A dying man in his forties remembers his past. His childhood, his mother, the war, personal moments and things that tell of the recent history of all the Russian nation.
In WW2, twelve year old Soviet orphan Ivan Bondarev works for the Soviet army as a scout behind the German lines and strikes a friendship with three sympathetic Soviet officers.
Directors:
Andrei Tarkovsky,
Eduard Abalov
Stars:
Nikolay Burlyaev,
Valentin Zubkov,
Evgeniy Zharikov
Seven year old Sasha practices violin every day to satisfy the ambition of his parents. Already withdrawn as a result of his routines, Sasha quickly regains confidence when he accidentally ... See full summary »
Director:
Andrei Tarkovsky
Stars:
Igor Fomchenko,
Vladimir Zamanskiy,
Natalya Arkhangelskaya
When a woman dying of cancer in early twentieth-century Sweden is visited by her two sisters, long-repressed feelings between the siblings rise to the surface.
Director:
Ingmar Bergman
Stars:
Harriet Andersson,
Liv Ullmann,
Kari Sylwan
The Solaris mission has established a base on a planet that appears to host some kind of intelligence, but the details are hazy and very secret. After the mysterious demise of one of the three scientists on the base, the main character is sent out to replace him. He finds the station run-down and the two remaining scientists cold and secretive. When he also encounters his wife who has been dead for ten years, he begins to appreciate the baffling nature of the alien intelligence.Written by
Dan Ellis
Let us take you with us to Solaris, planet of mystery, embodiment of man's latent conflict with the unknown. Man, face to face with his conscience, and with his past.
In the library during and immediately after Dr. Snaut's birthday party, the heights of the candles and the center post of the candelabra change between shots. See more »
Quotes
Kris Kelvin:
You know, It's really embarrassing but for some reason... I've completely forgotten your face
See more »
Alternate Versions
The DVD from Criterion has many small differences in the subtitles from the VHS version released by Fox Lorber. Most are inconsequential (in the VHS version, Kris's father compares him to "an accountant" while in the DVD he refers to "a bookkeeper") but the VHS version's subtitles are incomplete, simplifying some passages and eliminating simple phrases. Early on, Kris's father refers to "that damned Solaristics" (sic) in the VHS version; the subtitles in the DVD say "These Solarists." (In this scene, the VHS version may be more accurate: the DVD commentary by the film historians refers to the line as "damned Solaristics.") Also, the VHS version has Sartorius saying "All the rest is bullshit," while the DVD has him saying, "Everything else is whim." Also, in the in the VHS version, several of the black-and-white segments (including the film of Burton's debriefing) are sepia-toned, and one color shot goes to black-and-white after Kris passes in front of the camera (the scene is completely black-and-white in the DVD). The scene where Kris sees Hari for the second time is in black-and-white on VHS, but it has an orange, sunset-like tone in the DVD (possibly tinted black-and-white). These differences are clearly not a result of remastering or color-correction. Finally, the VHS version, which is two cassettes, shows the title card for "Solaris: Part One" but doesn't subtitle it, and it does not show the title card for "Solaris: Part Two." The title would appear at the beginning of the second tape. See more »
Shame on me for not realisng the 2002 film with George Clooney was essentially a remake of a Russian film made 30 years previously. I ought to have known, I am that sort of person.
So comes December 2009, and Film 4 show both Solaris films. I sat transfixed by the Russian film. Visually it is a thing of beauty, and it is a rare thing - a film which requires input from the viewer. This movie requires you to think for yourself...and some people find that difficult.
I enjoy a rip-snorting entertaining action movie as much as most people, but rare films like Solaris leave me feeling so much more fulfilled. There are ambiguities, not so much loose ends untied as dots which the viewer is required to connect for himself.
Try Solaris. If you find yourself twiddling your thumbs after 15 minutes then its probably not for you. If you find yourself glued to the screen then you know how I feel about this film.
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Shame on me for not realisng the 2002 film with George Clooney was essentially a remake of a Russian film made 30 years previously. I ought to have known, I am that sort of person.
So comes December 2009, and Film 4 show both Solaris films. I sat transfixed by the Russian film. Visually it is a thing of beauty, and it is a rare thing - a film which requires input from the viewer. This movie requires you to think for yourself...and some people find that difficult.
I enjoy a rip-snorting entertaining action movie as much as most people, but rare films like Solaris leave me feeling so much more fulfilled. There are ambiguities, not so much loose ends untied as dots which the viewer is required to connect for himself.
Try Solaris. If you find yourself twiddling your thumbs after 15 minutes then its probably not for you. If you find yourself glued to the screen then you know how I feel about this film.