Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Amazing
Andrei Tarkovsky is not only capably of making an excellent thriller, but he very closely examines his characters and the way they react to different things, as well as providing some incredible images. Tarkovsky is known for saying that a good movie should not be entertaining. This may hold true to "The Sacrifice" or "The Mirror," but this is a brilliant science fiction masterpiece that is good AND entertaining. The acting is flawless and the script is very well written, allowing for some close examination of each individual cosmonaut on board Solaris.For any who are unfamilair with the plot, it involves a group of cosmonauts who are in orbit above a planet consisting completely of water. The water seems to be alive and is manifesting hallucinations of what the crew is thinking about, or people from their past. The people react with fear and compassion to these different occurences, and try to figure out how to stop this, or if they even want to. Fans of "2001: A Space Odyssey" should not miss this, and once viewing this masterpiece you will realize how many films have been influenced by this one ("Event Horizon," for example).
Rating: - Extraordinary Movie
I'm so pleased that SOLARIS is finally on DVD (prompted, no doubt, by the recent remake). Ostensibly, it's a sci-fi movie, but it's likely to appeal to non-sci-fi fans. In many ways, it reminds me of 2001. The plot concerns some mysterious events in a Russian space station in the future. The space station is studying the planet Solaris, which has a swirling plasma-like ocean that may or may not be sencient. A psychologist, Dr. Kris Kelvin, is sent to retrieve the remaining crew and determine whether the mission can continue. When he arrives, Dr. Kelvin is shocked to find that the crew has "guests." Whether the "guests" are hallucinations is left somewhat unanswered, and the ending is fairly enigmatic. However, the film is first-rate in every way.The visuals are simply stunning; it's one of the best looking films I've ever seen, and this beauty is enhanced by DVD technology. The film is long (2 hours and 45 minutes) and slow-moving; however, I was never bored and actually found myself wishing the movie could go on further. Highly recommended to fans of 70s cinema, intelligent sci-fi, and great movies. I haven't seen the remake, but seeing the original has definitely made me curious.
Rating:  - Metaphor is Mightier than Special Effects
I find it fascinating. Tarkovsky makes you see things beyond the actual images on the screen. There's a five-minute scene filmed on the superhighways of Tokyo circa 1971 in which an ex-astronaut sits in his autopilot car that made me think of the loneliness of space travel (think "Ground control to Major Tom"). It's a meditative series of shots that metaphorically conveys so much more than computer generated sequences. The Tarkovsky scholars on the audio commentary completely misunderstood it, saying it was the weakest portion of the film. Even though "Solaris" was billed as the Soviet "2001: A Space Odyssey," it really doesn't compare either in science or special effects. It's more about conscience and how the past haunts you. The premise has been used by Michael Crichton in "Sphere" and in other similar movies that don't go as deep as Tarkovsky. "Solaris" is too long, though. The first hour and the last half hour are the best (total running time 2 hours 45 minutes). Apparently, Lem hated this filmed version of his book, saying it took too many liberties. Basically Tarkovsky took the characters and situation and made up his own story. The interviews with people involved in the film, including the lead actress and the director of photography, are excellent. Now I want to see his other films "Andrei Rublev" and "Stalker."
|
