Why Stalker (1979) is a Masterpiece.
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- Опубликовано: 10 авг 2021
- Yes, I understand the movie. No, that doesnt change my mind. Let's just agree to disagree.
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It gets better and better with every repeat viewing when you pick up more nuggets. There's been suggestion too that in the Zone, time and space is effected. Suggested in a moment when the characters are separated for a passage of time, until they reunite back at the same place, with them experiencing different times apart.
Additionally there's this one random shot once they come to the outside of the grinder, of something dropping in the bottom of a well. It seems glaring at first, random, but later on we see the Writer giving a monologue, sat on the edge of a well (once inside, near the room). He drops a stone down the well. It's never really made a big focus point (it's kind of nonchalant how he does it) but it's yet another nugget. Just how dangerous the 'zones' traps are have often been theorised. Are there really 'traps'? But there are very definite suggestions that the Zone has a kind of sentience. One P.O.V tracking shot moves through, which we assume is one of the characters, until all three appear in shot, and suddenly, we're looking at them through the Zone's perspective. Then the time and space effected, the mist that appears outside it quite suddenly, etc. :)
Yeah, I love the film.
what’s the time stamp for the shot at the bottom of the well when they’re just outside the grinder, is it around 1:07 where it kind of looks like a moon or is it a different scene I’m remembering? (great analysis btw i completely agree)
I’m writing a philosophy essay right now on stalker. Do you have any interesting ideas or approaches to the movie from a philosophical perspective? There are so many things to write about but I just can’t think of any concrete ideas to explore. Obviously I could say something about desire, search for meaning, etc… but I’m not sure what stance the film might be taking on these things and how the film explores these ideas.
@@pwcgp2199The zone doesn't actually grant your wishes, but your true innermost desires. How well does a person onow themselves? What do you *actually* desire? Is it a Nobel Prize or is it revenge? All three characters are granted their innermost desires, the professor gets to say "I win" the writer gets to say "I'm content in discontentness, contentness would be something I loathe" the Stalker comes home to his family. The dog follows the stalker home, she has unconditional and unquestioning love/loyalty, nobody has faith in anything, but the dog has faith in him. I didn't take a film course or anything I'm just voicing my subjective interpretation.
@@pwcgp2199 You've probably turned in your essay now but one of the best ways to look at the movie is through the lens of the book too (called Roadside Picnic). Because some things that are touched on in the movie take on a different meaning when you see them as adaptations of the book vs taken on their own. And both interpretations (adaption and solo) are valid.
The book gets a lot more into his family and provides a lot of context as to why she got superpowers in the movie. A huge point in the book is that, if you go into the zone, all of the future children you produce will be mutated and strange. The book's main character also has a daughter, just like in the movie, but she is covered in hair and has gangly arms and legs like a monkey. In fact 'monkey' is his nickname for her. The movie, by contrast, doesn't talk about how the zone's effects extend beyond the zone itself or how people carry anomalous effects with them.
In the book the zone doesn't actually do that much harm to that many people either. You more-so hear about the harm it does second hand. How someone got goop on their body and it burned off their hand and then proceeded to liquidate all their bones and the suffocated when their rib cage collapsed. Or how there are these two rusted cars that, if you walk between them, you die. And then points out some rotten stuff and bones between the two cars because someone found out the hard way. IIRC you only directly see two deaths caused by the zone. One in the first chapter and one toward the end. And the first chapter is freaky. A guy touches some spider webs and it causes him to have a violent heart attack a few hours later. And the book makes it crystal clear this isn't coincidence. There is something supernatural that is proven and tangible in the zone.
One of the most interesting things is that the wish granters in both the book and the movie are entirely different. The movie's Room grants you your innermost desire. Regardless of what you truly ask from it. The book's Golden Sphere grants a person whatever is asked of it, but it's behind an anomaly called The Meat Grinder which... does exactly what it says on the tin. It is *possible* to reach but you have to be crazy, desperate, or both to even try.
And going off of what justingoretoy said, perhaps the desires of the three were NOT granted. Or maybe they were. That's the beauty of the ending. Especially when it comes to the Stalker himself. What he fears (as I see it) is that if he gets his wish granted he will no longer have the misery needed to reach the room and guide others. And if he gets his wish then his family will be truly happy and they will be financially stable and he will therefore never be able to go into the zone again... Or maybe his true fear is that he loves the zone more than his family. And what will really happen is that by making a wish he will never get to see the family he loves again.
I just watched it. I thought it was okay. I missed some of the dialog with the subtitles going by quickly. And it's hard to take in the visuals when you're reading subtitles. Plus, the 3 voices sound similar to me, and I couldn't tell who was speaking most of the time. But, for me, it's not worth a second viewing to catch what I missed. It is slow, and I think pretentious is a good descriptor. But it probably would at least be a little better if they dubbed it in English.
My brain can’t comprehend that something can be so awful to watch, but furthermore beautiful, unique, and even thought-provoking. It’s the kind of movie I want to watch again just after finishing it and simultaneously I never want to see Stalker again.
Very well said
😂 Understandable
I’m writing a philosophy essay right now on stalker. Do you have any interesting ideas or approaches to the movie from a philosophical perspective? There are so many things to write about but I just can’t think of any concrete ideas to explore. Obviously I could say something about desire, search for meaning, etc… but I’m not sure what stance the film might be taking on these things and how the film explores these ideas.
