Stalker (1979): The Sci-Fi Masterpiece That Killed Its Director

[@CinemaTyler]

BEFORE YOU COMMENT: Let me explain about the name pronunciations. When I made this video, I was actually thinking about quitting KZbin because (despite just crossing 100k subs) it had been several years and wasn’t making enough money to invest so much time into it. I decided to make a video just for me on Stalker because I found the movie very interesting. I figured it wouldn’t get many views because I had never met anyone who had seen it, but I thought it would be cool to devote time and effort into making a quality video on a movie that wouldn’t otherwise get that treatment. My core audience would give me nice comments about how much they liked my videos, but they would always point out that I mispronounced something no matter how much effort I put in to getting it right. For this last video, I thought I’d goof around as sort of an inside joke about not even trying to pronounce the Russian names. To my shock and surprise, the video went viral, brought in a ton of new subs, and totally reinvigorated the channel. The only issue is that, for years, new people have discovered my channel through this video and, without the context, thought that I was goofing on the name pronunciations out of disrespect or laziness. **Also fun fact: Given the nature of the story, you might find it hilarious that I recorded the whole video to find out that the mic stand was constantly bumping up against the table and I had the re-record the whole video over again.

[@peeonthepenski4729]

man you should have included that at the end

[@prosto_kosott2796]

I’m Russian, I can’t pronounce some of the names either 😂😂

[@stephenkeen5737]

Was the previous recording of your video also burned in a fire and lost forever?

[@Wermite.]

My favourite one was 5:03 Talleen lol

[@zachhewitt767]

There’s something poetic in the fact you had to re-record your video on Tarkovsky’s film that he too had to pretty much re-shoot due to issues with the film 😭😂

[@Haddedam]

I actually live and spent a lot of time of my childhood around the areas stalker was shot. And i think i remember my dad mentioning he ruined many takes of the film with a tractor.

[@WuSezer]

Thats horrible and hilarious at the same time

[@thegoldenboy294]

LOL

[@MasterOfKnowledge.]

Bro, your dad killed Tarkovsky!! Haha

[@allthenamesiwantedweretaken]

@@MasterOfKnowledge. Too far dude. Too far.

[@futureshock382]

@@MasterOfKnowledge. lmao

[@fat_old_sun]

Fun unrelated fact: Tarkovsky wrote the script for Andrey Rublev together with another famous soviet director Andron Konchalovsky. After they'd finished the script, they decided to celebrate and took a cab to the Metropol restaurant. Once they'd sat down and were ready to touch glasses, they discovered that they'd left the script behind in the cab. They had been working on the script for a year; there was only one copy, and the copy was lost. The two directors got drunk out of disappointment and frustration, and a few hours later, when Tarkovsky got back to Metropol after a walk to have a few more drinks, the very same cab pulled over next to him, the driver silently gave him the script through the window and took off. I've heard this story from another terrific soviet director Andrey Smirnov, the creator of Belorussky Vokzal (Belorussian Railway Station).

[@charon7320]

art finds a way

[@JohnDlugosz]

Only copy of the final draft you mean? I'm sure they don't carefully burn every copy after retyping with the hand-written edits applied, as well as all of their notes and personal journals after they finished.

[@fat_old_sun]

@@JohnDlugosz That's just how this story was told by Mr Smirnov. Yes, it probably was the only copy of the final draft, as you suggested. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been that big of a deal.

[@henri372]

Manuscripts don't burn ...

[@rogueninja185]

Noobs

[@dhan07404]

I can't imagine how soul crushing and just unbelievably heartbreaking it would be to film such a meticulous and dangerous film just for it to get ruined Its a blessing that we even got to see the masterpiece in the first place

[@TouhaiDensetsu]

Alisa Freindlich is an amazing Soviet actress. She's 84 now and she still performs in Bolshoi Drama Theater in St. Petersburg.

[@caseydouglas3671]

That's awesome

[@abhijeetbeniwal820]

@@xhall0910 it's okay my man. I miss my grandfather too.

[@LexiBass]

@Irakli Meparishvili I agree, but this seems to be a thing with Tarkovsky. He has an actress in the Sacrifice perform an almost identical tantrum on the floor of that set too. Based on what we know of Tarkovsky's obsession, it might be more fair to credit that performance to the director's vision rather than on the actor's interpretation of the script...

[@olgagrech2451]

Kream Machine , yes, we love Alisa very much. My favourite movie with her is: ,, Office romance,, ❤️

[@wordsmithgmxch]

@@xhall0910 Yeh -- and despite all the daunting consonants, particularly in the transliterated-from version, the name actually means "Friendly".

[@fat_old_sun]

Anatoly Solonitsyn died from lung cancer in 1982 when he was only 47. Four years later, Tarkovsky died from the same illness. Solonitsyn was Tarkovsky's kindred spirit, his alter ego, they understood each other almost without words. I have loved and admired Solonitsyn ever since I first saw him in Stalker 13 years ago. What he did in Andrey Rublev, I think, is beyond acting craft, beyond art, beyond human. There was always something transcendental, otherworldly in all his roles. A video about Andrey Rublev would be very interesting. There are many stories around its production and, in particular, the way Solonitsyn approached his role (which initially belonged to Stanislav Lyubshin).

[@maddieb.4282]

Don’t smoke, kids

[@jorllima]

​@@maddieb.4282 Acording to Anatoli's wife, they got cancer due to exposure to toxic materials during the filming of Stalker, in a river scene next to a chemical factory. I was trying to get more info, but I couldn't find any... anyway, if that was really the cause, smoking wouldn't help at all...

[@alouette87]

All movies fillmed in USSR were not supposed to make profit, to make money. Government gave money to director to make movie. So when Tarkovsky were producinig his Stalker he didnt care abot boxoffice. That's why many soviet movies were pure art not business product like hollywood.

[@t2av159]

He made 4:1 rubles back

[@dingdong124578123456]

woah never thought about it like this

[@alsm974]

Soviet movie industry have "art council" for each movie. You should be talented to work in movie business and you should do your best, to have opportunity to make next movie. In case of bad directing, the art counsils can change director, or even do not let movie on the screen. These art councils also do the casting very carefully - all actors should be the best possible choice for the each main role.

[@indiomoustafa2047]

Yeah but good art sells too lol

[@LNLBD]

No, Soviet movies were not "pure art" as they were used for political propaganda. The purpose of Mosfilm was to glorify the communist regime. Tarkovsky's movies were artistic and spiritual rebellion against it. That is why he was censored and opressed, and eventually had to leave the USSR.

[@SkyGodKazuha]

God I'm obsessed with the Stalker 1979 film. I love how different it is from the book. No aliens, monsters or villains, just pure existencial crisis between the three characters as they walk into a lifeless zone trying to find some sort of meaning to life only to walk further and further into a void.

[@thedragonlee76]

That's my life in a nutshell!

[@iliveinsideyourhouse3943]

One of the most unique and realistic "Sci-fi" film.

[@Lifesizemortal]

And then nothing happens. Lol Tarkovsky is a hack

[@churchguy8325]

You should play the videogame too, its pretty good

[@Brendan-Black]

Lifeless is exactly how I'd describe Stalker.

