a review of 潜行者

Stalker was my first Tarkovsky experience. I've been curious to discover his work for a number of years now. Stalker is an unusual science-fiction film about three men who illegally break into a mythical, demarcated alien zone which they hope will change their unsatisfying lives. The first 15 minutes of Stalker are very slow but intriguing, and beautifully filmed, with a pleasantly surreal atmosphere, reminiscent of Eraserhead by maestro David Lynch. As the film progresses, it is mainly filled with lengthy existential discussions of the three men, during their quest across desolate, depressing Russian scenery. I really wanted to like Stalker. Certain elements reflect greatness, such as the cinematography, featuring beautiful, dreamy pans across grim settings. But what bothered me was a constant undertone of artistic pretentiousness just below the surface of the many lengthy scenes. As time progressed, Stalker felt more and more like watching a boring, intellectual stage-play, filled with the seemingly never-ending philosophical discussions of the main characters. When it comes to audiovisual poetry served in extensive, dreamy scenes I'll stick to Terrence Malick.