@pwcgp2199 I'd write something about faith, desire, and happiness, and these 3 concepts interact with each other.
I loved it, but I hate it at the same time, I just wish the same exact director with the same exact beautiful photography just came out with an outstanding story like is written in the book, it could have the best sci fi movie of all times, instead of that, he turned it into a drama, a beautiful movie but with no sci fi, as it was meant to be :/
The Zone, specifically the Room, doesn’t grant a wish, maybe. It grants your innermost desire, not necessarily what you think it is. His daughter, in my opinion, has telekinesis because his wish was for his daughter to be cured of her deformity, but his desire was for her to be able to survive in the world, and the Zone granted that, just not how he thought it may.
That is an incredibly cool theory
Wow!
I’m writing a philosophy essay right now on stalker. Do you have any interesting ideas or approaches to the movie from a philosophical perspective? There are so many things to write about but I just can’t think of any concrete ideas to explore. Obviously I could say something about desire, search for meaning, etc… but I’m not sure what stance the film might be taking on these things and how the film explores these ideas.
@@pwcgp2199 There's a powerful phrase that the stalker makes in the begining arguing with his wife, when he says "I'll be back soon", and she answers "to jail you are coming back soon", then he answers "jail! but I'm imprisoned everywhere", that an enormous critic not only the soviet union, but also to the whole system we live in, the do's, the things we have to do, the places we have to go, who we have to be to fit in the society, a stalker? ha! that's a shame, u have to be a cop, a doctor, a college, otherwise you are invisible, a no one
@@pwcgp2199when they are sitting in front of the room. It’s a pool of water with rain coming down from above. The waters below and the waters above. Take from that what you will i don’t really know what to fully make of it.
This whole movie is like an allegory of living as a fallen human in a fallen world. Kind of mind blowing.
5:30 faith
I’m writing a philosophy essay right now on stalker. Do you have any interesting ideas or approaches to the movie from a philosophical perspective? There are so many things to write about but I just can’t think of any concrete ideas to explore. Obviously I could say something about desire, search for meaning, etc… but I’m not sure what stance the film might be taking on these things and how the film explores these ideas.
Well kind of, it's an allegory for religion in a modern society. The stalker is a stand in for a priest guiding people through life, constantly in fear of what he doesn't understand and dependent on the faith of others to legitimize his existence. But people have found answers to life's questions in other form: through science and art and they no longer need religion and superstition.
@@mrzfunkpeople have not found answers in science and art. It's like you missed a major part of the movie. That's what the scientist and the writer stood for. Both had their faith in the material world that led them to despair and wanted to die.
@@SeriouslyAwesome the scientist and artist didn't despair they came to destroy religion because they thought it was dangerous but when they realized it was just an empty room they didn't need to destroy it so the left "gods poor fool" to his religion and Stalker is the one who despaired that he couldn't convert more people and collapsed in his bed wanting to die.
I saw this film recently and was just blown away. It is so beautiful and eerie. It is riveting even when there is nothing going on for minutes at a time. The Zone is ugly, trashed, polluted and yet astonishingly beautiful. The Stalker himself is a true believer trying to convert non-believers. Great acting, fantastic music what little there is. I will watch and study this movie again. I saw Solaris and it is just as long with beautiful segments that seem to make no sense. I love movies that are a visual feast and Stalker is one of them. Today, with way things are going, this film predicts our future world
I’m writing a philosophy essay right now on stalker. Do you have any interesting ideas or approaches to the movie from a philosophical perspective? There are so many things to write about but I just can’t think of any concrete ideas to explore. Obviously I could say something about desire, search for meaning, etc… but I’m not sure what stance the film might be taking on these things and how the film explores these ideas.
A thing to note is that when the charachters that are in the zone the movie suddenly turns to color. But there are more than that. There are scenes outside the zone that have color. That doesn't make sense does it. The thing is, in all those scenes the stalkers daughter is in the pitchure. For example: the ending scene. I think the daughter is a part of the zone, an embodyment of It, therefore it is in color. Therefor she has powers. I think the zone is looking through her eyes.
I don't know about the zone being alive or not but she has the magic in her. That's why there is color.
It's grey when the stalker isn't in the zone. The world is empty and meaningless to him. The zone is his purpose.
@@WiseOwl_1408 Ever read Road Side Picnic? This movie is loosely based off that book.
Another thing tooz a big them in the movie is having hope. All the adults have no hope in the world, and after they return from the zone not believing in the room they return with no hope, and if the stalker is anything to go off of after his speech at the end they may have even less hope.
However his daughter, a child has hope which is why she sees the world I color
I found this movie to be theologically dense. They rumored Monkey being a "child of the zone". God is the Zone. Jesus told us to be like children and there was a speech in the film about young being strong and flexible and as we age we grown hard and weak.
I came here to say the exact same thing.
This movie is a philosophical mind-fuck. I was constantly tugged between humanity's light and dark sides. The need for vindication and selfish desires is the impetus for their journey, but the end result is acceptance of their lot and humility. And the whole way through we see hard-headedness, doubt, sin (missing the mark/not knowing where to aim), disobedience, hope, love, absenteeism, and so much more. Just like real life, we spend all this time thinking we want something, working hard to get there, only to arrive at our destination and realize we don't want it anymore. I just watched it for the first time because I love the stalker video game series and find that it was inspired by this film. What a trip.
