Filmmaker reacts to Stalker (1979) for the FIRST TIME
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- Опубліковано 1 тра 2022
- Hope you enjoy my filmmaker reaction to Stalker. :D
Full length reactions & Patreon only polls: / jamesvscinema
Original Movie: Stalkerg (1979)
Ending Song: / charleycoin
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Marvel's WHAT IF tomorrow!
Finished Chernobyl & Peacemaker on the patreon! Click here for early access: www.patreon.com/jamesvscinema
Have a great day everyone!
I think you would appreciate a movie called Berberian Sound Studio. It's mind warping, an excellent performance by Toby Jones.
Hey James, what's your favorite film if you don't mind answering? Also do you have a letterboxd account?
Sup bro.
Ex Machina
Constantine (2005)
Reign of fire
American Psycho
The Hatefull eight
Kungfu Hustle
Zombieland 1 & 2
No country for old men
The grand Budapest Hotel
CB4
Alien vs Predator
30 Days of Night
Series:
What if (Marvel)
Invinsible (Prime)
The Strain
Chernobyl
I see people throw movies at you constantly now...so..sorry. I do attempt to only ever mention...lesser spoken about ones though...I just hope anyone reading it may find them interesting...like Child of Peach..A kung-fu film from the 80s which has more style and anime-feel to it, than most adaptations made today...such a random pull...it's on youtube as well as the second...which I still can't find a good version of 3..of...but if you ever want to see A great, well made, unique, but truly grim and depressing film, Dead Man's Letters is A Russian film from 1986, that was relevant when I first watched as the pandemic hit and now is even more relevant with things overseas...Yeah...a bit grim and it tears at you if you're old enough to appreciate it...hard not to recommend A movie made so well though..also in youtube.
...Iran at the least, they help with the algorithm 🤣
3 guys went for a walk for 1 day, nothing happened, they came back with a dog.
One of my favorite films ever.
fun fact, this movie is comprised of only 142 shots. that is absolutely nuts to me in today’s film world
I love that
Another phenomenal film "Werckmeister Harmonies (2000)" is comprised of only 39 shots. It's insane to think about the efficiency you can get from a project if you hyperfocus on the small details.
@@guts1258 I need to watch that too. I saw Satantango a couple of years ago which was interesting and slow (which works in its setting as it’s mostly set in a desolate village).
@@guts1258 Bela Tarr is a legend of long shots and minimal frame techniques.
The fact that most of the movie had to be reshot due to initially having shot it on ruined film is also pretty interesting
I love how everyone of the characters represents the three different ways of the human being to seek out the truth. Writer is the intellectual approach, Professor is the scientific one, and Stalker is faith. He does not want to understand how the zone works and he does not want to ask for anything but the happiness of people. The room is just a way to conceptualize the ultimate goal in life, to find our personal truth. The zone is life itself, it changes depending on the turns you take, is mysterious, scary, and nobody seems to get how it works, and you "cannot go back the way you entered" but at the end of the road there's the ultimate truth...and neither of the three approaches really works in the end.
I cant believe you reacted to this one. Every movie of Tarkovsky is spiritual experience. Nobody is making films like him. Ingmar Bergman said not once that Tarkovsky is the G.O.A.T.
Always gotta show these films some love!
Bergman, himself, being one of the GOATs.
@@bencarlson4300 Exactly, means so much coming from him
Hell yeah!!!!
I sometimes think 'masterpiece' is thrown around too often but Stalker definitely deserves the praise. There's really nothing like it and so much about it is incredible. Possibly more so when you see the background of how it was made. How DID it get made!?
Quite incredible
“The film [Stalker] needs to be slower and duller at the start so that the viewers who walked into the wrong theatre have time to leave before the main action starts.” ― Andrei Tarkovsky
Appreciate his awareness so much.
That was on The Mirror, not Stalker.
I thought he said that about Solaris, not Stalker?
@@zenhaelcero8481 Shit, you might be right about that..
@r3dakt3d It's definitely a correct assessment with all of his films after Stalker. It's simultaneously Tarkovsky's way of telling the story as well as a way of making sure people don't get to see the important bits too soon.