[@hummingpylon]

I think the set of unfortunate events brought that atmosphere of heaviness and tiredness into the film that jumps at you out of the screen, it was a worthy effort all the way through.

[@flashingsword]

The movie is great, I can't disagree...But I'd rather have Tarkovsky and Solinitsyn still alive and making movies for the past 40 years.

[@commandercaptain4664]

@@flashingsword At his pace, 40 years will get half a finished reel.

[@GreyWind]

@@commandercaptain4664lmao

[@robjohnston1433]

I saw 'Stalker' just because I was in a film club and it was on. I had no prior information about it. Probably the most visually stunning film I've ever seen ... years before CGI. It was all just (a few) sets, then incredible use of a blasted industrial landscape. The Russian V/O works like a musical soundtrack. I'd HATE to see a dubbed version! Amazing. On my greatest films, Top Ten List.

[@thomasmacisaac1503]

Do we want to see more videos about Stalker? (Orson Welles voice) Yes! ALWAYS!

[@mattirealm]

Or anything else by Tarkovsky, as they are all good. Mirror really requires viewing of all the other Tarkovsky films to understand it, but all the others are self contained and amazing in their own right.

[@karlkarlos3545]

Is it even ethical to watch someone's suicide on film?

[@thomasmacisaac1503]

@@karlkarlos3545 uuuuuhhh, he didn't commit suicide in any literal sense. Plus, if no one watches it on that basis, then what was the point?

[@tucru5611]

Yassss

[@thelawnmowermen6007]

@@karlkarlos3545 your ethics are up to you, Karl

[@j.gaalrankin]

I've never seen such a good editorial on this film. People don't talk about Stalker enough.

[@CinemaTyler]

Thanks! I really appreciate it!

[@goddamnmyeyes4514]

I’ve never really knew it was a thing. Have you heard of Richard Stanley? Dust Devil, Hardware and “Lost Soul” details (documentary must see) the making of the Island of Dr. Moreau. A film that would have likely been great and turned into the worst ever and also ended Richards career.

[@j.gaalrankin]

I do know who Richard Stanley is. Great filmmaker.

[@goddamnmyeyes4514]

@Gaal Kasiiv You sir, I respect. You have taste and class my friend.

[@goddamnmyeyes4514]

Gaal Kasiiv sub

[@PaxPadmaMusic]

It might be most streamed in certain places, however Stalker is still such an underrated film of it's time and still a very deep and mysterious movie, especially that ending, just wow! Honest moment, only watched this for the first time last year, this is a brilliant film.

[@HomoErectusIsAFunnyName]

Jesus, I worked on many movie sets and trust me, most of the time it's extremely tiresome (even if we are in a "nice" place it's extremely crowded, everybody is in a rush, everybody is tense, you have to work sometimes 10-15 hours a day -maybe more- and you can never really rest because you don't know what's inside the directors head and if he says something you act instantly). I can't imagine what were it like to shoot this damned move 3 TIMES in the worst set you can imagine. Many people have no idea how much sweat is to make a movie.

[@ECLECTOb]

Krisztián Dobos 😢😢😢😢. What films have you worked on?

[@2Worlds_and_InBetween]

I've got a friend who was an actor as a kid, teenager. a few times I went with him up to the bbc, and no thanks not for me... neither side of the camera, to hard. one day I wandered off and got really lost in the place... fun times

[@ozymandiasnullifidian5590]

@@ECLECTOb In some Nickelodeon movies, maybe...

[@ozymandiasnullifidian5590]

Than don't work on movies, someone is pushing you to work that "damned" work by force?

[@HomoErectusIsAFunnyName]

@@ozymandiasnullifidian5590 Fun fact: people need money to survive. And I never said that it's always horrible. It's just harder than one would think. But seeing your grammar I don't think you fully understood my comment, so I'd advice you to read it a couple of times more.

[@jasonmax9902]

I wonder if Tarkovsky had lived long enough to see The Matrix what his reaction would have been about the green tint the the footage he'd shot.

[@abraxamovic]

Jason & Max 😂😂😂😂😂

[@by2083]

the the the th- bro just shut up

[@n.kelati]

i wonder if Tarkovsky had lived long enough to see Shrek

[@mukabout4243]

He could’ve gone and released his green tinted film - just supplied those blue and red 3D glasses to neutralise the effect.. 🤣

[@terrysmith7441]

I think red in reproduction film is a sensitive color, often with decaying packaging in sunlight weather or so red seems to be the first to go thus yellow in worst scenario, green , certainly captured and frozen in time, intent , possibly, film was the only medium of cosequence as in still fotography, fortunately in a digitized age much can be accomplished with color and tonal presentation from black and white to the depths of white, on a grayscale of course. Malfunctions in fixer contaminating developer in industrial capacity film processing is a definite reality to this day in polymer printing plates for offset... a good ending word.

[@Gabriel-zj6uj]

The fact that Tarkovsky liked The Terminator says alot about the film

[@harrydavey9884]

Its a great film. Everything after it was dreadful though

[@THExRISER]

I like how every line in the subtitles has a source citation.

[@vegasvalley30]

he is movie head

[@FormerGovernmentHuman]

I used to absolutely despise MLA and APA formatting and thought it was pointless. Nowadays when I am reading a paper or watching a video and I want a source i get completely frustrated that I have to look for it myself. Human condition...

[@lorax8172]

Yep, subscribed just for this fact

[@hoonterofhoonters6588]

I feel obligated to watch this movie not just because it looks interesting but also because I need to validate the effort and loss behind it.

[@gelitrippingkiddo5907]

It’s mesmerizing

[@drop_messages6226]

Thats how I feel about "classic" movies and books. If a piece of art is considered a masterpiece or atleast important, you figure it has value and you would not want to miss out on the chance to experience that. update: I watched Stalker for the first time yesterday, my feeling by the end was, there was a lot of effort and love put into it, and I appreciated the sci fi elements ( characters walking around a zone that has been warped so much, it can change reality itself). The pacing was slow and some of the dialogue seemed not that interesting to me. I still think it is worth a watch to see the move version of a sci fi story, but I do not think would watch it a 2nd time. I will read the story (I get the feeling the plot of the story is better told in the novel).

[@alandelta258]

It's well worth the watch!

[@JanPBtest]

@@gelitrippingkiddo5907 Did you know Anton Mesmer lived in Vienna at the time of Mozart? He was reasonably well off from his practice and research into hypnosis (called "mesmerism" or "animal magnetism" at the time) and had a nice house near Vienna, and he would throw parties featuring Mozart's music (live, obviously). Mozart was very young at that time and Mesmer seemed to have an ear for talent :-) I have always regretted they didn't find a way to include Anton Mesmer in the film _Amadeus,_ just as a cameo and a wink to the audience perhaps.

[@VitalMusic217]

Don't waste your time, you'll regret it.

[@MikeDancy]

dude. I can't imagine how much work you put into all these edits. That's a lot of work

[@anarchrex2237]

Rule #1: when Nykvist says bring two cameras you bring two cameras

[@Emperor_Palpatine_66]

Do it

[@TheSolfilm]

Whatever Nykvist says, you obey !!