It’s not set in Russia, so much as in a nondescript authoritarian country with a quarantined zone, based on the storyline from the book “Roadside Picnic”.
I remember at one point it was stated that it didn't matter whether you were good or evil.
I don't think it granted wishes.
I don't know what it did because porcupine killed himself but was rich before he did.
I think the stalker thought it granted wishes but to his despair I think the real gift that the zone ended up giving them was time to think about their own lives and circumstances.
The writer realized he didn't want to die like he thought he did, and the professor abandoned his mission that he came so far to accomplish after realizing it wasn't worth it.
One thing I noticed is that the stalker is always behind the characters like he's hiding or using them as like a meat shield, he rarely takes point.
He knows it all but for some reason he's never in front. Being a guide you think he would be in front most of the time.
I don't know still, I have to go back and watch it like 8 more times it was the slowest densest 3 hours I've sat through in a while
To me it kind of made sense for him to be at the back, his job is guiding them to the Room, and he has done so multiple times before with other people, soit kind of makes sense that the people who wish to enter the Room to take the risks, otherwise I'd assume he'd been a dead stalker a bit earlier. But who knows, I feel like this movie has a vast amount of interpretations, and i don't necessarily feel like there's a right one.
if the stalker went first and was wrong about his intuitions, he'd die and leave the other two stranded without a stalker. if one man besides the stalker dies, he can take the other one to the room and back still.
The stalker is a Priest. He guides on your journey. He doesn't lead it.
I’m writing a philosophy essay right now on stalker. Do you have any interesting ideas or approaches to the movie from a philosophical perspective? There are so many things to write about but I just can’t think of any concrete ideas to explore. Obviously I could say something about desire, search for meaning, etc… but I’m not sure what stance the film might be taking on these things and how the film explores these ideas.
The most beautiful masterpiece ive ever seen, genuinely a life changing movie
The dog symbolizes the Zone, IMO. Why a dog I am not sure though the black dog has been used to symbolize not only the supernatural but also depression since the time of the Roman poet Horace. The Zone takes pity on the Stalker because of his suffering from lack of faith in humans. Notice it lies next to him as protecting him and then the Stalker lies next to the dog at the end. The dog follows him out of the Zone and once his family adopts the dog Monkey is seen in color signifying she has the power of the Zone but with human understanding of what is best for mankind which the Zone seemed to lack. You can hear the dog whining when Monkey moves the glasses which could symbolize the evolution of the Zone though I'm spit balling it here. Also, there is pollen in the air signifying the hope or new life that will be spread throughout the Earth because of her. The music "Ode to Joy" is obvious.
It's kinda beyond me why you westerners struggle so much with something so basic. It's simple: The movie discusses the nature of faith. The dog is a faithful follower.
The stalker doesn't enter the room because deep down, he has a small doubt if the faith he feels is real. In fact, Tarkovsky never assures us that faith is real; the ending is like the beginning. At the start of the movie, a glass moves due to the passing of the train, and in the end, the same thing happens. But we see the stalker's daughter, perhaps having the power of telekinesis and making miracles something possible, something real. However, we also hear the train passing and how it moves the entire house, so Andrei never assures us of anything. It's incredible what Tarkovsky did with this film, being his last in Russia and his second shooting, as the first negative was destroyed.
The final scenes of Stalker, with the stalker crying while dandelions are flying everywhere, or the tracking shot on the water - Tarkovsky was the Beethoven of cinema. Every time I watch it, I discover something new, a treasure, as if Andrei had it stored away to be uncovered when you watch it for the eighth time. By far, I always believed it was a religious movie rather than a science fiction one, as religion is the film's central theme. If you've never had existential doubts and believe that everything comes and goes into nothingness, in other words, if you completely lack faith, this movie will be a waste for you because the journey is long, and Andrei's message is for those who understand it, as those who don't care will remain unaffected
"If you've never had existential doubts and believe that everything comes and goes into nothingness, in other words, if you completely lack faith, this movie will be a waste for you because the journey is long, and Andrei's message is for those who understand it, as those who don't care will remain unaffected"
"-I am not sure. I think it lets those through who've lost all hope."
Though I enjoyed this film as I did “Solaris”, for similar reasons, I preferred the sci-fi/horror aspects of “Roadside Picnic” and would like to see a more book-faithful screenplay made possible by advances in visual effects. With regard to “Solaris”, I love the original 1972 film, and walked out of the 2002 American version within ten minutes.
great movie to watch while extremely high or on an acid trip, movie isn't very scary and kind of comforting, cinematography is ambiguous and feels like the meaning will all come together at some point, also just a beautiful movie.
This movie becomes so much more interesting when held in contrast against both the original book and the game that is also based on the book. Each one has stalkers. All three have deadly anomalies. All three have a wish granter. And yet all of these things are entirely different flavors. Especially the wish granter works.
SPOILER WARNING!!!
In the book the wish granter (aka The Golden Sphere) is truly impartial. You approach it. You ask for a wish. it's granted. The problem is that it's located behind an anomaly called The Meat Grinder which does exactly what the name implies via powerful gravitational forces. And the only way to get through The Meat Grinder is to activate it as it goes dormant for several hours once its been triggered. Essentially you have to trick or force another human to walk into it An animal could theoretically be used if you could get one large enough into the zone. Additionally, in the books, this zone isn't the only zone. There are zones all over the world due to how the zones were created. We only ever see the one in Russia though but its implied there are wonders and disasters in all of them.