I find it absolutely great that by the end you started saying "poetry" when talking about this film. Director Tarkovskiy's father was a Soviet poet that deeply influenced him, and Andrei always intended and fought for his films to be what he always referred to as "poetic cinema", both in terms of his shots and his stories, something I think he achieved with a PhD when making Stalker. My heart jumps with joy but also bursts in immense pain, that even after having prematurely left this world, the very production that ended up killing director Tarkovskiy was the one that fulfilled his dream of poetic cinema.
This is one of my all time favs. This movie pretty much caused the death of the director, several members of cast and crew due to the location they filmed on, as well as being mostly reshot entirely from scratch after a lab screwed up the processing, and every single frame of it haunts my mind.
Point of note - this version (there seems to be 2) lacks a pice of music that plays as the rail cart takes them into the zone. Also the second last ep of the Loki series pulls HEAVY from the visuals of this.
THAT is a wild fact. I’m gonna have to check out more of the production
@@JamesVSCinema Tarkovskiy went through 3 different directors of photography and shot the film like 3 times over a year in the toxically polluted locations, it really is very sad and a disturbingly haunting omen to the Chernobyl catastrophe that happened 7 years after Stalker was released and like 3 years after director Tarkovskiy died of complications of a lung cancer believed to be contracted while filming Stalker.
Tarkovsky had a hell of a time getting this movie made, as others have mentioned, but the lab trouble seems to have been just part of making movies in the Soviet Union. When Sergei Bondarchuk made his four-part "War and Peace" mega-epic ten years previously he begged the government-run studio to import Hollywood cameras and 70mm film stock but ideologically that was impossible during the Cold War. Bondarchuk had to basically print two dozen starred takes of every shot because if it didn't get chewed up in the dodgy Russian camera equipment, the film stock would have dead mosquitos imbedded in it, or the lab would fuck it up. Banking a lot of alternate takes was common back in the silent days when print stocks weren't good enough yet - if they wore out an original negative re-printing a popular movie over and over, it was not uncommon to reassemble the movie from the alternate takes, although no director particularly wanted to do this. That practice was in the distant past in the west by the time Tarkovsky was working, though.
"War and Peace" is amazing, by the way - a much more energetic and gleefully in-your-face celebration of cinema and Russian history and literature than this. Criterion has a nice blu-ray of it.
@@karlmortoniv2951 Wow. That's super interesting, thanks for the info. And fantastic writing too!
I recommend checking out a bit of background on the production here. It's pretty insane what the director and the crew went through to get this made.
Yeah because some of this I can’t even fathom how they shot it
@@JamesVSCinema Check out 'Cinema Tyler' here on YT for great coverage on the production of this epic Sci-Fi.
@@JamesVSCinema Source for the video Richard Desmond mentions below: ua-cam.com/video/lhK7hMBli4s/v-deo.html it's a great watch and definitely adds a lot of context to the background of this film
wow James. I literally cannot believe you're doing this. Growing up I read all the SciFi I could find, and fell in love with Philip K. Dick ( Bladerunner, Minority report, etc., etc.) and 2 Russian brothers who had to smuggle their writings out of the soviet Bloc: Boris and Arkady Strugatsky. This film is based on their work. Talk about weird and moody, before it became popular... Hope you dig it. p.s. Love the intro and outro; always appreciate your observations and insight.
Roadside Picnic is a great read.
Strugatskys' had to smuggle their writings out of Soviet block lol wut? They were like the most famous and beloved sci-fi writers in whole USSR.
Right! Had a blast with this one. Absolutely embracing all of the WEIRD.
@@user-pm3wk6lw6m у этих, за бугром, своя правда...
@@user-pm3wk6lw6m i'm with you on that -- i think he's confusing them with Pasternak and Doctor Zhivago. during their period of popularity, Brezhnev would have wanted any good press surrounding science fiction and space culture he could get.
This dude every 15 seconds: 😮Wow, WOW, oh my god, man, I LOVE this!!
This film is like watching someone else's fever dream. Wonderful film, the confidence to just let a scene hang for 20 minutes with no dialogue is something rarely found in western media. The director did that so you'd get lost in your own thoughts, he wanted you to drift off and daydream about something completely unrelated. It's how the film hypnotises you.