[@maclord1988]

He was an ahole....

[@glengustafson6959]

The whole point was that the house was built expressly to burn completely in the space of a 1000’ magazine. It was Tarkovsky’s vision. Motion picture cameras are of extremely high quality with tight tolerances as image steadiness depended on it in the mechanical era. Rumor I heard was that Arriflex received steel with the wrong coefficient of expansion causing the movement to get too tight as it heated up. Other cameras from that batch worked perfectly in the US because nobody shoots 10 minute takes.

[@maclord1988]

Stop comparing that ahole to Stanley Kubrick plx....

[@milkgxng]

This movie / the book, unless I'm mis-remembering, inspired the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. video game series, which was so great imo.

[@FalloutUgglan]

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. was indeed inspired by both the movie and the book Here's to hoping that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 will have an atmosphere that matches the original trilogy

[@dennissmith6783]

Loved that game!

[@jokubask5309]

russian comrads are uniting

[@VasilyMusic]

I was more the book than the movie, actually. The movie is way too philosophical, but the book ("Roadside Picnic" by Strugatsky brothers) really has all the anomalies and the strange creatures and the whole mythology in it.

[@durstloscher2362]

Look up the Intro cutscene from STALKER Clear Sky and the guy in the coat called "Scar" looks so identical to the Stalker from the Stalker movie..

[@artemcikSSSR]

Sorry for my bad english, but I would like to tell about the "effect" Tarkovsky wanted Rerberg to make, which you mention around 8:08. I just recently finished reading a book written by Evgeny Tsymbal, who worked as a props assitant from the beginning of filming till the end of it. That's from march 1977 till january 1979. The last scene they finished, was the last in the movie: Stalkers daughter reading the book and moving the glasses. So, he worked all the way through the shooting of this film, and he mentions this "effect". Which wasn't really an effect. So in the first version of the movie, they were shooting the dialogue between Professor, Writer and Stalker "on location" inside the abandoned power plant in Estonia. The scene was close to what we see in the final picture just before they come down to the threshold of the Room. There's dialogue between Professor, Writer and Stalker inside a small room, with mystical phonecall, shot through doorway. In the final version this was filmed on a soundstage in Moscow on "Mosfilm studio". Yes, ALL the interiors in the final version of the movie were build on soundstage. They were build by Rashid Safiullin and MOSTLY by Vladimir Fabrikov, who was lead carpenter and one of the production designers on the film. But in the first year of shooting, as mentioned before, they tried to make this kind of a scene on location inside the abandoned power plant. The problem was - there were almost no room to setup the light to light the scene. Tarkovsky said to Rerberg, that he saw same kind of a scene in one of the Bergman's movie and "he somehow did that, and it magically worked. I wanted you to make the same atmosphere". They tried in multiple times, it didn't work. Because there was no space to setup enough light. So Rerberg suggested to Safiullin and Tsymbal, what they tear down the wall, so he can put a ligh outside. Filming stopped about for a day and a half (but they were already out of schedule) while these 2 guys break a wall. Remember - it's on location. This power plant was built around WW1. With massive granite rocks. So the wall was around one meter thick. They have only crowbars and sledgehammers. Tsymbal remembers that after 1st day of work, the blood was pouring down from their palms. So anyway. They make a giant hole in this wall, Rerberg set up the lighting fixtures outside, they again started to shoot aaand... it again wasn't the thing Tarkovsky wanted. And again "the scene does not work" like it was in Bergman movie. Tarkovsky was furious that they wasted time, Rerberg couldn't do what he (Tarkovsky) want's and they ruined the location, they might have used later to shoot from different angles. That's the story.

[@altavatan1558]

cool, thanks for sharing...this film is a masterpiece.

[@arvinrunstein5707]

Me: That's a beautiful looking static shot of a pineapple. Andrei Tarkovsky: Welcome to the next 45 minutes of the film.

[@gutsman85_86]

Wacky Delly, yeah!

[@Orxbane]

Bela Tarr: Hold my beer.

[@erdnasiul87]

@@Orxbane hold my cow

[@FuzzyDlop]

Yeah, except Tarkvoskij's directing is the exact opposite of static since the majority of his films constantly move through nature and evocative environments at a calming pace.

[@LichKingAzerak]

@@Orxbane hold my vodka

[@absentiambient]

“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

[@Juventinos]

really doubt that's true. the beginning is one of the fullest most incredible movie experiences you'll ever have.

[@absentiambient]

@@Juventinos Yeah, i think he mean't it as a joke

[@MrUndersolo]

Please tell me that’s an actual quote!

[@YourGrandMomy]

@@MrUndersolo it is

[@Langkowski]

What main action?

[@forbiddenbeard2210]

"They told me I was daft for filming in a stagnant polluted swamp. But I did it anyway. That film collapsed into the swamp. So I filmed it a second time...that one burned down and sank into the swamp...but the THIRD film stayed!-Tarkovsky

[@JanPBtest]

2:25 Just for the record: Tarkovsky's _Solaris_ is not an "answer" to Kubrick's _2001_ in any sense, neither was it "caused" by it. Tarkovsky hadn't even seen _2001_ until _Solaris_ was well into the editing stage. The motivation for _Solaris_ was completely different: it was Tarkovsky's problems with his previous film _Andrei Rublov_ which was shelved for several years by the ruling Communist Party. So Tarkovsky started looking for a topic for his next film as diametrically opposite to Mediaeval Russia as possible. By chance at a party someone told him of Stanisław Lem's book _Solaris_ and that he ought to read it. He did and decided this was the material he's been looking for. I know it's tempting to think Kubrick influenced Tarkovsky but it's simply not true, it was a coincidence.

[@yannmassard3970]

this guy is just full of BS don t even try bringing back some facts. The way he speaks show how clueless he is about cinematography

[@JasonWindsor88]

Yann MASSARD needlessly harsh?

[@АлександрБартенев-у7ы]

This sheet he is taking about is a normal talking about all the Russian masterpiece they can't even approach with their opulent simple mind

[@EatPieYes]

@@АлександрБартенев-у7ы Excellent point, Boris

[@АлександрБартенев-у7ы]

@@EatPieYes thank u John Kennedy

[@alexeyserov5709]

The problem with "ruined" footage is somewhat more complicated than that. According to memoirs of Boris Strugatsky (co-writer of both original book and movie script) Tarkovsky was extremely unhappy with movie as it was coming along and thought that the take on the story and Stalker's character is wrong. Apparently first version had more tough and proactive protagonist, more in line with the book and even referred as "Rambo like". So there is certain suspicion by some people whether footage was ruined by accident or deliberately. In the end Tarkovsky asked authors to re-write the script and apparently liked this new Stalker character a lot more. So that's what we've got and according to authors it is pretty different to original vision.

[@NKA23]

Yup, the video game is in many ways closer to the novel than to the movie, though the game in itself is again a completely different version of the underlying story and "the zone". I wonder what would be the result if a director like Christopher Nolan or David Fincher would do their own adaptation of the original novel. That would be a movie I really, REALLY want to see.. (An adaptation made by Stanley Kubrick would have been VERY interesting as well....)

