Film Review: Stalker [1979]

I had to write about this movie despite only being a couple of hours since I finished viewing Stalker, my first experience with Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky. I believe that if I don't atleast attempt to write something about this film it may never leave my head. Atleast that's how I'm feeling at the moment.

Stalker is a story of how a man leads two curious strangers into a closed of, almost alien area called The Zone where the man promises that the strangers shall find a room that grants them any wish they may have. Of course this three hour long story is much more convoluted than this and despite the fact that most of the film is centered around three characthers, the complexity behind them allow for an endlessly deep exploration that I could have enjoyed several more hours of.

It's hard to actually explain what the underlying themes and motifs of this film are since I'm not quite sure myself despite having no problem understanding the narrative or dialog in the film. I'd compare it to Lynch's more modern work (Twin Peaks, Mullholland Drive) in the sense that it's not complicated to tag along, enjoy the ride, and comprehending the gist of the film but it will take me several viewings and an incredible amount of patience to come to terms with what I believe the film is about.

The three main characthers of the movie with Stalker in the middle.

Despite its three hour long run time it honestly feels like a film that is too short for its own best. It doesn't ever start to drag and the overlying tension from the foreign place known as The Zone is always there to pick at both the characthers and the viewer. It's something that keeps you on the edge throughout all of the different stages of the film, from the trio's journey into the zone, sneaking through closed gates, running from the police, to the journey through the colorized, incomprehensible and deadly The Zone which not even the guide known as Stalker seems to fully understand.

I mentioned above the possibly endless exploration of the incredibly deep trio of characthers that unfortunately gets missed because of the lack of play time. I do believe that some narrative could have been skipped in favor for developing more of the philosophical ideas that the group discusses towards the end of the film, touching on things like having hope in a lost word (I'd assume a parallell to the Soviet Union), existentialism human morals. Again, there are endless possiblities for these characthers who work perfectly as spring boards for eachothers ideas and personal views and they're articulated perfectly by their actors who all manage to give flawless performances and create three characters who not only feel real but who also feel more interesting than many of the humans alive who are playing noone but themselves.

There's not really a singular flaw in this film that I can point out after only having viewed it once. Despite all the questions I have I feel satisfied with the ending and how the story enveloped. I don't feel robbed of my time despite how I otherwise would have felt that three hours had been a bit of a time sink and it's already a film I would like to revisit, even now, barely ten hours after having seen it,

I can't see a reason why you shouldn't see this movie. Possibly if you're completely against seeing a film who's narrative doesn't hold your hand all throughout the movie aswell as can't enjoy a film for its artistic merit and the ideas that it might inflict upon you. The characthers are excellent, the setting is haunting, eerie and leaves me curious, the themes and motifs that are touched upon leave me with a desire to learn more and the last hour makes me want to come back. Much like Stalker has the desire to return to The Zone over and over again despite the fact that he never wishes to enter The Room that grants him wishes have I the desire to revisit the film and watch the terror of The Zone once again. Maybe then will the mysteries of The Zone unfold.

Stalker
dir. Andrei Tarkovsky
9.5/10
Anton Öberg Sysojev