Solaris (1972) Solyaris (original title)

Director:

Andrei Tarkovsky

Writers:

Stanislaw Lem (novel)
Fridrikh Gorenshtein (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

20 March 1972 (Soviet Union)

Genre:

Sci-Fi

Plot:

A psychologist is sent to a space station orbiting an alien planet in order to discover what has caused the crew to go insane.

Plot Keywords:

Scientist | Psychologist | Space Station | Ocean | Alien

Awards:

2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Natalya Bondarchuk	...	Hari
Donatas Banionis	...	Kris Kelvin
Jüri Järvet	...	Dr. Snaut
Vladislav Dvorzhetskiy	...	Henri Berton
Nikolay Grinko	...	Kelvin's Father
Anatoliy Solonitsyn	...	Dr. Sartorius
Olga Barnet	...	Kris Kelvin's Mother (as O. Barnet)
Vitalik Kerdimun	...	André Berton's son (as V. Kerdimun)
Olga Kizilova	...	Gibarian's she-guest (as O. Kizilova)
Tatyana Malykh	...	Kris Kelvin's niece
Aleksandr Misharin	...	Shannahan, Berton's expedition host (as A. Misharin)
Bagrat Oganesyan	...	Professor Trajet (as B. Oganesyan)
Tamara Ogorodnikova	...	Anna, Kris Kelvin's aunt
Sos Sargsyan	...	Dr. Gibarian, a physiologist (as S. Sarkisyan)
Yulian Semyonov	...	Chairman of Investigation Commission (as Yu. Semyonov)
V. Statsinsky	...	Kris Kelvin in his early teen-age
Valentina Sumenova		(as V. Sumenova)
Georgiy Teykh	...	Professor Messenger (as G. Tejkh)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Raimundas Banionis	...	Kris Kelvin in his middle teen-age (uncredited)

Directed by
Andrei Tarkovsky

Writing credits
Stanislaw Lem		(novel "Solaris")
Fridrikh Gorenshtein		(screenplay) &
Andrei Tarkovsky		(screenplay)

Produced by
Viacheslav Tarasov	....	producer

Original Music by
Eduard Artemev

Cinematography by
Vadim Yusov

Film Editing by
Lyudmila Feiginova
Nina Marcus

Production Design by
Mikhail Romadin

Costume Design by
Nelli Fomina

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
A. Ides	....	assistant director
Yuri Kushneryov	....	assistant director
Larisa Tarkovskaya	....	assistant director
Maria Chugunova	....	third assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Paolo Rocco Innamorato	....	first assistant art director (uncredited)

Special Effects by
A. Klimenko	....	special effects artist
V. Sevostyanov	....	special effects camera

Camera and Electrical Department
Vadim Murashko	....	photographer (as V. Murashko)
Yury Nevsky	....	assistant camera
E. Paramanov	....	chief lighting technician
Yevgeni Shvedov	....	camera operator (as Ye. Shvedov)

Music Department
Raisa Lukina	....	music editor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Creative Unit of Writers & Cinema Workers
• Kinostudiya ''Mosfilm'' (as Mosfilm)
• Unit Four

Distributors

• Asociace Ceských Filmových Klubu (ACFK) (1972) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Magna (1976) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Sci-Fi Pictures Inc./Magna Distribution Corp. (1979) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Contemporary Films (1990) (UK) (all media)
• Fox Lorber (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• Artificial Eye (2002) (UK) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• RUSCICO (2004) (worldwide) (DVD)
• Seagull Films (2006-2007) (USA) (theatrical)
• General Video (2006) (Italy) (DVD)
• Sandrew Film & Teater (1978) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Another World Entertainment (2008) (Denmark) (DVD)
• Continental Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Empresa Hispanoamericana de Video (EHV) (Argentina) (video)
• Fox Lorber (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)
• Njutafilms (2004) (Sweden) (DVD)
• Sovexportfilm (Argentina)
• Taipan Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Mosfilm F/X Unit

Also Known As:

"Solyaris" - Soviet Union (original title)

Runtime:

167 min | Italy:115 min (first release)

Country:

Soviet Union

Language:

Russian | German

Color:

Black and White | Color (Sovcolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:S | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | South Korea:15 | UK:A (original rating) | Hong Kong:I | Singapore:PG | Australia:M (DVD rating) | Portugal:M/12 | USA:TV-G (cable rating)

Filming Locations:

Akasaka, Minato, Japan

Company:

Creative Unit of Writers & Cinema Workers

Trivia:

The extended scene following Berton as he rides back to the city was filmed in Osaka and Tokyo. Foreign travel was not easily approved, and the reason this long scene was left in the movie was probably to justify that trip for the director and crew. A Japanese city circa 1970 may not look very futuristic to modern audiences, but its impression on Soviet viewers at that time of the film's release was probably quite different. Tarkovski's diary reveals that they just missed the World's Fair, and they may have planned to shoot footage at it that would have looked far more futuristic.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: The camera crew is reflected in the video screen as Chris watches Dr. Gibarian's message.

Quotes:

Kris Kelvin:Well, anyway, my mission is finished. And what next? To return to Earth? Little by little everything will return to normal. I'll find new interests, new acquaintances, but I won't be able to devote all of myself to them.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Cinéma, de notre temps: Une journée d'Andrei Arsenevitch" (2000)

Soundtrack:

Ich ruf' zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ

One of the greatest

If you compare this movie to the Lem's novel there are a lot of differences. But don't compare them. The novel and movie have their own lives. I personally prefer movie. Tarkovsky is going beyond the limits described by Lem. It is not only the problem of Solaris planet and the relationship between main heroes. Tarkovsky reminds everybody that the origin of our problem is us. And all kind of the most important life keys you can find inside yourselves. The great Swedish director Ingemar Bergman said, that Tarkovsky is in the "room" where I just started to knock. You should see this movie if you want to know what is real you and what you really want. The movie is not the answer, but it is the step to your new understanding of your life.