

[zedz]

BTW, was browsing amazon.com when I came across this, does anyone have a copy they could share?

Tarkovsky views Brakhage films.

Brakhage Meets Tarkovsky: An article from: Chicago Review

Amazon doesn't need your money: get it for free here.

[blindside8zao]

Holy moly I just saw Nostalghia. I love it. Maybe my favorite so far. The scene where he lays down in bed and dreams is amazingly filmed.

I did think maybe there was a bit too much camera movement in the first half though? Not enough setting still, maybe. When the camera moved in the beginning it was faster than usual too.

Lighting, very very cool.

Theme, very very wonderful.

[AZAI]

Andrei Tarkovsky's Offret (Sacrifice) coming out 2-DVD edition by Arte (R2) on Nov. 23rd, features Chris Marker's "One Day in the Life of Andrei Arsenevitch" & "Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky" by Michal Lesczylowski has no English subtitles.

how about that for shitty news........for those of us who don't speak french

source: the Beaver

[blindside8zao]

why is it america can not get decent tarkovsky? I've emailed mulvaney a lot, I pester him all the time about it. But still, no plans.

[Gregory]

Because Kino Video and Fox Lorber did their normal bad job. And because so far Criterion has not been able (or willing enough?) to secure the rights to Nostalghia or Ivan's Childhood, or even to reissue Andrei Rublev with anamorphic and un-cropped transfers of both the Scorsese version and the 185 minute cut that Tarkovsky preferred.
Of course, many of the R2 releases are riddled with problems, too, so it's not just North America that can't get many definitive Tarkovsky releases. However, it may be worth your while to get a region-free player just so you can watch the R2 Ivan's Childhood as well as Mirror and Stalker which are better than the R1 counterparts.

[bunuelian]

Criterion does have the rights to Ivan's Childhood but they claim to be unable to get quality elements. This has long been a point of lamentation on this board.

Unfortunately, other than Criterion there's no company in R1 that will put the work into a definitive release of Tarkovsky's films. Kino did a nice job with La Dolce Vita, but since that film can sell at Best Buy it was a good gamble for them. Unfortunately, Mirror lacks name recognition. If any new version comes along before the next gen format, it will probably be another bad PAL-to-NTSC conversion. Awfully sad.

At least we have Solaris, and the Criterion Rublev could be a lot worse (though I agree, an anamorphic transfer would make it a lot better). Criterion's willingness to release new versions of films, though, should give us hope.

[Gregory]

Criterion does have the rights to Ivan's Childhood but they claim to be unable to get quality elements. This has long been a point of lamentation on this board.

I know that was the consensus, but I don't think we can be completely sure they haven't lost the rights again by now. The claim that they can't get good elements is odd from the looks of the outstanding MK2 edition released this year.

Kino did a nice job with La Dolce Vita, but since that film can sell at Best Buy it was a good gamble for them. Unfortunately, Mirror lacks name recognition.

Koch Lorber released La Dolce Vita, not Kino.

[bunuelian]

Yesh you're right. I get them confused . . . but the point remains.

[Cinephrenic]

I hope we finally see more Tarkovsky this year. At least we can get the oop Nostalghia from previous Fox Lorber. Perhaps they are waiting for a Tarkovsky boxset (Nostalghia, Ivan's Childhood, The Sacrifice, & The Mirror, even Stalker). Wishful thinking.

[denti alligator]

Isn't a CC of Nostalghia pretty much a given?
Getting good elements for Sacrifice, Stalker and Mirror shouldn't be a problem, no? With these films I imagine there are rights issues.

[bunuelian]

Stalker is a Ruscico property. When I first discovered CC, but before I found this forum, I sent an email to JM about it - his reply indicated that they did not hold the rights. I'm not holding my breath for a CC Stalker. Or, for that matter, Mirror or The Sacrifice. Still, I'd buy them instantly . . .

[blindside8zao]

if that box set existed, I would buy like 5 of them on the release date...

By the way, what do you mean next generation format?

Sad to hear about all this. It seems such an injustice. I know they wouldn't sell worth crap, but I wish Criterion would do releases of some crap popular movies like "meet the fuckers" criterion version, to make money to put out these films. Every Tark I've seen is astonishing and I'm eager to see Steamroller, Sacrifice, and Ivan's Childhood.

[bunuelian]

By the way, what do you mean next generation format?

BluRay or whatever will replace DVD in, say, 2015. Hopefully won't be that long, but . . .

I wish Criterion would do releases of some crap popular movies like "meet the fuckers" criterion version, to make money to put out these films.

I'm sure they've tried, but I'm guessing Ruscico won't let go of the rights they've got as a matter of policy - after all, Tarkovsky is in elite company as far as Russian filmmakers goes, and that's Ruscico's business. Would be nice to see these, and, oh, Come and See, fall into CC's hands. *sigh*

I think Steamroller is available, although the disc is expensive. It's the one film of his I've not seen. I bought a region-free player just to watch the UK Ivan (well, that and the Apu Trilogy) . . .

[blindside8zao]

yeah, I'm renting it through Blockbuster.com rental thing. I wouldn't suggest it btw, i think it's more expensive than Netflicks, my parents are doing it, so I'm stealing it for a week to get Sacrifice and Steamroller.

I may have to buy one also to get copies of Tarkovsky films to own. It will open things up anyways. I am also kind of excited to see Kurenenko (sp) after seeing Onibaba. I want to see some more mizoguchi besides ugetsu too, and isn't that mainly non-american?

[stroszeck]

Geez, does anyone have any hopeful news about re-releases of Tarkovsky movies? Especially considering that the crap STALKER DVD sells for about $40 a pop, and Nostalghia is probably OOP, will be see anything in '06 to make me happy? I'd be willing to pay $40 or $50, but not for subpar garbage. This man was one of the master's of world cinema, it's sad to see his greatest works attached to such crappy DVD productions.

[blindside8zao]

agreed, part of the reason I started this thread. I am fairly new to world cinema and Tarkovsky is the most intrigueing director I have seen so far. As stated earlier, it's a crying shame. In the meantime, I will content myself with subpar versions of films and when that's done I'm going to start reading Sculpting in Time.