In the games the wish granter (aka The Monolith) is a monkey's paw. It is an apparently sapient thing that lures in people toward it. And has an entire cult worshiping it. It speaks in your mind while you approach it, killing cult members. And if you reach it you can ask it for a wish. And it will be granted. I don't know which of the wishes I saw are from the base game wishes are since the game basically requires mods to run properly, But the end result will generally leave you dead or worse than dead. In reality this device is an illusion. It uses the reality warping powers of the zone to falsely grant the desires of those who approach it and causes the zone as a whole to expand in all directions each and every time.
In the movie the wish granter (aka The Room) is also impartial. But instead of granting the wish you ask of it, it will grant your innermost desire. This isn't always a bad thing but can result in people feeling immense guilt over what they wished for vs what they came to that place to wish for. The stalker in the movie knows this and that's why he will not go into the room. He's afraid, not of getting his wish granted, but of the consequences of it. Saying "I'll never be able to return" is not because there's something that would magically prevent him. Like "you've already had your wish. You can't come in" but because he'd have no reason to come back. For example if his wish was for a lovely, happy, perfect family who would want for nothing that means that it's no longer worth risking his life in the zone. Because, in the movie at least, the zone only lets those who are miserable pass.
If I remember correctly from Roadside Picnic, the zone in which the book take place is in an unknown country, they let it to the reader to imagine. They just says the name of the city : Harmont... also for the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game, it can turn very well without mods and are excellent! За Монолит!
@@xenf1365 Maybe I misremembered the detail about the location. Its been a good while.
And as for the stalker games I suppose your mileage may vary. I couldn't launch the game without some fixes installed. It just crashed every time.
@AgentSapphire ah damn.. I remember I finished the first one without any patches, haha... I guess I am lucky
@@xenf1365 yeah it is very temperamental on certain hardware or hardware combinations. Or even where you have it installed etc. You might get lucky and it runs perfectly, but you also might get unlucky.
About 10 years ago an old friend recommended this film to me, never heard of it! He kept asking me if I watched it ? did I like it etc. Anyway I told him how can I watch it, I can't find it! he sent me a link... I watched maybe 25min then it stop streaming.
So I was record store, when record stores were a thing and saw it on sale purchased price $50! I thought ok this better be good for $50.
Anyway I watched it and was a bit stunned initially! Then I watched it again and again and again and again, and yes indeed I can say for certain this film is a "Masterpiece" best $50 dollars I ever spent on a classic movie, I love it!
0:52 …and _Andrei Rublev_ which is my favorite of the Russian Tarkovsky films.
The lack of action is why many don't like it, but the concept is awesome. Despite poor directing and casting decisions, 2018's _Annihilation_ it has a ton in common with _Stalker._ I love _Stalker_ regardless of its tacit style; it's so calming, yet unsettling at times, and it is extremely deep and introspective.
Correction. It does not take place in Russia. In the book it's based of it's Canada.
Stalker is the third Tarkovsky film I’ve watched after seeing Andrew Rubliev and Ivan’s Childhood some years ago. What has stayed with me since viewing this particular film is less the profundity of meaning than the beauty of Tarkovsky’s ability to create a cinematic tapestry of sound and vision. There were fleeting episodes of true beauty in this movie. A near fifty year old film that needs no surgery to appear strangely ageless. Take your time with Stalker. Its ugliness belies the dream.
Just watched this for the first time last week and then you make a video, how nice 🙃
Just for you
Read CG Jung , Synchronicity .......... !
I thought it was told in the beginning of the film that the daughters disability was caused by being born within the zone ,
and probably has the telekinesis skill from there too.
I first watched a bit of this movie with my Dad when i was very young in the early 80's .
I only remember them driving along railway and going through the eerie area with broken down tanks and stuff.
It stuck with me and have just rewatched it now, well over 40 years later.
I just watched it (and found your video looking for others thoughts 😐). One thing I really noticed was how the sound enhanced the overall feelings of unease and "otherness".
It's nice to see your subscriber numbers slowly climbing. I really enjoy watching your takes on different films, and you have good recommendations.
I watched "Riders of Justice" a couple of weeks back and enjoyed it. I'll try giving "Stalker" (1979) a watch.
I find it fascinating that the two guys who make it to the room both try to use fronts as to why they won't actually enter it. I think perhaps they are too afraid to really want to know the truth.
I'm also curious if the Stalker has the gifts to navigate the zone because he's sort of like a genie in a lamp. Did he make a wish in that room and be forced to assist others to get there in exchange? If so, is he needing someone else to make a wish so that they take his place and he is then free from being a Stalker?
It’s low budget wizard of oz remake in the Russian dystopian style
I was thinking exactly the same thing about wizard of Oz. I am not the only one
Very well presented and going to - and through - the quintessence of this cinematographic masterpiece.
Very candid and honest analysis. Just talking about a movie using brains and emotion. Kudos. Have a like.
0:10 WRONG!! I love weird stuff like this, I really found it captivating. It reminds me of one of my favourite comedy movie "Sir Henry at Rawlinson's End" - which is similarly baffling and psychedlic in nature.
theres a lot of shit in the movie that you dont take in on the first watch. watch it, the watch it again a few months later. you take in a lot of the deeper shit the 2nd go and it hits kinda hard. went to bed after watching it and had the best sleep ive had in a LONG fuckin time
It's fascinating how all the people who say the movie is difficult/awful to watch are americans.