[@user-ws7ru9fx5v]

@@NKA23 why would you want to see a movie from Nolan or Fincher if you already have a movie from tarkovsky. This film is really, really damn impressive. I love how its metaphor gives many different meaning to each viewers. I have my own interpretations of the film and the shots are also just incredibly beautiful. A film from Kubrick would be interesting. He also will probably make enemies and issues while producing cause Kubrick is also known to be a perfectionist. However I find it funny how Kubrick liked solaris yet Tarkovsky hated 2001. A film like this from Nolan would only be 100% for entertaining purposes. Fincher is a good director but I would much rather see a film like this from Kubrick than from Fincher

[@JunkyardHounds]

@@NKA23 The result would be a shitty hollywood movie like anihilation

[@JanPBtest]

It would have been impossible to do this on purpose (not enough space to explain, lots of reasons, just trust me on that). I've seen film strips from the first version (just few frames long each) scanned by someone in Russia and they all have a very heavy blue-green cast, as if a tungsten colour balance was used in daylight or something. There is a (long, again) story how this happened. One source Russians bought Kodak film from at the time was a company in West Berlin (forget its name, it was run by some guy named Sergo Gambarov, probably an emigree or some such) and he apparently shipped to them a new Kodak negative without telling them it required an updated chemistry to process it.

[@ozymandiasnullifidian5590]

@@JunkyardHounds Annihilation is very good movie, with a dozen few from Hollywood which I can say that are good Sy-Fy movies.

[@georgewilliamson5667]

I love the idea of Kubrick being one side of the brain and Tarkosvky being the other purely from a poetic view. One is from the west, one is from the east, both operating during a very turbulent and tense time between their two countries, and they themselves are almost like opposites in their styles and motivations for movie making, despite both often times tackling similar subjects. Ying and yang, perfectly balanced, as all things should be.

[@RustyTonesJr]

Tartovski makes movies using the brain part that controls boredom.

[@Football101s]

@@RustyTonesJr If you think his movies are boring then you're completely missing the point

[@John_on_the_mountain]

@@Football101syou can understand the point of something while also finding it boring. I understand the point of letting paint dry but that doesnt make it any more exciting. With that said though i very much enjoyed Stalker

[@AllThingsFilm1]

I saw "Stalker" in a re-release at an art house a few years ago. I think Tarkovsky created a film that was a visceral experience that I cannot describe in any way for others to understand. I was immersed in it from beginning to end.

[@craftpaint1644]

"I'm not going out there." "What's out there?" "Endless rooms of stupidity.' - CUBE

[@LarixusSnydes]

CUBE was also an inspired film, almost like a play, apart from the traps. The psychological manipulation, the claustrophobia and the subtle oppressing atmosphere worked great and would not be matched by it's sequels, although CUBE 0 came close and was even more cruel than the first movie.

[@erinc.1610]

Cube. I guess I am the only one who thinks that movie was made to be a comedy. I laughed so hard when I watched it. So much overacting, funny death scenes and stupid decisions made by characters. I get the idea but the movie was hilarious.

[@sexobscura]

@@erinc.1610 agreed - it *was* ludicrous

[@Esper320]

Ironically (I guess) enough, CUBE was written into a song by a Christian post-hardcore band, Hands. And it was actually pretty good and I felt musically captured the films atmosphere

[@Sorrowdusk]

God damn prime numbers

[@AMac-qd6ft]

Since he even dedicated it to him, I feel like von Trier's 'Antichrist' is the closest we'll ever get to a Tarkovsky horror film. I agree about missing out on so many great works in other genres he could have made. Great vid essay.

[@ilves5980]

That truly is a horror film, in the true sense of horror. It was disgusting to me, and by that I do not mean bad, but horrific. It did it's job, I am never watching it again. I really liked the talking fox, the highlight of the movie to me, which I have heard others think was silly. I saw the darkness in it.

[@LWmusik]

i dunno about that, Antichrist is literally one of the most graphically extreme and unsubtle movies out there

[@steven5548]

Have you seen annihilation? Its like a spiritual adaptation of Stalker

[@jollythejackalope]

Just wanted to point out that "Solaris" was based on a book of the same name. Including the ship's looks and design

[@exiszentriker2952]

I think we all know that ;)

[@jokubask5309]

no it's just the same writer but completely different book

[@TheJosep70]

@@jokubask5309 Wasn't Solaris written by Stanislaw Lem? Tarkovski did the movie version.

[@jokubask5309]

@@TheJosep70 your right

[@QuinnShaw]

There’s also been an American remake but it changed things dramatically. The book, Sphere, is also pretty similar thematicallyz

[@essexclass8168]

Must be a curse seeing how the game inspired by this movie went through 7 hells and back before being released

[@Manamanamana36]

Hah that's true

[@natura808]

Essex Class If you’re want it right it’s not gonna be easy.

[@arthurmerkulov5904]

@@natura808 and still they fucked the game up, now releasing the sequel that's going to be a disappointment. Hope I'm wrong, but hope isn't gonna do the trick.

[@yeetskeet1581]

it was worth it! the games came out amazing (except for clear sky fuck clear sky)

[@ScumWrangler]

Death Stranding?

[@CrashJC123]

A masterpiece. A real think-piece. The idea that we don't all always know what we want, even when we think we do. It's quite cutting and penetrative, and really made me think and reflect. And the fact the film is visually stunning helps as well.

[@SupervoidCinema]

Wow. I've always loved Stalker and had no idea about its troubled production. This was fantastic to watch.

[@ridofchris]

I love the background music you inserted into this video, it's unique without being distracting and makes the video more gripping overall

[@borysvengerov3398]

Thanks for analysing a Tarkovsky movie! Stalker is definitely one of my favourites. As for Russian surnames (or those of most languages) one can just copy-paste the original name into google translate and then just listen to the pronunciation 👍

[@FlexDB]

The one who is keen on search and inspection of little-known, often dangerous for life places and who is a conductor in such places.

[@МатвейКлимов-м3х]

also it's TAllin, not TallIn

[@akcandrei2741]

@@МатвейКлимов-м3х let me correct you bro, it's tAllinn, somehow russians always drop out second "n".

[@tanyam5471]

Or you can read the actual letters... Not really hard.😃

[@enricgrau]

Thank you for this video! I fell in love with this film so deeply the first time I watched it that I learned Russian just to be able to fully watch, understand, and appreciated this masterpiece. It cost me 2 years of my life, more than 1000 hours and over 6000 USD in lessons and apps... это того стоило

[@Manamanamana36]

Wow. Красава

[@ChrisBrown-ir6sf]

Wow such dedication. Hates off dude.

[@urbanaurora7278]

seriously...hats off!

[@zairamagomedova8496]

Ох, аж мурашки побежали. Очень круто👏

[@yomofoindahouse]

Зачёт.

[@jwilliamboothmanii6702]

This is my favorite piece you released. I reference it through every stage of production. Thank you!

[@swarajkanr]

Phew... It was frustrating & sad to hear all that. Wonder how they got through this 3 times. But Stalker really is the most eerily stunning film.

