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Andrei Tarkovsky's Stalker: Revelations
Writer: Listen, Professor. Speaking of the purchased inspiration. Let's imagine that I enter this room and return to our God-forsaken town a genius. A man writes because he's tormented, because he doubts. He needs to constantly prove to himself and the others that he's worth something. And if I know for sure that I'm a genius? Why write then? What the hell for? Well, I must say that we exist for...
Professor: Will you be so kind and leave me alone? Let me get a wink, I haven't slept all night. Keep your complexes to yourself.
Writer: In any case, all this technology of yours...all those blast furnaces, wheels...and other bullshit are only designed in order to work less and eat more. They are all just crutches, artificial limbs (now that's an interesting comment!). And mankind exists in order to create...works of art. Unlike all other human activities, this one is unselfish. Great illusions! Images of the absolute truth! Are you listening to me, Professor?
Professor: What unselfishness are you talking about? People still die of hunger. Have you fallen from the moon?
Writer: And they are considered to be our brainy aristocracy! You're not even capable of thinking in abstractions.
Professor: Are you going to teach me about the meaning of life? And also how to think?
Writer: It's useless. You might be a professor, but an ignorant one.
(mini dust twister breakaway and back)
Now we hear what sounds like Stalker's wife softly recite Revelation 6:12-17 as the camera pans vertically in sepia tones over water with all kinds of interesting debris. See how many different things you can Identify.
Voice Over (female voice) And there was a great earthquake. And the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair. And the moon became like blood...And the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts it's unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. And the sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up. And every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth and the great men and the rich and the chiliarchs and the strong and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" (laughter) The camera stops panning when it reaches Stalkers hand in the water. Then we switch back to color in a great shot that follows Stalker's head as he sits up. When Stalker's head is upside down and he opens his eyes he looks like an unearthly figure! And now Stalkers voice is heard reading parts of Luke 24:13-18. During this part we cut away to see the dog by himself in front of a building sit up anxiously.
Stalker: And that very day two...two of them...were going to a village which was about 60 stadia from...named...and they were conversing with each other about all these things. And while they were conversing and discussing...He Himself approached, and began traveling with them. But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. And He said to them: "What are these words...you are exchanging with one another, and why are you sad?" And one of them, named... (trailing off) During this part the camera reveals Writer resting his head on the Professor, his eyes opening, and then a pan over to Professor who's eyes are now open.
Stalker: Are you awake? You were speaking of the meaning...of our...life...of the unselfishness of art...Take music for instance. Less than anything else, it is connected to reality, or if connected at all, it's done mechanically, not by way of ideas, just by a shear sound, devoid of...any associations. And yet, music, as if by some miracle, gets through to our heart. What is it that resonates in us in response to noise brought to harmony, making it the source of the greatest delight which stuns us and brings us together? What's all this needed for? And most important, who needs it? You would say, "No one. And for no reason." Unselfishly. No. I don't think so. After all, everything has some sense. Sense and reason.
Then the camera cuts to Writer and Professor both sitting up and then the scene fades to black.
Next Post: The meat grinder.
Professor: Will you be so kind and leave me alone? Let me get a wink, I haven't slept all night. Keep your complexes to yourself.
Writer: In any case, all this technology of yours...all those blast furnaces, wheels...and other bullshit are only designed in order to work less and eat more. They are all just crutches, artificial limbs (now that's an interesting comment!). And mankind exists in order to create...works of art. Unlike all other human activities, this one is unselfish. Great illusions! Images of the absolute truth! Are you listening to me, Professor?
Professor: What unselfishness are you talking about? People still die of hunger. Have you fallen from the moon?
Writer: And they are considered to be our brainy aristocracy! You're not even capable of thinking in abstractions.
Professor: Are you going to teach me about the meaning of life? And also how to think?
Writer: It's useless. You might be a professor, but an ignorant one.
(mini dust twister breakaway and back)
Now we hear what sounds like Stalker's wife softly recite Revelation 6:12-17 as the camera pans vertically in sepia tones over water with all kinds of interesting debris. See how many different things you can Identify.