As I’m sure many fans know, it’s adapted from Road Side Picnic. These two pieces of media then spawned the Stalker video games.
i've seen it twice in the last few years and i'm starting to get it
Just watched the movie and came to this video. There is a scene with the dog after the professor gets off the phone with his boss. The dog is lying next to two skeletons in bed next to each other. Could this be a reference to the professor's wife and her affair? Just a thought. I need to watch this movie a few more times.
Good theory
In the directors cut the stalker cant enter the room because he hears a voice telling him
"get out of here stalker get out of here stalker get out of here stalker"😂
Stalker, Solaris, The Mirror.. Its the filming, with all its details and sounds and weird things going on, I love them, and
have seen them 'a few' times, same with the American Motorama, and Bladerunner.. :)
Big respect for not trying to BS answers for the symbolism. Sometimes there’s no correct take
i'm wondering what the black dog represents in the movie. it puzzled me
Great video! I recently watched this and agree that it is really interesting. I don't necessarily agree with your assessment of the Stalker, however. I don't necessarily think he was moral and definitely not a standup guy. He leaves his wife and daughter, and doesn't really act like he cares or like it is any sacrifice to him. He is rather cold to his wife. I feel too like his faith is shook. He is struggling with his faith to the point where he relies on other people's faith to get him through. It seems like he believes that faithlessness has led to the shitty, drab world of hard times he lives in... when more likely it is the hard time world that led to the faithlessness. The best part about these types of movies is all the different interpretations that can come from them.
But it is also his wife's faith in him that makes him realize that his life outside the zone isn't so bad, she shows the power of faith. His faith is also rewarded when we see that his daughter has supernatural abilities.
"It seems like he believes that faithlessness has led to the shitty, drab world of hard times he lives in... when more likely it is the hard time world that led to the faithlessness."
This is because the Soviet Union banned religion, they banned faith, and as you know the Soviet Union went to shit. There are a lot of reasons why the Soviet Union went to shit, lack of faith and godlessness is just one of them, but in Tarkovsky's eyes, it is the main reason.
You can observe how the lack of faith in the US is also corrupting it and causing a decline, so he might not be wrong.
What makes it so good?
it's totally devoid of Hollywood. This is surreal subconscious dreamlike images on camera.
The only reason I found this movie was looking at stalker game videos
Also the directors last name is used for the game escape from tarkov
Likely pays tribute to him
SPOILER ALERT: I have Questions about this movie maybe someone here can answer.
1. Is the Zone and it's the room in the movie's world just made up superstitions and it's only fenced off because it's a nuclear hotspot like Chernobyl? IRL the restricted Chernobyl world was closed off to the public as well and people called Stalkers would sneak into the zone. Other tips that the Zone isn't what our Stalker claims is we never see a single booby trap yet he claims they are all over and magically change places all the time. Other hints that the zone is just Stalker's imagination is that when he's outside the zone everything is monochromatic color and once we get into the zone everything is in color. It's very similar to wizard of oz how Dorothy's imagination of Oz is in color but black in white in her reality.
2. Were those dead bodies on the floor in front of the room? If so is this proof the room is magical and booby traps in fact do exist?
3. Did Porcupine's brother die because his innermost wish was to die?
4. Does Stalker's daughter have Jedi force powers or did the stuff move on it's own just because of the nearby train?
1. The zone is most likely a real place the colors have nothing to do with imagination since stalker's wife clearly knows of it's existence, the movie simply is about faith and destiny we don't know if the traps exist but if they do maybe it was just destiny that allowed them to go through or maybe it was the zone itself since it apears to be partially sentient it has nothing to do with anything nuclear this movie was shot prior to chernobyl. The stalkers who snuck into chernobyl were named AFTER this movie.
2. It might have been dead bodies however the zone does actually show paranormal activity like when they teleport in the middle of the film or when a dead phone rings it is heavily implied that what the stalker is saying IS true.
3. It might be, it may also be that he simply killed himself because he realised how pointless existence was with your wish granted.
4. It was not the train.
@@kiryowtk2869 Great point about Chernobyl of course it happened after this movie was made. I'm old enough to remember Chernobyl happening I should have caught that. The Zone is so freaking similar to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone it's creepy. How did Tarkovsky recreate something from the future so spot on? My guess is he based it on other Soviet Exclusion zones like where the Soviets created a lake by blowing up a Multiple nukes to create an artificial lake but then realized it's so radioactive we can't let people in here. The US had similar plans such as Project Plowshare but cancelled them due to radiation issues.
@@kiryowtk2869 Your right the girl was absolutely moving those glasses with her powers because if it was the train they ALL would have been moving at once but she deliberately moved one at a time as she focused on it. She basically Carry without legs. She deserves her own movie.
@@kiryowtk2869 The Zone clearly exists and wife is aware of it but the wife never say's she is convinced of it's supernatural power. The Zone being in Color clearly indicates something very important and I believe it's in color because Stalker believes in it's supernatural power and see's it through a lens of being more colorful where everyday life is such a drudge and he even calls it his prison so it's muted colorless with no magic. Again I believe we only see this through the lens of the Stalker and others that truly believe in it's power.