[@alexfranklin7833]

That one dream sounds like a film itself "escaping from prison only to want go back"

[@Poeticphyre]

I don't know why but it's making me think of a song I really like. It's The New Cult King by Mushroomhead. In the song, he does talk about escaping a prison. Maybe that's why.

[@MelShibson]

It's reality for many people

[@mariovalento2220]

Shawshank Redemption has a few parts that discuss that theme

[@DarkAngelEU]

Kafka once wrote the same thing, that he was a bird in search for a cage.

[@nomebear]

What an artist! The man literally killed himself for his art. Thank you for introducing Tarkovsky. I would have never known about him.

[@racewiththefalcons1]

Thank you, Tyler, for covering Tarkovsky and Sidney Lumet and David Lean, and other amazing filmmakers from the past instead of pumping out half-baked superhero stuff just because it's popular. Stay true to yourself and your passions. You're the best in the game today.

[@ronniejdio9411]

The original version of Stalker was ruined by a greenish and dark tent Zack Snyder " so? "

[@jokkemursula8731]

That actually made it look like a modern film. And that's a little bit sad.

[@dfbess]

Tint .. not tent

[@DrTheRich]

The Matrix?

[@ironreed2654]

Gotta hate Dark Tents, I always buy light blue myself.

[@OnlyKaerius]

@@ironreed2654 At least it's not as heavy as dark blue.

[@matthewcharlton9649]

I wanted to focus on understanding the central message of the film after watching it for the first time today. Initially I saw the Stalker as a charlatan. Promising a divine reward but only to those who pay him and following him without question. At the threshold of The Room the decision for both not to enter leads to an uncharacteristic emotional breakdown of the stalker. Like a preacher losing his congregation. The paradox is that the stalker is delivering them to materialistic evil, not from it. The Scientist never intended to enter and the Artist (Writer) reflected and repented at the final moment. One knew the truth and the other found it along the way. I ultimately saw the stalker as the films moral antagonist. What frustrated me was the daughter. Until the revelation at the end I assumed this wasn't even a Sci-Fi, there was nothing supernatural about the Zone or even the film, it was purely a nuclear accident in a dystopian future. So I came to the following conclusion...... The zone is a metaphor for the materialistic pursuits of humans. The stalker is its delusional salesman who takes pride in being followed by more intelligent and creative men than himself all under the myth of him being a "stalker". Tarkovsky's real expression of anything supernatural or divine isn't found in colours of the The Zone, it is in the stalkers sepia toned home, in the only humanistic quality of the film, his family. This is shown first in his wife's monologue symbolising marriage and love through hardship. Then finally in the through the "miracle" of a child. Took me a good few hours to think about and write this mini thesis. Ive probably got something wrong or not elaborated more on other themes but if anyone can add to this I'd be grateful.

[@quickbeam00]

I beg to differ. I think you got it wrong way up (but that's okay). I've just watched the film myself moments ago. It's self-evident that they're not walking into a materialistic realm. And it is clear the confession by the stalker was emotional, authentic, by a man utterly broken by his calling. He's not selling the fulfilment of a materialistic longing ("Only your deepest longing will be fulfilled" - the Writer). How he ends up being the moral antagonist in your mind is interesting to me. But hey, each man must make his decision at the Threshold.

[@canti7951]

As much as how allegorical this film can be, I actually think it speaks for itself. Just hearing out the characters is sometimes enough to see the essence of the story and how it might apply to us. The Stalker's insistence on the power of the Zone to change lives doesn't really strike me as an evil act but a desperation/stubbornness that is very human. But that's not something everyone will see in the movie. That might sound bad but I think that's what makes movies like these so special. They never tell you what to think or how to think, they just show you the story and let you project your own. It makes the film that much personal.

[@matthewcharlton9649]

@@quickbeam00 The fact that we have different interpretations is probably at the heart of why the film works so well for people who have the patience for it and who take the time to think about it afterwards. It's meaning is intentionally enigmatic and although I am sure Tarkovsky intends it to be a Christian parable on desire and faith I generally enjoy films more if I look for an elevated or alternative meaning that suits my own way of seeing the world. I think we both agree its a special film.

[@J0MBi]

Yeah I had a similar view on it at one time, and I think it comes from the obscure way that the "traps" in The Zone are shown in the film. It's ambigous throughout whether they really exist, as none of the characters die on screen, however that's more to do with our expectations of the genre than the story itself. The writer has a couple of encounters with traps which he manages to survive and there are little bits and pieces scattered through out the the visuals which you can find if you've read Road Side Picnic. The power of The Zone is real, but it is totally illogical, that's the central idea of the zone. Humans come to it with their own point of view and assume that the alien force which created it (The Visit) will operate on lines which they can understand, but unlike just about every other Science Fiction alien - these aliens are not psychologically human so their motives are as mysterious as their technology and their effects. It becomes a mirror to the humans, they look for answers in the external reality of The Zone but only find themselves exploring their own inner self.

[@huyle2324]

I’d actually played the STALKER game series before I rediscovered the novel Roadside Picnic and the original movie Stalker👌

[@mucktown]

I never had money for a powerful computer to play this game back then so I got the book and the movie from a library and realized how those two were so much different to each other but so much better than the game

[@TulilaSalome]

Maybe you should watch Vyöhyke - Zone, and go full circle? v=EwkIaJX3hmg (based on the game).

[@fosphor8920]

It's a good game, Stalker btw =)

[@brandoncallahan9289]

@@fosphor8920 Well, maybe Clear Sky was pretty iffy, but the other two yeah XD

[@fosphor8920]

@@brandoncallahan9289 Well they tried faction wars and it did not turn out well, but the game is still fun to play through with the usual secret underground lab and stuff.. Just alot more shooting than usual haha

[@cybrunel1016]

Tarkovsky was a visionary. That comes with a price tag that far exceeds the cost of a production. Many great artists have killed themselves to realize their vision. God bless them all.

[@1gnore_me.]

this is one of those movies where, even having it explained to you, you just have to experience it yourself to understand. I was one of those people who put it off, because it sounded really really boring through description ... but the world tarkovski creates is simply incredible, and part of what makes it so good is how JUST enough is left to our imagination. there's a few things here and there, like the sound of a creature in the distance, the writer's unexplained fear when close to the room, the way the professor somehow ends up moving forward by going back for his canteen... it's just a masterfully crafted mindfuck of a movie.

[@spikeep6141]

“So They Shot Stalker for a *THIRD* Time....” Yeah, I heard that’s the version they shot with Eric Stoltz.

[@CatherineInRock]

As an ethnic Russian and a fan of Tarkovsky, I thank you for this refreshing take on his work. I feel like when he is talked about by Russians in documentaries it is always with exceptional reverence... Not like he doesn't deserve it of course, but I really like your style. You've already got some very good tips on pronouncing some of the surnames. I would like to add that the stress in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, is on the first syllable. Oh and the Jonesey t-shirt is cute! 😄👍

[@squirlmy]

@g milne actually he's not even a good troll. Just off the top of my head, I'm thinking, "if there were better directors in Russia, they died in the gulag". Actually, just grouping directors under the ethnic term "Slavic", smacks of far right agitprop to me. IDK

[@sirlordhenrymortimer6620]

@Gene Bone so who are better than him according to you?