Exactly. Fucking exactly. And sometimes when you’re staring at something on the screen instead your thoughts are flying at 100 mph as ideas revolve in your head about what exactly the implications are of what you’re looking at, as if you were actually there taking the time to stare at it.
Perfect for streaming. Refn gets it
Wow, didn't expect this one. I happen to know a thing or two about this movie (my parents wrote a book about Tarkovsky). I have personally looked for and visited many of the filming locations in Estonia. The novel that this film was based on, was more directly sci-fi, with actually working alien tech here and there. The first time Tarkovsky shot the movie, they messed up the footage, and it's a miracle they got money to redo it. The version Tarkovsky did make, contains almost no direct sci-fi. Everything is implied, and I think it's a genius move, that made it more timeless. Also, some of the stuff that is floating in the air, was very poisonous (factories used to dump all their highly dangerous chemicals in the swamps and lakes back then), and many of the cast, crew, and even Tarkovsky, died of cancer, that they possibly got when filming there. Another fun fact is that my dad watched Stalker in cinema, 12 times, when it came out.
But personally, the film inspires me for one specific reason. I have friends, who are in the industry, making music videos and commercials. And all they ever think about is money. They believe that the more money you throw at a project, the better it will be. Personally I know that yes, money is necessary to make things look good (and to keep quality actors happy), but above all, I think it's the script that comes first. Basically this movie showed me, that you don't need big explosions, huge sets and a lot of effects (tho those things are cool as all hell too), to make an all time classic movie. One can be made with a good script, a great director, and three great actors walking through a swamp.
Thank you
Check out The Lighthouse
Does anybody else think "Annihilation" is an unofficial remake of this movie, or at least that the book that was based on was influenced by "Stalker"? I swear it's the same story but "Annihilation" was made by an optimistic, American bunch of filmmakers while "Stalker" was made by much more jaded, beaten down Soviet filmmakers.
Very interesting. Thanks for sharing 👍
@@karlmortoniv2951 yep, I got big time vibes from that film. Glad someone said this. Obviously annihilation goes much further and "bombastic," but there is NO way the director hasn't seen (and probably loves) stalker.
Tarkovsky just hits different man, no one films like him. I would highly recommend you to watch more movies from him like Solaris and Andrei Rublev.
Every Tartovsky movie is epic. His average movies are good for other directors. Even Nostalghia and The Sacrifice are good. Not as good as other 5 but still damn... (Ivan's childhood, Andrei Rublev, Solaris, Mirror, Stalker, Nostalghia, The Sacrifice) Don't think any director has all good movies and this is for sure the best directorial run in the history of cinema.
I love sci-fi films that (1) don't use technology and (2) don't build elaborate worlds but rather photograph the existing world slightly askew to suggest the future/a dystopian society. Alphaville (65) and World on a Wire (73) are fantastic examples, but Stalker is the best.
I watched this film in my early twenties and it sculpted my sensibility with which I lived my last decade. I am 32 now. The sensitivity in this film made my personality. This is truly a blessing.
Your video about the movie is pure poetry, it really revived the feelings i felt while watching Satlker
@@victoriacarolina4753 thank you so much 😊
The film is generally based on the brothers Strugatsky book "Roadside Picnic"., even though it is much less literal than the book and much more abstract. In the book, the Zone is a landing site used by aliens, who landed on earth for a while and then left with no explanation, leaving the area dangerously contaminated with alien tech (thus the analogy of a roadside picnic: they didn't care about humans, didn't make contact, just did a pit stop on the way to somewhere and left a mess for the local wildlife - us in this case - to deal with after they're gone). The "stalkers" are basically smugglers who are obsessed with the Zone and use their expertise to acquire and sell objects, substances and tech from the Zone, as well as serving as paid guides for people who wish to reach certain points in the zone.
Some of the lines spoken by the Stalker are quotes from the 3000-year-old Chinese classic Tao Te Ching, by Lao Tzu. "The stiff and unbending is the disciple of death. The gentle and yielding is the disciple of life. The hard and strong will fall. The soft and weak will overcome." Many English translations are available. I like the version by Jane English and Gia Fu Feng.