@@Wallyworld30 If we go down the Tarkovsky as a Prophet road, it's not only the Zone that seems to predict Chernobyl, but also the film Sacrifice that seems to predict the 1986 murder of the Swedish prime minister Olof Palme.
A recurring "disaster panic scene" is centered on the long stairs at the end of the cul-de-sac where Palme was shot, just a few months after the filming. Though without that connection, the actual scene is more like a New York 9/11 aftermath "in miniature".
Note that the first comparison could be made from 1986 and on, while the 9/11 one had to wait another 15 years. Which brings us to numerous Nostradamus interpretation fallacies of a similar kind. There is a reason that we have the word "coincidence" (and equivalents) in most languages.
Then again, towards the end of the book Sculpting in Time, Tarkovsky quotes Pushkin's poem The Prophet, where God tells the poet to go out there and tell the world. Sooo ... in some sense Tarkovsky may just have seen himself as a prophet of sorts.
I accidentally watched it fully in black and white guess I get to rewatch it no problem
For me, this movie is a good example of, "Don't judge a book by its cover". A simple summary would be: A Stalker abandons his unfulfilling life in order to embark on a journey with three men to the zone; a dangerous, lucrative place where there is a magical room to grant any deep desire. Very simple many would think. But this movie's dialogue, religious symbolism, score, editing, setting, and story keeps us hooked because it is how it disguises itself as a simple adventure story but turns into something more deep and treacherous. I love this movie so much. Dreamed about it so much before buying it criterion even though it's free on RUclips. Very inspirational as well.
I’m writing a philosophy essay right now on stalker. Do you have any interesting ideas or approaches to the movie from a philosophical perspective? There are so many things to write about but I just can’t think of any concrete ideas to explore. Obviously I could say something about desire, search for meaning, etc… but I’m not sure what stance the film might be taking on these things and how the film explores these ideas.
@@pwcgp2199 I would parallel the movie to Jesus Christ, his disciples, and the Roman's who wanted to hurt or disbelieve in his influence. I also would use this as a reflection of the true concept of science fiction. The energy and tone and how it encapsulates the main (or popular) themes of the genre. I would also include events in Russia during the time of Stalker that would fit in nicely into the essay.
Idk if he "abandoned" life. This is what he does for a living, hes gone into the zone times before and returned, unlike mamy who do venture in.
He MUST go in to provide for his family.
Have you ever thought of doing a ranking for different directors?
For example: all Michael Haneke films ranked
I've thought about it but haven't thought about how I'd want to do it.
Nice vid man, this movie spins my head😂😂😂
I personally think that Stalker is more than just a movie, it's an experience. It's an amazing story with fascinating characters, it is something that every movie watcher should exlerience at least once. It is something truly special, and I think that it is THE best film that has ever been made.
It’s a piece of shit, and the longest 3 hours of my life. We all know Sausage Party is the best film ever made.
@@DJNITON Sausage Party is amazing, you are amazing person
Man, where did you find this awesome wallpaper? Haha link please
The degree of vivid colour indicates the hope that their hearts feel.
The end has 3 i think distinct answers.
1 he says to his wife what if we fail again? As in they have been to the room before and they were gifted a ceipple child, but kaybe it was a success all along?
2. The dog is part of the zone brought back and is able to spread its gifts to someone of pure heart or faith
3. The wife was right all along that she didnt need the zone as they were able to manifest thier own happiness if they only believe and thay is thier daughter
You must watch this movie at least once to appreciate to work that Andrei put into it. This movie did what it was meant to do. To keep the audience in suspense for any "traps" to occur which he succeeded to do. Also about faith and about focusing on what is in front of you like family, instead of focusing on some obsession which life just passes you by.
Narcissism exists on a spectrum, the zone makes your deepest wishes come true. Upon realizing your deepest wishes may not actually benefit mankind its best to not partake. The zone comes alive in the presence of people and the traps constantly shifting like a narcissist. The iron rule suggests the eastern block and isolation by authoritarian systems that inform you of your needs and desires and manufacturers dissent.
Supposedly the children of Stalkers in that universe are born deformed but with magic powers which was supposed to be gone into in more depth in a sequel that was never released.
In the book, the daughter is called Monkey because she has hair growing all over her body.
Thr people who were living in the villages/areas where the zone(s) are, were either killed during the event, or blinded and deformed.
Nobody is allowed to leave because very strange things seem to happen around these people, like terrible storms which destroy cities.
The stalker is the guy who goes in illegally to earn a dollar.
Nothing really happens because the Stalker is there. I know it's kind of a cop-out, but we dont see how the guy found his way. We are with the group, and we as an audience are assumed to be trusting in the Stalker. A lot of viewers think about what they would wish for, but we don't know what we actually want when the chance is right in front of us. I think the hope and faith references are really grounding.
I don't know for sure that the movie is set in Russia, my understanding was this was its own anonymous universe, there aren't really any cultural references that would make it clear that the story is set in Russia, some of the cars they have in the movie are specifically ones you would never find in the former Soviet Union, they clearly had to import them from somewhere outside of the Soviet Union when filming it, which would indicate the story actually was not meant to be set there
Ukraine “Chernobyl” exclusion zone. The book roadside picnic better explains all of this. As for the games are spin offs of the books I don’t know how accurate the games are to the movie although I recommend the book. The Main cultural reference we get is that it’s a exclusion zone i.e Chernobyl exclusion zone. Stalker is a term used during the period of the Soviet Union/Ukraine during the collapse of the Union. ✊
@@ShootinStims The Chernobyl nuclear accident was in 1986, while the film Stalker was made (finished) in 1979. The Stalker term's use in real life was apparently inspired by the book and film, not the other way around. Or the original russian word may be a "natural" word to use for such people in general, both before and after the book and film.