[@kindinsidehardoutside9543]

@Gene Bone We get it. You want to show off your knowledge in the most hipstery manner.

[@TheFutureLooksGrimm]

Gene Bone that is a lot to go through. Any recommendations for specific titles able to be watched by an American like myself?

[@chotabomjvonychi3485]

​@@TheFutureLooksGrimm , I don't know much about soviet cinematography, but my favorite soviet movies work around russian language. In these movies dialogues don't sound like normal conversations, and it brings huge amount of personality. Maybe this is the reason why visual directors like Tarkovsky are much appreciated in the West. But in my opinion good chunk of russian movies are lost for foreign viewers due to their untranslatable nature.

[@FeonaLeeJones]

The Mirror was my favorite...long, lingering beautiful shots with such amazing minimal sound design.

[@carlodave9]

Some of the Stalker environments look incredibly toxic, but I think a bit much is made out of the Stalker-killed-them theory. Being smokers, drinkers, and living lives of creative stress under government control couldn't have helped.

[@meatybtz]

Some of the areas they were filming in were incredibly toxic. There were scene shot near a Soviet Chemical Plant, the water would burn your skin. There was scenes with what looks like snow or ash in falling.. that was toxic ash raining down from the plant. Oddly enough the USSR and the US had some severe problems with chemical pollution in that time. We had a river catch fire, we had corps hiding dioxin as a paving agent and burying it on farms in Missouri.. and worse. They had of course some horrible areas, giant radioactive lakes.. other fun stuff.

[@mrmoviemanic1]

No man the chemicals killed them.

[@maelstrom2313]

@@meatybtz Yep, the very idea of the Zone was a reference to Chernobyl, but also partly (in my opinion) about the kinds of industrial no-go-zones in which they filmed. Tarkovsky in that sense was literally a 'stalker' showing us the surreal views of industrial wastelands that ordinary people could not venture into without exposing themselves to serious health risks.

[@shmekelfreckles8157]

[404: User Not Found] how can the Zone be a reference to Chernobyl, if it didn’t happen yet?

[@maelstrom2313]

@@shmekelfreckles8157 haha good point! I paid no attention to the chronology and just always assumed it did. Either that or Tarkovsky was psychic!

[@zopigmincraft]

Please do something on the mirror, it’s been my favourite film for such a long time but nobody talks about it anywhere near enough

[@JediMando11]

I'm about to watch Stalker for the first time. Thanks for sharing the history behind creating the film. I'm going to watch Stalker now with a lot more appreciation behind how it was made

[@JediMando11]

I finished watching the movie and it was cool seeing what the stalker game originated from! I really liked the videography

[@zhenyape]

Hey, Tyler about that Bergman's effect you're talking on 7:58 In his interview in 1997, Rerberg said smth that might be it. It was about the scene with three people inside the power station. They tried medium shot but failed to get an image out of it and Tarkovsky was desperate about it cause Bergman and Nykvist were able to film long shots and he could not. So he asked Rerberg to try to film that scene with the widest lens they got which Rerberg did not like to work with. After that 2nd try they failed to get the image again so this time Tarkovsky demanded on using of the long-focus lens but Rerberg declined cause they did not have enough room in that building to move or to get the light. Then, after the crew managed to get a hole in the wall big enough for the camera dolly and for the lights from the outside of the compound, they did the 3rd take and still no image of the scene... So Rerberg got fired after that and to make that long shot Tarkovsky build the whole hangar for that scene (I think, that was that "special studio" you mentioned).

[@felidiazbo]

Which was the specific Bergman film he referenced with that effect/shot?

[@alevort]

Yes I'm curious of the film's name and scene too

[@zhenyape]

@alevort sorry, this I do not know but in the same interview Rerberg said they were watching Bergman's Viskningar och rop and Skammen before shooting Stalker

[@alevort]

@@zhenyape Thanks! You were so nice :D

[@Neuroneos]

@@zhenyape There are beautiful wide shots in both Shame and Cries & Whispers, which one do you think Tarkovsky got his inspiration from?

[@artemisia2234]

I was left in awe and with so much unspoken emotions the first fine I saw "Stalker". It's an incredible journey, in my humble opinion far more superior than the source material, the "picnic" novella. I found the characters incredibly fascinating, and the visuals are really gorgeous. I was shocked when I hear about the intoxication and the death of both his genius and his talented crews. Solaris was enchanting, but this is the film that really got under my skin.

[@rjlchristie]

Thank you, for 40 years I've been trying to identify/remember the name of this this unsettling film that I had seen once before as part of a film festival in 1980, and never saw on show again.

[@altavatan1558]

I bought this film on DVD for $50 dollars at HMV, based on a persons recommendation. The first time I watched it I couldn't get into it, second I watched it I was intrigued, 3rd time I was spell bound. This movie challenges you to be bored but is never boring. The best $50 dollars I ever spent on a masterpiece that I once could not comprehend at first.

[@quite1enough]

Saw it on film in Moscow last year and quality of the film was amazing. Tarkovsky specifically pointed that there's no politics, movie is more on philosophical, religious and transcendental side. Stalker is like a priest essentially, in a totally materialistic world. Btw that shot of paper waste was made by Rerberg, and that's the only piece by him which been left in final cut of the movie. As for being a cause of death of Tarkovsky himself and some crew members, dunno about that. There's still some crew members alive to this day, such as costume designer Nelly Fomina etc. I've heard Tarkovsky had a strong lung infection at his childhood (possibly tuberculosis), and up to late 60s -- early 70s he was a smoker. Also, durring work on Stalker he had heart attack, and recent medical studies shows some correlation between heart attack and cancer. So it's most likely was a combination of these unlucky and unfortunate events which leads to his disease.

[@Bambino_60]

John Smith word salad 🥗

[@squirlmy]

also, especially in the English media in the 80s, the anti-Soviet propaganda was pretty heavy-handed. Tarkovsky, as a critically acclaimed USSR film-maker, was the target of rumors in the West.There were probably some awful environmental disasters going on, but...

[@fuckererbitcher8689]

politics is one of the central themes of the movie to me :S

[@quite1enough]

​@@fuckererbitcher8689 it sure is, but for Tarkovsky major role was in philosophy and religious issues. But the beauty of the art is that you're absolutely free to interpret things as you see, as you prefer.

[@alexeyserov5709]

@You Tube Not really. For example I was baptized around this time. Mainstream culture look on religion was indeed ironic but you can find unironic references in big movies, like another classic "Come and See". Edit: Forgot an elephant in the room. Master and Margarita was a decade since published and a widely known classic.

[@sleepshouter5017]

“Get out of here stalker” “I said come in, don’t stand there” “You can’t go there”

[@aaronwilliamh9905]

Uhh dont even. Lol

[@drakep.5857]

Cheeki breeki

[@erickflores458]

"How did I even manage that?"

[@Bibyte]

"he was a good stalker"

[@lambda-m1676]

"oruzhiye ubral." *gun holster and unholstering sounds* "o-o-o-oruzhiy-" *finally holsters* "howdy ho."