Mirror (1975), dir. Andrei Tarkovsky
This film is actually one of my all time favourits. Definitely one of the best movies ever created and a masterpiece. What a unique and delicate experience and after having it watched easily 10+ times i find something new or interesting on every watch that i can spend hours thinking about.
I’m so glad you reacted to this, it’s definitely one of my favorites.
To me it’s one of the most cinematically dense films I’ve ever watched, and it’s constantly gorgeous and hauntingly beautiful.
My respect for you just skyrocketed. This is my favourite film ever. This film brought me out of depression and made me comfortable with my solitude. It made me appreciate the silence and mundane reality of life and also inspired me to make UA-cam videos. I would love it if you watch all of Tarkovsky films. Thanks a lot.
I’m so glad James really appreciated the little details of this film, not many people do.
Tarkovsky is a total vibe. Specifically for Stalker, if you aren't in the right mood you may HATE it. Otherwise his work will be utterly mesmerizing. I can recommend another Tarkovsky film, Andrei Rublev. I have a deep love for that one.
Tarkovsky is easily up there with the likes of Kubrick, Bergman and Kurosawa, really cool to see someone experiencing his films for the first time.
I always took this whole film as something of a metaphor for the human subconscious, with the deeper they go into the zone the more they’re faced with deeper and more uncomfortable truths about who they really are and what they truly hold dear on there deepest level. it’s definitely a film you have to sit with for a while after watching but it really gets better with time.
I was getting Kurosawa vibes during the opening shot & scene.
kurosawa actually talked about meeting with tarkovsky while andre was filming solaris!!! it's a really cool article and you can find it online, it gave me a really cool perspective on how such a renowned filmmaker viewed a contemporary filmmaker
Tarkovsky's cinema was far more pure than most of Kubrick and Kurosawa.
Wtf is Kubrick doing in that company lmao americans will shill any trash to try to stay relevant
@@1998CebolaExactly. Kubrick is a league of his own, far above the rest.
I applaud you for reacting to this film. It’s my absolute favorite and shifted my perspective on how cinema exists. It’s absolute magic
Oh man YES!... I'm SO glad you did it James!
I highly recommend you to read the book the movie is based on so you get more of the back story not only of Stalker, but of the whole universe.
Cheers!
I’m gonna check out the book for sure!
I'm really glad, James, that you have reviewed, analysed, and enjoyed one of my favourite movies; one that I think is truly great. I'm not sure that I've completely grasped all that is covered in Stalker, or any of Tarkovsky's other films because they are so poetic and complex in nature, but always with impressive photography and deliberate structure. And that is part of why I'm so impressed with his films. He was a great and visionary filmmaker.
Stalker is my favourite Tarkovsky joint. I love the texture he is able to achieve in his frames.
Texture is a great word for this.
I just love the mix of films on this channel. Your patreon members know what’s up!
ETA: Solaris is amazing and though it didn’t rake in the $, Soderburgh’s remake of it is a great adaptation
I really enjoyed listening to your reactions to this film. Stalker really does linger in your mind long after seeing it.
Tarkovsky had such an incredibly singular perspective and vision of cinema, and art in general. Some would call it narrow-minded. But whatever your opinion, it's undeniable that it led him to create some of the most unique films ever made.
Tarkovsky said that he disagreed with montage theory, that film is fundamentally about creating meaning through combining different shots. For Tarkovsky, film is a way of "fixing time." You capture a finite duration of time, in frames of film. Film is about experiencing time, in Tarkovsky's words, like music. One of his books on filmmaking he even titled "Sculpting in Time." This perspective informed the way that he built his films around long takes and camera movement.
On color, Tarkovsky also had a unique point of view about how audiences relate to color photography, psychologically and emotionally. Tarkovsky felt that color was misused in too many films. For example, the conventional belief is that color photography is "realistic," because it's how we see the world, while black and white photography is more abstract. Tarkovsky thought this was backwards. He said, in normal day-to-day life we aren't conscious of color all the time. We just accept that we see the world in color. So we only actually take notice of color when it's especially important. So black and white photography actually feels more "real" or naturalistic in the way it captures images, from an emotional perspective.