@@fox23fox completely inaccurate. As a foreigner from Ukraine this isn’t true. 🤣
@@ShootinStims I cannot possibly be "completely inaccurate". I may be wrong about the term Stalker (in russian) and it's usage. But the film was made in 1979, seven years before the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, and the subsequent "zone" around it.
Or are you saying that something else happened there, that required a zone before 1979; or before 1971 even, as that's when the book Roadside Picnic was written.
Either you are misunderstanding me, or I'm misunderstanding you here.
Fair assessment. I loved it for the same reasons I loved VALHALLA RISING. Found the full film of STALKER free here on RUclips. Good resolution. Subbed to your channel.
The time you spend to watch it is relational to the time spent in the zone itself. Tis the journey мой друг. Also the wife's speech 😢
It is GREAT and I love it with all my heart.
I watched this movie for the first time today and I must say, while it's visually very impressive, and the cinematography is definitely worth noting, I was left at the end with this thought of "what just happened exactly?"
Take, for instance, the choice of sepia vs. color. While watching the movie, the sepia toned scenes to me were the "real" world (or anything outside of the zone), the in-color scenes were anything inside the zone. It made it apparent that the outside "world" (so to speak) was bleak, miserable, and full of bad things to the Stalker. But when the three main characters are inside of the zone, there are certain points where the sepia toned scenes return, notably when the Stalker is falling asleep. I pictured these as dreams maybe. Dreams or flashbacks to times the Stalker spent outside of the zone. But I think the dog (I have no idea what the dog symbolizes, if it symbolizes anything at all) was first introduced in one of the sepia toned scenes. So where did the dog come from exactly? The zone, or outside of it?
You noted that at the end of the movie there are scenes that aren't sepia toned, which shows that the Stalker no longer looks at his ordinary surroundings as bleak, he starts to see the true beauty of his life outside of the zone. Which makes sense, after what he went through, but I had a hard time figuring out what scenes were in "the zone" and which ones weren't. If one was pictured solely in one color tone, and the other in full color, it'd 100% make more sense, but they aren't (apparently). I know you're just interpreting the film yourself and anyone else could have a differing view, but it really threw me for a loop. Like what is what? Which "world" are we in? If we can't simply go off the color tones used, then why are there varying color tones? They have to represent something.
I do think maybe you're right though, maybe the colored scenes in Russia at the end were used to show that the Stalker had clearly realized that even if true happiness could be found by simply walking into a room that grants your wishes, maybe there is more beauty around his every day life that he hadn't seen before. After all he took two people out there to have their dreams come true, and both refused. But he did mention taking his wife and child to the zone since no one could bother them there, so in the very last scenes I just assumed that was where they were (it was in color, and I just assume color = the zone).
It''s one of those movies you could watch 5 different times and come out with something extra with each viewing, but seeing as the runtime is just under 3 hours, I find it hard for me to do that myself. It's very beautiful, but also very slow.
Fantastic movie just a plain joy to view.
All a man needs is a good woman and a dog
ome themes in conclusion reminded me of Buddhist philosophy. Suffering is inherent to living. Suffering arises from clinging/grasping to desires (attachments). The wife in the end wraps up the conclusion: without suffering there can be no happiness.
What made me want to see this film was seeing the same image on your computer screen--the large room with sand dunes? What is that place? I agree this film is a masterpiece. When I started it the first time I thought yep an art house film and it is. Great actors, breathtaking cinematography and I got a kind of spiritual high off it. Because it is so long I watched it in segments over several nights. I have watched it twice. It is a film that stays with you. Solaris is equally as wonderful although I recommend reading the book first. I am making a point of viewing as many of Tarkovsky's films as possible. I think he might be better than Bergman whose films I find a bit mentally traumatizing. Cries and Whispers!
Best of luck with your RUclips career!
Thanks 🙏
It's my 15th favorite movie out of 941 :)
Also thebonly shots outside the zone in color are of the dsughter who has miracle powers. Which i thibk represents her being a miracle of the zone, the stalkers gift for his faith
@12:38 the black dog?
Right, so getting into the room can be very dangerous, at least based on what the Stalker says. Apparently, what you get is NOT what you ask for but what you wish for the most inside. i.e. he tells a story when a father went into the room and asked for his daughter's life saved and he got money...
Great video
Stalker is so great!
This was a good movie I liked it but I didn't love it. I loved the concept and the sense of a spiritual journey. I like how it keeps you on edge, with the tension building through the characters as they go on, but it is very slow and lacks a lot of just pure entertainment value; but overall I did enjoy it, it's a movie lovers movie. It will make you think
I don't like this movie, but I do.
I have the Criterion dvd.....watched this film many times......one of finest films made....
The zone isnt necessarilly set in russie
I dont think its stated where it is in the movie and i know its alluded in the book that the zone is in canada
although I dont agree with what you're saying alot of the time, this is exactly what Tarkovski intends with his films. He hates blatant symbolysim and wants his viewers to discover their own meaning. What you're saying is completelty correct, at the same time as being completely wrong, its left up to each individuals interpretation. This is why he is great.
