Has anyone here seen Tarkovsky's Stalker?

I bought Solaris and Stalker during one of those Criterion flash sales. Opened Solaris and watched it. Sent Stalker back unopened, so no, I have never seen it.

 

I've never enjoyed watching this film outside of the initial bar scene. The whole idea still seems absurd to me: a journey is taken by three men with unusual perceptive abilities to a notorious room in the heart of a war zone that is supposed to reward the visitor with some transcendental experience. Of course, it really ends up being more about the psychology of these men than the anything in The Zone. The main reason for rewatching it tonight is the the new Criterion transfer, which may make a huge difference considering Tarkovsky's penchant at capturing what's fascinating in what would otherwise appear to be "the ordinariness" of the earth. This aspect of his art is the salient feature in all of his films, imo.

 

You’ve just described the exact reasons I like it.

The Criterion is head and shoulders above all previous home video transfers. Enjoy.

 

Well, I should say the the motive of the three men for journeying to The Room is that it supposedly grants the visitor's deepest wish. Still seems a child's quest to me but I guess men still refuse to know themselves on a level deeper than what's apparent.

 

The moral, when you break it right down, is to be careful what you wish for. As you said in your first post, this isn’t about granting any fairytale wishes, but to examine the differing motivations and characters of the three men, in order to throw light on the human condition. That’s a theme that runs through most, if not all, of Tarkovsky’s work. The way he presents that idea in Stalker is so simple, yet the execution is masterful, IMO. It’s the kind of film that stays in one’s head for days, and makes one examine one’s own character.

 

I found Stalker quite hard work but @stepeanut makes me want to give it another go. Andrei Rublev is my favourite Tarkovsky, that one is a masterpiece for me for sure.

 

You have to be in the mood for his films and be able to watch films with a bit more required from the viewer than the normal but if you can they are wonderful.

 

Indeed. I love them all. Tarkovsky addressed the fundamental questions of what it means to be human. His films are not passive experiences, but, if you, as the viewer, engage with them, they are hugely rewarding.

 

Yes, saw it in the '90's i think,

recently picked up this 2 dvd set

 

Personally, I find "Stalker" a very powerful film, something to be viewed on the right night, without distractions. Tarkovsky can be compared to Bela Tarr in his extreme slowness of pace, the kind of enveloping mood experience that will either engross you or make you turn it off after a few minutes
I have Criterion's "Stalker", "Solaris" and "Ivan's Childhood" as well as Artificial Eye's "Andrei Rublev", so I am well into Tarkovsky's universe, but you have to be in the right patient frame of mind to let these films wash over you, otherwise you'll get frustrated or bored. Ultimately, his films present questions more than answers, and some answers will depend entirely on the individual watching.

 

See the others, if you can, including the longer cut of Andrei Rublev, which has significant editing differences to the later, shorter cut. The upcoming Criterion BD is your best route at this stage.

Mirror is a deeply personal film to Tarkovsky; it helps to read a little about his life in advance of one’s first viewing.

The Sacrifice is a powerful, thought-provoking masterpiece, and an appropriate final film for him to have made. Of course, I wish he’d have lived longer, and given us more films to enjoy.

 

Loved Solaris but I found Stalker a chore to even get through.