Conversely, Tarkovsky said that color photography draws the viewer's attention towards color in a heightened way, forcing us to always be aware of it, which isn't consistent with the way we actually "experience" color in real life. Because of this, he felt that color should only be used in films very deliberately and consciously, and not ever taken for granted, or as a "default" way of filming things.
Love that you comment on how the camera moves, how poignant the audio is and how the actors are moving and what they’re doing and moving from there to more philosophical interpretations, rather than starting off with just the abstract analysis. Shows that you’re a filmmaker and a craftsman who can appreciate the art and technical side of how the scenes were shot. Thanks for your commentary: they made me watch this film from a different angle (figuratively speaking) with a new and deeper understanding of why certain visuals and audio made me feel or think in a specific way.
Stalker is one of my favorite films. So glad to see you watch this and experience it for the first time. Tarkovsky movies are always so fascinating because everyone can interpret them differently and see a different kind of message in it.
And it's cool to see you react to more foreign film as cinema from all over the world should be embraced!
This is my favorite movie and this is a treat to see someone react to it.
Every shot and I mean every shot is a texture overload. I believe there's a "making of Stalker"
film out there.
The scene where the Stalker is expressing he wants and goals to help people find hope is truly amazing acting.
It's a great film. He always had some of the most beautiful shots. Solaris is the only other one I've seen, but it was fantastic. Both were adaptations of science fiction books. This one was based on the book "a picnic at the roadside" by the Strugatsky brothers - very popular soviet writers. Solaris was based on the book of the same name by Stanislaw Lem which was a very deep philosophical book, kind of like a different take on some of the themes from Heart of Darkness.
Great to see you really appreciate the genius here.
You owe it to yourself to watch Mirror about his childhood recollections, incredible movie.
So amazing to see you react to this. Would really enjoy some more art house films like these!! Great reaction as always
Welcome to the world of Tarkovsky films. Every single one is a masterpiece in its own right
Dude. You made me so happy choosing this.
This movie opened me up to so much cinema. I owe it greatly.
Dude fuck yes. Tarkovsky is my favorite all around writer, director, cinematographer. everything he does imo is art. the pacing of real time is so good. Also she def moves the glass with her mind. When the camera is on her she is in color. shes a product of the zone
One of my favourite films ever made An absolute Masterpiece from a true genius of Cinema.
And now Mirror
Thank you, James. Tarkovsky was a revelation to me in grad school. I watched Nostalgia first. (and screened it at the college I later worked at). After that, it was Stalker, The Sacrifice, Andrei Rublev, Solaris ... Stunning. A kind of non-cynical Kubrick (whom I also love).
19:09 lol when you said, 'I gotta go location scounting,' I was thinking 'Not in those locations bro. That filthy looking standing water was actually filthy standing water that likely had industrial runoff and by-products polluting it.'
I dont think i will ever watch a film with a heavier or more present atmosphere. The fact that tarkovsky took an abandoned section of estonia and with zero effects turned "the zone" into one of the greatest sci fi locations ever through dialogue is astounding
This film man, I still think about it constantly.
This is one of my favourite films of all time.
I am so glad that you enjoyed this movie. As a learning writer this movie had inspired me to create. Its seems simple at first and that what's inspiration about it. But its complex and strange and that's what makes it interesting. There are clips on UA-cam on the behind the scenes. The film was made three times. The first time the film was ruined. The second time the director hated it because it wasn't "magical" enough. The third time is this film. Few parts of the original are in this movie. Thanks for the upload
never... expected... this) one of my favorite weird movies
Honestly this is one franchise where you should do yourself a favor and read "Roadside Picnic" the book the series (films/game) is based on. It paints a much more vivid and fascinating world. It sort of imagines that extraterrestrials graced the earth with their presence briefly and caused anomalies, in the same way our trash from a roadside picnic might seem mystical to ants.
omg i've been wanting to watch this for so long!! you finally gave me the push to do so. i'm going to put waching your video on hold and get back to it tomorrow after i've seen it for my self
also, on a side note - i love your channel firstly because you seem really cool, secondly because you dress really cool, but also because you don't only look at the big blockbuster films (no shade to reaction channels who just do that, to be clear! nothing wrong with that!) but also movies that are part of a different film canon. I love superhero movies as much as the next guy, but i also love Kurosawa, Tsai ming-liang, Edward Yang and the taiwanese new wave in general, Sciamma, Wong Kar Wai, Mambety, Kore-Eda, Godard... currently i've been watching a lot of musicals and modern south korean productions. my point is, i like that you too present us with a wide palette of movies!! it's always a blast watching your channel!