[@jdm2651]

I had been obsessed with this film, but never knew much about it, probability because I was searching under the wrong title - The Zone and found nothing. When the Internet had no video, they would occasionally broadcast it at late night on an intellectual national TV channel. Now finally I got an answer to my quest, thank you.

[@Prometheus_Williams]

Momma always said life was like an “Empty.” Something on the top and something on the bottom- and nothing worth nothing in the middle.”

[@m-bronte]

The film is a masterpiece on every single level, dialog, cinematography, music, atmosphere...everything! A dark film that shines bright. This is one the the best critiques I have heard yet.

[@davidlean1060]

Alongside Barry Lyndon, it has to be one of the most beautiful looking pictures ever taken with a camera!

[@m-bronte]

@@davidlean1060 Yes, it's very dream like....I have never watched Barry Lyndon? I'll have to check it out.

[@TheBonsaiGarden]

Everything except narrative. This only makes any sense if you have first read the book. Otherwise it’s just shouty people walking through a derelict landscape, inexplicably jumping at their own shadows.

[@smotnick]

Don't know about dialogue!

[@smotnick]

@@davidlean1060 I would definitely rank T. Malick's "A Hidden Life" way up there, and it doesn't even get an Oscar nom!!!

[@garbhanmyles]

As a massive fan of Tarkovsky and Stalker this was an amazing eye opener. Thank you so much for doing this!

[@HamishMcKilt]

Even as a fan of both Stalker and Tarkovsky, I learned a whole lot from this video. Very well put together.

[@kushine_]

"Get out of here, Stal.." Oh wrong Stalker

[@canadianwardog7118]

LOL!

[@ChocorocK]

Not completely. Its... an anomaly.

[@lmt7816]

This place ain't for you, either...

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

I said come in, don't just stand there!

[@AClockworkWizard]

@14:55 "Made trips into the zone to care for the powerplant" = "Salvage irradiated hardware left behind after the evacuation for material to sell" Growing up in Kyiv in the 90s some amount of school time was spent learning not to touch any metal bits sold by shady characters on the street.

[@omgsolikevalleygirl]

funny how everything looks pornographic next to Stalker

[@pangometersen8834]

Omgthat'ssoliketrue 😄

[@chriss6439]

Its trash wym

[@ozymandiasnullifidian5590]

@@chriss6439 If Stalker is trash for you, you do not know the first thing about cinematography.

[@wahdenasso7020]

@@ozymandiasnullifidian5590 leave the gulag citizen alone

[@Aster_Risk]

@@ozymandiasnullifidian5590 Or, it just doesn't appeal to this person.

[@losum]

Roadside Picnic and everything it has spawned is so beautiful. Stalker is a mesmerizing film and I only show it to people I trust because it's a deal breaker, not many out there have the patience to watch it. I definitely want more

[@IsabellaCatherine19XX]

What a sad story. Thank you for making this video. Thank you, Andrei.

[@egvoidl01]

Ironic that the "ruined filmstock" would become a hollywood trend in the matrix era. everything was green or blue tinted for a long time.

[@andreimina7494]

It’s something highly specific to movies released at the turn of the millenium, no idea why, didn’t notice any tinted movie after that period

[@jamescrow4915]

Oddly even the overexposed version of the film would be better thwn most of the movies shot around the end of the last century

[@mrlychan]

It warms my heart to see Stalker get some love. Best served whilst in the grip of existential despair.

[@lukemueller844]

Three weeks ago I watched this movie for the first time and not a day has passed where I haven't thought about ‘Writer’ and the many ways in which I relate to him. The Writer's deepest desire seemed to be avoiding coming face to face with who he truly is underneath his cynicism, his fear of inadequacy, & his intellectual detachment… Why am I trying to maintain a facade that I have built around myself? Who am I beneath my persona? What are my true desires & weaknesses?

[@jonathanpowling6330]

I attended a double bill of Solaris and Stalker in London and I managed to stay awake after several pints earlier. Stalker is moving to oneself

[@HunterTinsley]

You deserve an award for that! I love both, but I doubt I could make it through a double feature even with a pint of Red Bull.

[@Rc-a322]

you look like Ray Liota if you order him from AliExpress. Love the content btw

[@melsmith245]

He looks French-Canadian

[@mikeforester3963]

Now I can't unsee it...

[@spoiledmilk2587]

Lmao I knew he looked familiar

[@DripNZ]

Crossed with the sidekick guy from Brooklyn 99

[@PrestonGarvey-i2]

Ray Liota looks like Ray Liota if you ordered him from AliExpress now

[@Davivd2]

I just saw Stalker today. It's imagery is the most beautiful imagery that I've ever seen in a movie. Even the decay is beautiful.

[@m3ntalcollid3r]

"Its beautiful here, not a single soul here" - Stalker

[@resofactor]

That's really a damned shame. Such a high price to pay for such a masterpiece. Tarkovsky was a great director. Much better than the majority of drivel being released these days. A true film artist.

[@Juventinos]

lol you are mistaken. drivel was released back then as well. and there are many amazing film artists in Europe making movies right now. some coming very close to Tarkovski's caliber but obviously different.

[@mikeseymour1792]

To be an artist is to suffer.

[@iaincowell9747]

How many directors these days know that you don't film a scene with just one camera.

[@TheEnigmaticBM39]

@@iaincowell9747 why is that an issue? Having multiple cameras can open the director up to numerous and different/interesting shots.

[@DarkAngelEU]

@@TheEnigmaticBM39 You're not gonna use more than one camera if you already know what the scene is gonna be. You just don't.

[@MrKylePopovich]

Awesome! Your video got me stoked on tarkovsky again! Thank you. Ivans Childhood is great.

[@imroztowhid1284]

this is, by far, the most beautifully put essay about a cinema that i have ever seen! kudos!

[@markasimmons]

I saw Stalker about 1990 at the "Anvil Civic Cinema" in Sheffield (UK), just before it closed. I then lived with a poet who was mates with the cinema's curator Dave Godin, so got invited to some after-film drinks with some Eastern European film studies academics who had been at the showing. One had known Tarkovsky in Italy in the early 80s, and claimed to have seen the first version of the film. He too said that it was exactly the same as the third version we had watched earlier that day. (excellent critique btw : you got a subscriber)

[@johnsmith-wx5fb]

You got? Is that how they speak in Sheffield?

[@johnsmith-wx5fb]

@chubbyurma considering he has roots in the north of england and he's not a short order chef in a new york diner. I think him saying you "have" a subscriber would be a lot more appropriate.

[@johnsmith-wx5fb]

@chubbyurma if you are joe cocker singing in an american accent, why not. But if youre in sheffield and you walk around saying you got a subscriber this and you gotta do what you gotta do that. You will look and sound like a pretentious arsehole who is talking in an affected way and you will be banished from Sheffield.

[@johnsmith-wx5fb]

@chubbyurma oh i say so.....i say so real good.

[@jamescarter3196]

john smith Saying “have” means something was already in place: “I have a car”. Saying “got” means something was received: “I got a car”. Please stop overthinking this into oblivion.

