Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Sight & Sound Challenge: Andrei Rublev (1966)

Film: Andrei Rublev (210/250) 
First Time/Rewatch: First Time

This is my fourth film by director Andrei Tarkovsky, and I had this idea of his work being very visually strong and cerebral. Confusing but beautifully complex. And while this film is certainly strong in its imagery and rich in its story, it felt much more straightforward than his other films (at least the ones I've seen). The story is about medieval Russian painter Andrei Rublev, and his experience during a turbulent and violent time in Russia's history. We see terrible atrocities through his eyes, and feel his faith in his fellow man and himself wax and wane. Anatoly Solonitsyn plays Rublev stoically for the most part, dignified even when shouting in frustration and smearing paint in anger. I really enjoyed the supporting cast too, especially Irma Raush as the simple Durochka; there's a shot of her casually braiding the hair of a dead woman that's especially heartbreaking. Despite the film's formidable runtime, it's engaging and worth sticking through for the switch to vivid color at the end to showcase the artist's work. A fitting conclusion to my Sight & Sound Tarkovsky experience. 

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