Sounds good!!
17:56 - Your mind wanders, yes! Not away from the movie, but from itself! I think that's the essence of true immersion. You forget yourself for a time. Wonderful reaction :)
Yes! I've been waiting for you to get to this one, personal favourite of mine!
Happy to have it up for ya!
This movie has one of the most immersive worlds ever put on film
I can pretty much recommend all of Tarkowsky's seven films, they are all great, but my favorites are this one, "Andrej Rublev" and "Solaris"
Cate Blanchett said every frame of Stalker is burned on her retinas. I agree. Every shot is a masterpiece. The whole film is poetry.
You are truly the best at finding the obscure goodies, first let the right one in, now Stalker. This one is on my top 5 list.
Tarovsky had something like a 20 year career of which he was banned by soviet censorship from making movies for like 15 of them (rough estimate).
It is movie makers like this that makes some of us shake our heads a little about people who sing high praise to citizen Kane for being so brilliant and cutting edge, and they have never even heard about Tarovsky, or any other non-american director.
Same for Sergei Eisenstein
One of the greatest filmmakers to ever do it imo. You should also check out Bergman - Persona is a masterpiece.
Faith is the main theme in this film as i personally questioned faith in my life many times is something i cant deny 100%. The whole movie is about to teach us that we dont need a room to believe in miracles but miracles can happening outside of the zone that why the Monkey has those telekinetic abilities. This movie is a masterpiece and the book Roadside Picnic is great too those color palettes from industrial to nature are mind blowing.....a very hard film to direct Tarkovsky nailed it!!!
Thank you! This movie was not on my list of movies to watch. This is a great channel for true fans of movies. Again, thanks.
Love that you reacted to this, I'm always interested to hear people's thoughts on it.
I think the daughter went into the room and instead of getting to walk, which I presume is here "deepest wish", she gained the ability to move external objects.
I like how you explained the opening shot of them in the bed. I never knew what to make of it, but I think you said something about how it explained the dynamic between them. Sort of like the dinner scenes that you like which also show us the dynamics between the characters.
Idk if you take recommendations from the comments but Solaris is another good Tarkovsky film to watch. It's more emotional than Stalker but still very cerebral.
🤠
It happened! It finally happened! Oh, happy day!
Смотрел этот фильм в детстве. Оставил неизгладимое впечатление! Удар по психике)
Damn guy, I applaud you for even attempting to sit through this since the first viewing can be grinding, but enjoyable. But I hope you dive more into the world of art house cinema with directors like Kristof Kieslowski's Three Colors Trilogy,
Theo Angelopoulos Dust of Time Trilogy & Landscape in the Mist,
and other classics like French New Wave, Japanese/Asian Cinema, and 90's independent movement
Thanks for your reaction. It's not a movie that everybody can enjoy but it's definitely about faith and three different perspectives to assume it. Cheers.
Not so fun fact: The director, Andrey Tarkovsky died of lung cancer. And since a few other people working at this movie got the same type of cancer it is believed that they were poisoned by radiation in one of the locations from this movie.
It wasn't precisely radiation (remember, this movie and the book it was based on was made before the Chernobyl disaster). The locations in Estonia (I believe Tallinn) were former industrial sites and there were a shitton of chemicals and other Industrial runoff that the actors practically swam through in some parts.
To be fair, Tarkovsky had a cigarette in his hand in many of the photographs I've seen of him.
you can smell this movie.
Some of it is filmed in my homecountry Estonia. Most of eastern Europe has these abondened soviet sites.