Voice Over (female voice) And there was a great earthquake. And the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair. And the moon became like blood...And the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts it's unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. And the sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up. And every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth and the great men and the rich and the chiliarchs and the strong and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" (laughter) The camera stops panning when it reaches Stalkers hand in the water. Then we switch back to color in a great shot that follows Stalker's head as he sits up. When Stalker's head is upside down and he opens his eyes he looks like an unearthly figure! And now Stalkers voice is heard reading parts of Luke 24:13-18. During this part we cut away to see the dog by himself in front of a building sit up anxiously.
Stalker: And that very day two...two of them...were going to a village which was about 60 stadia from...named...and they were conversing with each other about all these things. And while they were conversing and discussing...He Himself approached, and began traveling with them. But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. And He said to them: "What are these words...you are exchanging with one another, and why are you sad?" And one of them, named... (trailing off) During this part the camera reveals Writer resting his head on the Professor, his eyes opening, and then a pan over to Professor who's eyes are now open.
Stalker: Are you awake? You were speaking of the meaning...of our...life...of the unselfishness of art...Take music for instance. Less than anything else, it is connected to reality, or if connected at all, it's done mechanically, not by way of ideas, just by a shear sound, devoid of...any associations. And yet, music, as if by some miracle, gets through to our heart. What is it that resonates in us in response to noise brought to harmony, making it the source of the greatest delight which stuns us and brings us together? What's all this needed for? And most important, who needs it? You would say, "No one. And for no reason." Unselfishly. No. I don't think so. After all, everything has some sense. Sense and reason.
Then the camera cuts to Writer and Professor both sitting up and then the scene fades to black.
Next Post: The meat grinder.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Andrei Tarkovsky's Stalker: "One of our Professors is missing!" Part 2
At this point Writer and Stalker walk out of the entrance that Professor and Writer were lying down in front of a little while ago. It's also the same spot that Stalker and Writer just walked by and Professor wasn't there when they did! The following conversation ensues:
Writer: Look! What is it? How could it be?
Stalker: I already explained.
Writer: What did you explain?
Stalker: It's the Zone, don't you understand? Let's go quick. It's...
Writer: There he is!
Professor: I'm certainly grateful to you that you...but...
Stalker: How did you get here?
Professor: Mostly I had to crawl up here on all fours.
Stalker: Incredible. How did you manage to overtake us?
Professor: What do you mean, "overtake"? I came back here for the knapsack.
Writer now notices the nut hanging: And how has our nut gotten here?
Stalker: Oh my God, that's...the trap! Porcupine put this nut here on purpose. How could the Zone let us through? Oh God, I'm not going to take one more step until...I don't like it. That's it! We rest! But keep off this nut, just in case. Sorry, but I thought that Professor won't be able to make it. (coughing) You see, I...I never know beforehand what kind of people I'm taking with me. Everything gets clear only here, when it's too late.
And now a classic exchange between Writer and Professor.
Writer: What's important is that Professor's bag with his underwear is safe.
Professor: Don't stick your nose in someone's underwear if you don't understand it.
See? Was I wrong? Classic.
Writer: What is there to understand? Binomial theorem?
Some psychological abysses! You have a bad reputation at your institute. They don't give you money for an expedition. So you decide to pack a knapsack full of manometers and other shit...penetrate the Zone illegally...and put all these miracles to an algebra test. No one in the world has ever heard of the Zone. So we'll work a sure sensation! The television, fans raving and bringing laurel wreaths. Here our Professor appears, all in white, and declares: "Mene-Mene, tekel, uprasin." Everyone gaping and shouting: "He deserves a Nobel Prize!"
During this scene we first see the black dog as he approaches through a shallow stream towards the camera.
Professor: You lousy scribbler, a homespun psychoanalyst. You're only good for painting walls in public toilets, you blabbermouth.
Writer: No good. Too sluggish. You don't know how to do it.
Professor: All right. I'm going to get a Nobel Prize. and what are you after? Want to bless mankind with the pearls of your purchased inspiration?
Writer: I don't care a damn about mankind. Of all your mankind I'm interested only in one man - myself. Whether I'm worth anything or I'm just shit like others.
Professor: And if you find out that you're really...
Writer: You know, Mr. Einstein, I have no wish to argue with you. Truth is born of argument, damn it! (not sure who says that line)
Writer: Listen, Chingachgook...You've brought here many people.
