What do we think of Andrei Tarkovsky here on SF?

[Sesame Seed]

I think he is probably the greatest film director of all-time. His films are always hypnotic, poetic, and keep coming up long after viewing. The spiritual nature of his films is unparalleled and his treatment of water as the essence of life in all his pictures is something that he will forever be remembered for.

I had difficulty accepting his stories which are mainly progressed through the characters and their dialogue (the natural environment is the ever-present silent character in all his films) but I have come to respect it and see film differently. He is up there as the one director that immediately inspires. He almost always exists in unforgettable fashion where every frame in the last half hour could stand alone as a painting and seems to open much the same way (see the often overlooked 'The Sacrifice' if you haven't already).

My favourite of his films is 'Nostalghia'. What is your favourite and what is your overall impression of this master director?

 

[bc78]

I've only seen Solaris and Andrei Rublev but liked them both. Would like to see Stalker and Mirror.

 

[moddey]

Tarkovsky is one of the greatest directors ever, period. Like you say, he is recognizable instantly in each moment of pretty much all of his films. Somehow, it is painful however when others try to imitate him. I suppose that's a marker of his genius. My personal favorite currently is Mirror, but all of his films are tremendously powerful.

 

[unpainted huffheinz]

I have seen restored prints of most of his work and agree that he is one of the masters of visual composition. Most viewers will find the films soporific though.

 

[Fuuma]

We think he rocks?

 

[IDirector]

Wong Kar wai could be said of the same hypnotic poetry in motion. When he is paired with Christopher Doyle, it is beautiful.

 

[dkzzzz]

The best way to describe Tarkovski is:

You know that guy who graduated from conservatory and got his PHD in Violin and composition and then for the rest of his life tried to produce his masterpiece.
His conviction and persistence stemmed form the fact that he could hear the most beautiful music in his head ,but for the rest of his life he never mastered a skill of a violin player to express that music. It often leads to tragedies such as Tarkovskii.

He is so self assured of his genius (for reasons hidden form us) that he tries to express it again and again and epically or almost epically fails every time.

Better people ended this process with suicide, he however continued to torture himself and us until cancer put a stop to it.

Tarkovskii=epic fail of cinematographer who thought he could but could not.

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If you r interested in experiencing Tarkovskii attempts at becoming Russian Film Genius see following works: Stalker-epic poseur’s fail, Nostalgia and then Sacrifice pretty pictures+criptic dialogues+zero character development=I am Russian genious -no one understands my soul...

His movies that sort of work as movies are "Ivan's childhood" (his first full film and his best) and Mirror (albeit it is extremely intraverted/selfish movie and basically made by Tarkovskii for Tarkovskii and about Tarkovskii, something that can be said about all of his movies.)
Solaris and Anderi Rublev needed a good editor, both are mess.

 

[wiru]

Interestingly enough, Mirror was the most successful and generally popular film of his within Russia. The cultural references are just too obscure for non-Russian audiences, so we tend to read it as impenetrable and avant-garde.

 

[Tarmac]

When I was 18 I watched Stalker without subtitles, and I don't understand Russian. That's how gangsta I am.

 

[BubblyMasquerade]

bad director.

bad thread.

bad opinions.

 

[RJman]

Originally Posted by BubblyMasquerade

bad director.

bad thread.

bad opinions.

Do you prefer Boris Kartovsky?

 

[Tarmac]

Of the russians, he probably prefers Aronofsky's work