Nostalghia (1992)

This is another haunting film by Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky--his first made outside of the Soviet Union. Like all of his films, Nostalghia has a mystical quality, as it follows the spiritual journey of a poet on a research mission in Italy. While traveling with his beautiful Italian interpreter in a Tuscan village, the poet suddenly becomes transfixed by memories of Russia and his family. A local mystic helps him see the right path in his life. Once again, Tarkovsky's imagery is gorgeous, and the narrative insightful. The past and the present collide in existential angst. Truly a cinematic feast for those interested in exploring life's deepest concerns. --Bill Desowitz Amazon.com

There is beauty in Nostalghia.

When Andrei Tarkovsky went to Italy in 1982 to start shooting Nostalghia, he vowed never to return to his home in the Soviet Union. Although I do not profess to fully comprehend Tarkovsky's film, which won the Grand Prix Spécial du Jury at the 1983 Cannes Film Festival, it is not essential to understand the film to appreciate its breathtaking visual qualities. Words fall short in describing this film, which tells the story of a Russian writer, Andrei Gorchakov (Oleg Yankovsky) who, like Tarkovsky, experiences profound feelings of displacement (or "nostalghia") upon traveling to Italy to research the life of an 18th century Russian composer. The "nostalgia" Gorchakov experiences in Italy is not for his Russian homeland, but for a deeper connection with all of humanity. The film's narrative frequently shifts to dream-like sequences. Several scenes in Nostalghia are famous, including one continuous nine-minute (8 minutes, 45 seconds, to be exact) camera shot depicting Gorchakov repeatedly attempting to cross a drained outdoor pool while carrying a lit candle. Nostalghia demands the viewer's full attention as well as repeated viewings, but its reward is an experience of brilliant poetic beauty in film, a benchmark few other films ever realize.

G. Merritt March 1, 2008

There are many things worse than death

And watching this labored, depressing, overlong dirge is definitely one of them. If you were thinking about all the nasty things you can do to your enemies, scratch even the worst ones off your list and send them this DVD. I'm coming rapidly to the conclusion that Russian art has scraped through the bottom of the barrel and into the bargain basement bin. December 8, 2007

Corrected Film Year

Just a correction to the date of this film: Nostalghia was originally released in 1985. It was Tarkovsky's first film outside of the Soviet Union. The Sacrifice was released in 1986. Andrei Tarkovsky died of cancer in 1986.

This is a beautiful film and closest that film has ever come to being pure art. February 5, 2007

One of the most beautiful films ever committed to celluloid...

This is Tarkovsky's most underrated film. It is also his most beautiful, with some of the greatest cinemtography ever committed to celluloid (Giuesppe Lanci was the cinematographer). The film concerns itself with a Russian coming to Italy to research on a Russian composer who died there. As others have pointed out, the word "Nostalghia" is the Italian pronuciation, and the film is about nostalghia for one's homeland, specifically Russian nostlaghia. Tarkovsky has said that Russians, more than other nationalities, miss their homeland more than others, and have a hard time assimiliating in other lands. This film gives you one amazing shot after another. Some of the shots are truly amazing. The most famous shot here in where Andrei carries a candle across the pool, believing that if he makes it without the candle going out, he will save mankind. They rehearsed this shot for 3 days, and on the 4th day they shot it. Tarkovsky told Oleg Jankovsky (the lead actor) "one action can be experienced as if it is your whole life", then told him "we've only got one take". They completed in one take, after which the crew burst out into appaulse. This film is a deeply spirtual film, like all Tarkovsky, and it's one of his most meditative films. A must see for anyone who takes cinema seriously.... July 31, 2006

Transcendental image-wizardry from the other side of the pool

A quite, withdrawn man lights a candle and walks with it through a old, abandoned, disintegrated swimmingpool. With his other hand he protects the flame from the wind.
But the wind sneaks through his fingers and blows out the candle. The quiet, withdrawn man turns around, walks back to the edge of the pool, lights the candle, and walks again through the shallow, slack water towards the other side once more.
But again the wind gets behind his hand and blows out the candle. Grey-faced but without any hesitation, the quiet, withdrawn man turns back to the edge of the pool, lights the candle again, and goes for a third attempt to reach the other side.
This time, he succeeds.

And with this quiet, withdrawn scene, a miracle succeeds, that, in simple, lame terms, is called `movie making'. And whatever otherworldly magician, whatever caleidoscopical entity and hunter of enigma's hides behind the pseudonym Andrei Tarkovski - it's a tour-de-force of art, nature and sheer genius (ever so close to madness, one might utter) blend together, like some holy white screen trinity.

And, by the way, after the quiet, withdrawn man plants the candle with almost ritualistic gesture into the soil, he collapses and dies, as any quiet, withdrawn man, who just inflicted with his bare hands a small miracle upon us, should.

Fade-out.

July 3, 2006

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