"i gotta go location scouting" hahaha good luck james
James, have you seen Leviathan? It's a beautiful but brutal Russian movie about Russian corruption in a small city/village. A real nice depiction of humanity's tragic side
please do more reaction videos to Tarkovsky's other works because I really enjoyed your perspective and reaction, could relate to a lot of your thought processes related, as someone who wants to make their own films, to the cinematography. The long takes, dialogue, locations and basically everything about his movies inspire me massively. He really is the G.O.A.T!
YES. Bro, love these more obscure pix. Sendin' all my love down the well!
When I read Tarkovskij's diaries (they are an interesting read in many ways) and he started talking about making this film, even though I knew the outcome I still thought to myself "no, don't do it!".
And he, like few others, possessed the skill to make even the most tranquil of shots utterly fascinating. I had heard about Stalker for many years, but never got around to watching it, and later I saw the candle scene from Nostalghia (and wow, that scene is breathtaking and impossible to look away from) and decided that I had to get my hands on his films. Cinema as an art form, an intensely personal art form.
love to see you reacting to this, I used to obsess about this film
This is pure Art and a Masterpiece!
Respect from Russia)
Tarkovsky is a legend
All love, what a visionary.
Great choice, one of the most beautiful films ever made.
Stalker is a film about trying to decide whether to face our problems by trying to overcome, or to accept.
This film is best watched on a rainy morning with a warm cup of coffee
One of my all-time favorites! Thank you so much for this reaction! I also strongly recommend reading the book, Roadside Picnic.
I read that the scene where they enter the Zone and the film changes to full color - that was a single roll of film. Amazing to think of that.
A masterwork from a master. For more Tarkovskij: ”Solaris” and ”The Sacrifice”.
Never heard you say 'wow' this often before. Then again not many films warrant this level of impression
Very unexpected and beatifull choice.
Thanks for reacting to this one! Tarkovsky is an absolute legend. He’s the national treasure in Russia. My personal favorite though is Mirror, which is as beautiful and deep as Stalker, but a bit more engaging and faster paced. Highly recommend 👍🏻
There are shots in MIRROR that I openly question "How in the *fuck* did they do that?!"
Интересно было бы посмотреть что из Зеркала понравится Джеймсу
At last Tarkovsky! Do Solaris or The Sacrifice!
Stalker is a good one to start with but I think he should watch all of his films. Everyone is incredible and required viewing.
Hahaha at last indeed!
Can't believe somone's reacting to this film! Kudos
I discovered this and Roadside Picnic, probably like many others, through the S.T.A.L.K.E.R PC games back in the early 2000's
If you ever get the chance to watch it in theatre on the big screen its such a worthy experience! Very different than watching it at home. The sound design and the textures are so stunning, seeing it on the big screen is so immersive!
This is a screenplay adaptation of the novel Roadside Picnic written by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky
To me the Zone is representation of how complicated human mind is, in context of pursuing happiness and fulfillment. You can't just go straight to your goal dirrectly as it seems, you have to "wander around", be careful where you step, and throw bolts ahead of you if something feels amiss. If you don't, then you run risk of getting lost, and falling into deadly traps. And the Zone doesn't like those that are already happy and fulfilled. Ultimately, do you even want to enter the room? Or would you prefer to live in the Zone, like the stalker?
Tarkovsky's film, Andrei Rublev is for me the greatest ever made.
I just watch this film today. So gorgeous. Then I saw you did a video so had to give it a view.
Dude! You reacted to one of my favorite movies from one of my favorite directors! You absolutely need to watch Mirror and The sacrifice.
Thank you that you have seen this movie🙏🏼
It's truly a difficult piece of art. The shots are stunningly good
OMG! It's excellent that you're reviewing this film. This film, although a bit long at times, is made magical through the editing and pacing. Without the editing and camera work which creates the sensation of being in "the zone" it would just be three men walking and talking in a toxic waste dump.
Tarkovsky films are visual poetry.
Also, the picture quality of the Criterion version is excellent.
Eyyyyy, that's what's up I'm glad more eyes are getting on this movie. Definitely never expected people to react to it honestly. _Roadside Picinic_ , which this movie is based on/inspired by, is also a pretty interesting read. Pretty quick and easily digestible.