Stalker (1979) [Re-Upload / Tarkovsky Appreciation]

Director: Andrei Tarkovsky

Director(s) of Photography: Aleksandr Knyazhinsky Georgi Rerberg, & Leonid Kalashnikov (Uncredited)

Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1

Some of the most beautiful images and photography in film can be seen in any number of Soviet/Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky’s films. Each and every film he creates is meticulously crafted and beautifully realized. His films, although slow in pace, are deserving of their speed, as it gives one the time to fully invest themselves into the world of the film. They bestow a dream-like quality on the viewer quite unlike anything else in film. “Stalker” is beautiful, yet haunting visually, while also the same in terms of it’s story. It depicts a world in which a guide leads two men into an area known only as “The Zone” in order to reveal one’s inner most desires. “Stalker” is one of my personal favorite films, in terms of it’s story and it’s overall aesthetic. Shot in both high contrast sepia monochrome and color, as well as numerous long, uncut shots, Tarkovsky’s Stalker really plays out as a dream - as well as stays with you as one.

“Everything about what he does from every gesture, every little facial tick, everything he’s doing with his voice - it all speaks to the heart of this character. It all speaks to this idea of a character who’s devoted to a concept of pure anarchy and chaos. It’s hard to get a handle on how those elements combine. The physicality reminds me of the great silent comedians. It has a bit of [Buster] Keaton and [Charlie] Chaplin about it.”

Sala dei Giganti (1534), Palazzo del Tè, Mantua