I thought this was going to be spoiler free. Was listening along to try to show my friend who I’ve wanted to watch it with for the first time. Dang
Sorry man but if a movie is 40 years old, you’re on your own.
@@RendanLovell It’s not that big of a deal it just would’ve a been a little more convenient to mention if you’re about to go into spoiler stuff in the future but it is what it is lol.
That’s the pain of being really excited for something you just discovered, I read the book and while I’m waiting for my friend to finish it so we can watch the movie together, it’s like I’m looking for stuff to hype it up while also wanting to find out as much as I can about the movie without knowing too much. It’s hard to balance my curiosity with caution. Especially with how peculiar this movie seems to be from the trailers and descriptions I see and how few people are really talking about it in English lol. I’ll be back to finish this when we finally watch it-hopefully soon!
I just watched this for the first time. I loved the introspective conversations, but I wish they were in English so I could understand them without missing too much of the visuals. It was very slow, and I definitely missed a lot, which is why I’m here to see what the Easter eggs were lol. And then ending confused the shit out of me - he left his daughter in the Zone? She has powers? Wut. But the visuals were awesome.
I’m writing a philosophy essay right now on stalker. Do you have any interesting ideas or approaches to the movie from a philosophical perspective? There are so many things to write about but I just can’t think of any concrete ideas to explore. Obviously I could say something about desire, search for meaning, etc… but I’m not sure what stance the film might be taking on these things and how the film explores these ideas.
well explained
The Word is the most timeless piece in 3 dimensional existence. Not trendy, just eternal.
Stalker is very straightforwardly a metaphor for religion. The Stalker is a stand in for a priest whose job is to guide people through the mysteries of life promising them whatever their heart desires. But people no longer need faith because they've found answers and meaning in science and art. First the scientist and the artist are afraid of religion and want to destroy it but then they realize it has no real power and they might as well let "gods poor fools" keep their hokey religions.
Ти ме не слушаш?
Ви сакрили, ја нашо. Старо здање, бункер 4.
Проста бомба, двад’сет килотона.
Movie is gold.
i mean this in the best way possible....i think your videos would be better without the background music playing while your talking. it's a little distracting
Watching stalker for first time yesterday. I say wow. Amazing.
Masterpiece? I have my doubts. Even though Strugacky brothers wrote a screenplay, it pails comparing to the original book that this story is based on: "Rode Side Picnic". I encourage to read this book. It is one of a kind like many others by Strugacky brothers.
my man has cheat engine shortcut
Thanks idubbz
Won’t like it? Stalker is amazing.
This movie is about , the looking for the ultimate answer , it lies in the Zone ( the only place were God is real ? )
uwu I must watch, have u seen the lighthouse btw? it's prolly obvious that u have but imma post this comment anyway
huh from the comments I'm getting a bit of Eraserhead vibes regarding how this man views his life and his family
Stalker
Since he said he may never go back in the zone at the end that may be the cause of russia gaining color
Stalker…I don’t know if I can sit through that again. Really tried my patience. I liked Solaris though
The ONLY reason I watched this is an explanation..
There is no Zone and there is no Room. It's a metaphor for hope in a hopeless society in the waning days of the Soviet Union.
I think the plot, theme, worldbuilding, some shots, overall message (faith and cynicism) and the poetry was really cool. Super well written but i just dont feel the direction was all that great. The pacing was horrible and that first scene with the dodging car gave me a headache. I just feel like there was so much more you could do with its runtime.
12:24 me looking up a stupid explanation video
The Stalker is like LOTR if LOTR took place in communist Russia lmao.
I guess my problem with the movie is I wish there were more anomalies in the zone and the subtitles were a bit too fast, not that it matters since I speak Russian.
I appreciate this movie a lot because it lays down some heavy philosophy while giving you time to think about the philosophy of what the characters are saying with long gorgeous scenes of nature and abandoned factories and structures in between. Maybe it was a bit too slow for me? but also, I think I enjoyed the first half a lot more than the second half, after a while I started to fall asleep lol, but it was a pleasant experience, I enjoyed it a lot more than the modern bullshit we see with explosions and cheesy effects. Maybe it was just the right length, but I had to watch the movie in two sittings.
This movie felt... wholesome, it had some heavy Doestovsky vibes, especially all the religious undertones regarding faith. I've recently been rediscovering my own faith in the divine and supernatural. So I watch this film at an interesting time in my life. I think it's important to understand that the Soviet Union banned religion, it was a purely materialistic empire, which is ironic because communism tries to criticize materialism so hard, aka capitalism.
I guess capitalism and communism lead to the same result once they begin destroying religion, faith, tradition. (Look at detroit, LA, Baltimore, etc)
This movie is probably confusing for people who don't know much about life in the Soviet Union, religion, history, philosophy. It's a deep piece that requires a lot of thought. I do have a lot to say about this movie but I think I have already ranted enough.
This 🎯
So how is this a sci Fi ?
RENDAN LOVELL LOOKS LIKE A HYBRID OF JOHNNY DEPP AND VAL KILMER WHAT THE FUCK
I can't decide whether he is handsome, beautiful ,or was born female?
@@angelareele858 Perhaps all three lmao
This movie was very wet.
spoiler alert 😉
Spoilers
It’s from 1979 brother. You’re on your own with spoilers.