Stalker: Not as many as I would like. (that is an interesting comment)
Writer: That's not the point. Why did they come here? What did they want?
Stalker: Happiness, I guess.
Writer: Yes, but what kind of happiness?
Stalker: People don't like to speak about their innermost feelings. And it's neither yours nor mine business.
Writer: In any case, you've been lucky. As for me, I haven't seen one happy man in my life.
Stalker: Me neither. They return from the room and I lead them back, and we never see each other again. It's not that wishes come true immediately. (another interesting comment)
Writer: Have you ever wished to use this room yourself?
Stalker: I'm fine as I am.
During this part we have shifted between black and white and color a few times. After the above comment by Stalker we go back to black and white (I'm sorry, it is actually sepia) and we see the dog again as he walks up to where Stalker is lying down and sits down with him.
Next Post: Revelations
Writer: Look! What is it? How could it be?
Stalker: I already explained.
Writer: What did you explain?
Stalker: It's the Zone, don't you understand? Let's go quick. It's...
Writer: There he is!
Professor: I'm certainly grateful to you that you...but...
Stalker: How did you get here?
Professor: Mostly I had to crawl up here on all fours.
Stalker: Incredible. How did you manage to overtake us?
Professor: What do you mean, "overtake"? I came back here for the knapsack.
Writer now notices the nut hanging: And how has our nut gotten here?
Stalker: Oh my God, that's...the trap! Porcupine put this nut here on purpose. How could the Zone let us through? Oh God, I'm not going to take one more step until...I don't like it. That's it! We rest! But keep off this nut, just in case. Sorry, but I thought that Professor won't be able to make it. (coughing) You see, I...I never know beforehand what kind of people I'm taking with me. Everything gets clear only here, when it's too late.
And now a classic exchange between Writer and Professor.
Writer: What's important is that Professor's bag with his underwear is safe.
Professor: Don't stick your nose in someone's underwear if you don't understand it.
See? Was I wrong? Classic.
Writer: What is there to understand? Binomial theorem?
Some psychological abysses! You have a bad reputation at your institute. They don't give you money for an expedition. So you decide to pack a knapsack full of manometers and other shit...penetrate the Zone illegally...and put all these miracles to an algebra test. No one in the world has ever heard of the Zone. So we'll work a sure sensation! The television, fans raving and bringing laurel wreaths. Here our Professor appears, all in white, and declares: "Mene-Mene, tekel, uprasin." Everyone gaping and shouting: "He deserves a Nobel Prize!"
During this scene we first see the black dog as he approaches through a shallow stream towards the camera.
Professor: You lousy scribbler, a homespun psychoanalyst. You're only good for painting walls in public toilets, you blabbermouth.
Writer: No good. Too sluggish. You don't know how to do it.
Professor: All right. I'm going to get a Nobel Prize. and what are you after? Want to bless mankind with the pearls of your purchased inspiration?
Writer: I don't care a damn about mankind. Of all your mankind I'm interested only in one man - myself. Whether I'm worth anything or I'm just shit like others.
Professor: And if you find out that you're really...
Writer: You know, Mr. Einstein, I have no wish to argue with you. Truth is born of argument, damn it! (not sure who says that line)
Writer: Listen, Chingachgook...You've brought here many people.
Stalker: Not as many as I would like. (that is an interesting comment)
Writer: That's not the point. Why did they come here? What did they want?
Stalker: Happiness, I guess.
Writer: Yes, but what kind of happiness?
Stalker: People don't like to speak about their innermost feelings. And it's neither yours nor mine business.
Writer: In any case, you've been lucky. As for me, I haven't seen one happy man in my life.
Stalker: Me neither. They return from the room and I lead them back, and we never see each other again. It's not that wishes come true immediately. (another interesting comment)
Writer: Have you ever wished to use this room yourself?
Stalker: I'm fine as I am.
During this part we have shifted between black and white and color a few times. After the above comment by Stalker we go back to black and white (I'm sorry, it is actually sepia) and we see the dog again as he walks up to where Stalker is lying down and sits down with him.
Next Post: Revelations
Monday, August 22, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
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