Offret (1986)

Director:

Andrei Tarkovsky

Writer:

Andrei Tarkovsky (screenplay)

Release Date:

November 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Alexander, a journalist and former actor and philosopher, tells his little son how worried he is about the lack of spirituality of modern mankind...

Plot Keywords:

Spirituality | Dream | Psychological Drama | Hope | Tree

Awards:

Won BAFTA Film Award. Another 7 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Erland Josephson	...	Alexander
Susan Fleetwood	...	Adelaide
Tommy Kjellqvist	...	Little Man
Allan Edwall	...	Otto
Guðrún Gísladóttir	...	Maria (as Gudún S. Gísladóttir)
Sven Wollter	...	Victor
Valérie Mairesse	...	Julia
Filippa Franzén	...	Marta
Per Källman	...	Ambulansförare
Tommy Nordahl	...	Ambulansförare
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tintin Anderzon	...	(voice)
Helena Brodin	...	(voice)
Birgit Carlstén	...	(voice)
Jane Friedmann	...	(voice)
Martin Lindström	...	(voice)
Jan-Olof Strandberg	...	(voice)

Also Known As:

Le sacrifice (France)
The Sacrifice
The Witch (Sweden) (working title)

Runtime:

149 min

Country:

Sweden | UK | France

Language:

Swedish | French | English

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Iceland:L | Italy:T | Australia:PG | Portugal:M/12 | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-12 | South Korea:15 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG (1992 re-rating) | USA:PG | West Germany:12 (f) | UK:15 (original rating) | Hong Kong:IIA

Filming Locations:

Filmhusateljéerna, Filmhuset, Svenska Filminstitutet, Gärdet, Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden

Company:

Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI)

Trivia:

The cottage burnt down while the film jammed in the camera and the crew could not reload with new in time, hence it had to be reconstructed and burnt a second time.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[sub-titled]
Alexander: Come here and give me a hand, my boy.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Moskovskaya elegiya (1987)

Tarkovsky's Final Masterpiece

Andrei Tarkovsky was without a doubt one of the genuine artist working in the cinema. With films such as "Andrei Rublev", "Solaris", "Mirror", Stalker" and "Nostalghia", Tarkovsky enriched the world with powerful works for art. "Sacrifice" was his final film, made while Tarkovsky was dying of cancer. The story concerns an elderly academic who lives with his family in a rural part of Sweden. When he learns that about an imminent nuclear war, he makes a desperate pact with God. The film is astonishingly beautiful, like all Tarkovsky's films. Images of nature, water and fire feature prominently, as does the shifting from colour images to black and white.

It is important to remember that Tarkovsky is not a very accessible film-maker, and his films make great demands on viewer's patience and attention, but if you are willing to make the effort you will be rewarded by an unforgettable experience.