[@amosluyk]

Roadside Picnic is one of the greatest Sci-fi stories I have read. Never knew there was a movie made of it. Thanks :)

[@MarquisLeary34]

Eh, better to say that it was inspired by the book. STALKER is a worthwhile experience, but a wholely different one from Roadside.

[@zakerymizell8838]

Yes more Stalker! My absolute favorite movie

[@TheRedverb]

I'm sorry, all I heard you say was There Will Be Blood is not my favorite movie.

[@mrsnoop1820]

why

[@v44n7]

I never watched Stalker. I will watch It for the first time and I will edit the comment

[@zakerymizell8838]

@Gene Bone recommendations?

[@StrikeWarlock]

It also killed Solonitsyn, one of the best actors I've ever seen perform on screen

[@Matt_Silverwolf]

I studied photography and film, where we had a short film project, and later I was an extra for a local TV series. Goofing around with your class for a full day is fun. Waiting around for something to happen along with 100 other people you don't know for a full day is exhausting.

[@jayblack7495]

All these years I've been looking for the ultimate "Alien" shirt; and now I realize that shirt is simply a picture of a cat. Jonesy . . .

[@MattMcIrvin]

I really liked Roadside Picnic, and when I saw Stalker I was a bit disappointed because it's an adaptation of a relatively small part of the novella, which has more backstory and multiple plot threads focusing on a bunch of different characters in and out of the Zone. But Tarkovsky's artistic intent was different from the Strugatskys'. I just saw Annihilation and, yes, the similarity between it and Stalker is indeed palpable. While I was watching it I thought of the story as resembling a couple of Stanislaw Lem novels, but, really, the comparison to Roadside Picnic and Stalker is closer (Lem was a big fan of Roadside Picnic).

[@OdaKauffman]

When you've played the STALKER series, it's hard not to imagine the backbreaking work in the back to get the whole show running.

[@peterscasny2803]

Both games and the movie had a difficult development. I wonder how hard was to make the book?

[@leoteal7161]

5:33 Alisa Freyndlih/Алиса Фрейндлих with *K* being silent and *H* don't 10:56 Alexandr Knyazhínskiy/Александр Княжи́нский just say *Knya* (like nyan but with *K* in front and without *N* in the end) and *zhinskiy* . Put those together = Knyazhínskiy. Sorry but this is the best explanation i've got :D

[@Pyro-Moloch]

I just wanna add, that -zh is pronounced like french -j or -si in the words "a*si*an", "confu*si*on", etc. I know, that this might be obvious to some people, but I've often heard people pronouncing -zh as -z.

[@reynaldolunajr.6909]

Kin ya zin ski?

[@Pyro-Moloch]

@@reynaldolunajr.6909 no!

[@xkerchx]

Reynaldo Luna Jr. - No. it’s: K- Nya- (like the nya in nyan cat) Zhin- (zh is like the j in bonjour; in would be like the word “in”; the emphasis is here) Skiy - ski like the snow sport. K-nya-zhín-skiy

[@kebman]

Even simpler: Knya shin-skee

[@tenthousandbees10000]

Dude this is amazing! I'd love as many Stalker videos as you are physically able to make.

[@martinharris5017]

Stalker is an extraordinary work. If it hadn't been for Solaris I wouldn't have known about it. I think Solaris was made remotely from 2001 altogether rather than in response to it. I often wonder if Tarkovsky somehow had a precognition of Chernobyl in making Stalker?

[@noahleach7690]

You know it’s based off of a book? The video even mentioned it

[@lxwheill7371]

"Stalker" is truly a unique piece of cinematography. It's significance and after effects can still be felt today, even if modern Hollywood film-making is at a complete opposite to the style and substance of Tarkovsky's brilliant masterpiece. It feels more like a feverish dream than a narrative, and tends to (as stated) engulf the viewer into it's somewhat subjective/abstract concept/construct. So do we want more info about "Stalker"? Do we want to see more videos about "Stalker"? I believe the answer is without a doubt a "most deffinately"! Perhaps an analysis of the longest shot/take of the film and why it was arranged in such a way, or the choice of sound design/soundtrack for the film and such. In any case, thanks for the great video!

[@Manamanamana36]

No, here is already a Stalker video. Better make one about Solaris

[@lxwheill7371]

Oh yes indeed; « Solyaris » does deserve quite the proper recognition and analysis, although for me personally, “Solyaris” is too much of a personal attachment in order to provide an unbiased and objective interpretation. I do believe it is rightfully labeled as his “masterpiece” and it too is quite the poetic vision, both visually and aurally (sonically). The film is ripe with hints and details as to provoke a reaction from the audience, not always on the same first-level narrative.

[@mirandac8712]

What a beautiful video. Thanks so much! (I've always thought Kubrick and Tarkovsky were mirror images -- and that mirroring was itself a mirror reflection of the States and the USSR; they're almost the same.)

[@emidom2004]

Hey, I don't know how I came across this, but it was amazing and I'm watching this movie as soon as possible. Great work, thanks so much, man.

[@williamkenny6383]

I actually live on The Jagella River, the one that was covered in pulp from the paper factory. A naturally occuring algae would combine with the paper and change it to this form of red seen in the film. It has done this for thousands of years (before the paper factory existed the pulp just exacerbated the color disbursement) and is why it is called the jugular (Jagella) river because of the way it looks like flowing blood. My father told me stories about our ancestors using the trails left by animals leaving this river to stalk them which is where the term for the original stalkers came from, this is mentioned in Roadside Picnic Tale of the Troika which the movie was based on. It was also said that Oxen would defecate into this river and is how you would describe this story, i.e., Bullshit.

[@Fontie0]

Which story was bullshit? The effluent discharge part?

[@Fontie0]

@The_Jaguar_ Knight Oh so he was talking about his own story lmao

[@Fontie0]

@The_Jaguar_ Knight I mean, I even read Roadside Picnic and don't remember any of this but still felt inclined to believe him lmao

[@theunknownkadath]

I was going with it until I realized that the book didn't necessarily take place in the same location as the film.

[@guitarofdestiny]

0:52 dude your background collection of trinkets and knick knacks is very impressive. I must have them all

[@qpOffBeatPanda999]

Funko trash 🤮

[@go56dofro]

When I first came here, this was all swamp. Everyone said I was daft to build a castle on a swamp, but I built in all the same, just to show them. It sank into the swamp. So I built a second one. And that one sank into the swamp. So I built a third. That burned down, fell over, and then sank into the swamp. But the fourth one stayed up. And that’s what you’re going to get, Son, the strongest castle in all of England.

[@Zeoklis]

What is also great about the movie is that you feel a lot of unease when they fall into water with foam, since you know that everything is toxic. The knowledge of the background of the production makes it feel even more real.

[@dangerchris1915]

I think this dude's issues really highlight how important it is to have backups and redundancy when making something.

[@hananaltaf3353]

My friend :-What's the stalker about? Me:- I guide others to a treasure i cannot possess.

[@lorgrenbenirus]

Tarkovski was amazing, two of his movies are some of my most favourite movies ever: Solaris and Stalker. It's hard to put into words how and what but it they just draw you in and you become completely immersed in them.