STALKER

[ZenRaiden]

Russian movie that I tend to think about as Russian Matrix.

Generally if you have not seen the movie and want to see it, go and do so, because this is pretty much spoilers.

First of all this movie in many ways is remarkable piece of art, but be warned the movie is pretty much seemingly like few scenes protracted into a full movie.

In my first time seen the movie, I actually found the scenes very interesting, and I found that the movie has lots of Russian signatures.

First and unmistakable Russian signature is the bleak atmosphere, where the characters look like they suffered depression since they were 3 years old.
Second signature is everything looks so bleak and grey and dark.
Third Russian signature everyone dialogue is a battle between existential dread and absurdist nihilistic threads combined with futility of life.
Essentially Matrix = cool slick action movie
STALKER = washed out dudes complaining about futility of life.
Matrix = perseverance despite the odds
STALKER = people dreading to dream
Matrix = you can do anything even shape the reality
STALKER = I rather risk dying in the abyss of void than keep on living.

Both movies I think belong to the same category though.
Both have existential themes.
Both are trying to answer life and meaning.
Both are trying to show the will and value of life.
Both address the issue in typical fashion to its own culture.

Here are some comparisons of scenes.

 

[scorpiomover]

Made by Tarkovsky.

He made "Solaris" (1972).
I saw it once. It's a really weird movie, like an Ingmar Bergman movie. But really good.

It was a major inspiration for the 2002 remake with George Clooney (not as good).
It was also a major inspiration for Christopher Nolan's Inception.
It was also a major inspiration for Event Horizon.

I also saw Sphere (1998) with Dustin Hoffman, which has a similar concept, but more commercial.

He's one of those giants who doesn't care much about making movies that people like, and just wants to make good art, and yet everyone raves about his films, even if hardly anyone seems to understand them.

 

[ZenRaiden]

understand them.

I too wonder, if I understand Stalker completely. I watched it today, and it had completely different impact on me when I watched it first time.
Seems I got a little depressed from watching it.
Hit the feels.
I know the parallels were only broad with matrix movie, but I found many similar ideas in both movies.
Stalker tends to hit hard.
Specially the end.

 

[dr froyd]

ive rewatched that movie probably 20 times, it's quite amazing

it has the incredible visuals of Tarkovsky but also the awesome dialogues between the 3 characters. The writer is the pure cynic and nihilist, the physicists tries to apply cold hard logic, and the stalker himself is the spiritual idealist and optimist.

 

[ZenRaiden]

ive rewatched that movie probably 20 times, it's quite amazing

it has the incredible visuals of Tarkovsky but also the awesome dialogues between the 3 characters. The writer is the pure cynic and nihilist, the physicists tries to apply cold hard logic, and the stalker himself is the spiritual idealist and optimist.

I feel like the writer deep down wants to believe, but cynics keeps winning. The physicist seems to have agenda, but its pretty clear he believes for a good while too. Stalker believes it through and through, but I think he is kind of shut down. The idea spurs a lot of thoughts.

 

[kora]

K

ive rewatched that movie probably 20 times, it's quite amazing

it has the incredible visuals of Tarkovsky but also the awesome dialogues between the 3 characters. The writer is the pure cynic and nihilist, the physicists tries to apply cold hard logic, and the stalker himself is the spiritual idealist and optimist.

Wow I really liked it but it's a long movie to watch that many times !

I liked the crux in the room a lot, it was very intense and the idea that realising your deepest desire might be unbearable is a good one.

I suppose username Dr froyd checks out.

The person I was watching it with kind of complained about the length and the slow pace, but I'm very comfortable with long expanses of nothing much going on in the first place and anyway, I thought it made you feel like you were in the zone with them, struggling.

 

[ZenRaiden]

I actually have a theory that they were actually in the room, without knowing it.

The movie does not imply this, but there is few thoughts necessary to consider
..... we don't actually know whether the room works or not, other than people saying it....
.... the place is magical, in sense anomalous so its reasonable to assume that things outside of the norm do happen there.
..... there is clearly religious motive there....
ergo the guy acting like martyr and confessing, ....
.... stalker confessing....
....the scientist giving up the bomb.....
...and this scene of all says the actual reasoning I think of the movie...

.... so in a weird way I think they did believe in the room...despite being skeptical.
So when they are there sitting there their wish to believe did come true.

 

[dr froyd]

The person I was watching it with kind of complained about the length and the slow pace, but I'm very comfortable with long expanses of nothing much going on in the first place and anyway, I thought it made you feel like you were in the zone with them, struggling.

it's a big contrast to stimulus-based movies, it's rather like a meditative experience almost.

with stalker and other Tarkovsky movies (Mirror and Nostalghia being other favorites of mine), i feel i come out at the end with a clearer, more peaceful mind

 

[kora]

The person I was watching it with kind of complained about the length and the slow pace, but I'm very comfortable with long expanses of nothing much going on in the first place and anyway, I thought it made you feel like you were in the zone with them, struggling.

it's a big contrast to stimulus-based movies, it's rather like a meditative experience almost.

with stalker and other Tarkovsky movies (Mirror and Nostalghia being other favorites of mine), i feel i come out at the end with a clearer, more peaceful mind

It was great to be honest. I think it's the only Russian movie I've seen come to think of it. I would like to see more. I'll note these ones down.

 

[kuoka]

The movie is based on the book Roadside Picnic. I think the movie is Tarkovsky's self-therapy after reading the book. He refines the ideas presented in the book and creates a happier version of events and a happy ending compared to the incredibly depressing story in the book.

I recommend the book if you like obscure worldbuilding and mystery, but the story is depressing as hell. It's best if you approach it without feeling any attachment to any of the characters and have no emotional investment in what happens.

Most of the thought provoking elements from the book are contained in the movie, but the book does a better job at portraying the inexplicable, illogical nature of the world and builds a better mystery.


I think Matrix assumes that the world can be improved, or at least escaped into a counter culture where one builds an alternate reality. Stalker says that the world cannot change, it is the person who has to bend to it and accept it.

Matrix, as a trilogy, sort of shows that fighting reality and everything at once is too much and that seeking a peaceful way or some kind of harmony is ultimately the goal while in the Stalker the peaceful reality granted by the opressive system is shown as the only happy thing that the man can hope for, but even that is not always possible.