Stalker (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1979) | Jameson's Cinematic Century

Stalker
(Andrei Tarkovsky, 1979, 161 min, Soviet Union, Russian with English subtitles, DCP)

One of the most immersive and rarefied experiences in the history of cinema, Andrei Tarkovsky’s Stalker embarks on a metaphysical journey through an enigmatic post-apocalyptic landscape. A hired guide—the “Stalker” of the title—leads a writer and a scientist into the heart of the Zone, the restricted site of a long-ago disaster, where the three men eventually zero in on the Room, a place rumored to fulfill one’s most deeply held desires. Adapting a science-fiction novel by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, and making what would be his final Soviet feature, Tarkovsky created a challenging and visually stunning work, his painstaking attention to material detail and sense of organic atmosphere further enriched by this vivid digital restoration. At once a religious allegory, a reflection of contemporary political anxieties, and a meditation on film itself—among many other interpretations—Stalker envelops the viewer by opening up a multitude of possible meanings.

“A tangled knot of memories, fears, fantasies, nightmares, paradoxical impulses, and a yearning for something that's simultaneously beyond our reach and yet intrinsic to every one of us.” – Slant Magazine

“Visually unforgettable and possibly Tarkovsky's finest work.” – Observer (UK)

“Tarkovsky is the greatest of them all. He moves with such naturalness in the room of dreams.” 
– Ingmar Bergman

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