Stalker

Stars: Aleksander Kaidanovsky, Nikolai Grinko, Anatoli Solonitsin. "No one interested in world cinema should miss it," says The Village Voice of Stalker. If that doesn't deter you, read on. For the better part of three hours, a "stalker" (or guide) leads a writer and a professor through the futuristic "Zone" (basically a few back streets, a field, and a couple of abandoned buildings). They are headed toward the "Room," a place in the "Zone" where one's wishes are granted. Along the way they are greeted by a series of obstacles. Unfortunately, for the audience, these are not "Indiana Jones" sfx-laden obstacles, they're mental barriers. So, we infer that terrible things are going on, although what we actually see is three guys tiptoeing around a field in broad daylight acting like they've all dropped some bad acid. To be fair, there are a few good suspense scenes early on (as the film progresses they become less and less effective, since nothing ever materializes) and the philosophical question posed by Stalker--given the chance to know the future would man grab it?--is a decent one. Still, if you're suffering from an appearance vs. reality kind of metaphysical itch, read Wittgenstein to make it worse, or Kierkegaard to make it better, but pass on Stalker. Audience: Those truly "interested in world cinema," as opposed to good movies. (R. Pitman)[DVD Review—Oct. 3, 2006—Kino, 2 discs, 163 min., in Russian w/English subtitles, not rated, $29.95—Making its second appearance on DVD, 1979's Stalker sports a solid transfer with 5.1 surround sound. DVD extras include interviews with composer Eduard Artemyev (21 min.), production designer Rashit Safiullin (15 min.), and cameraman Alexander Knyazhinsky (6 min.); Serghei Minenok's 1997 short film “Memory,” featuring director Andrei Tarkovsky (6 min.); an excerpt from Tarkovsky's Soviet film school diploma short “The Steamroller and the Violin” (5 min.); a photo album; and cast and crew bios and filmographies. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a film that will delight Tarkovsky devotees and bore most others to absolute tears.][Blu-ray/DVD Review—July 11, 2017—Criterion, 161 min., in Russian w/English subtitles, not rated, DVD: $29.95, Blu-ray: $39.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 1979's Stalker is presented with a stellar transfer and an uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray release. Extras include interviews with author Geoff Dyer (30 min.), composer Eduard Artemyev (22 min.), set designer Rashit Safiullin (15 min.), and cinematographer Aleksandr Knyazhinskiy (6 min.), and an essay by critic Mark Le Fanu. Bottom line: Tarkovsky fans will welcome the Blu-ray debut of this cult favorite.]