If you haven’t yet seen Andrei Tarkovsky’s Solaris but do plan on watchÂing it (find it online here), rest assured that there’s no wrong way to go about it. You can plunge, withÂout prepaÂraÂtion, right into its vivid, torÂmentÂed SoviÂet sci-fi world of failÂing high techÂnolÂoÂgy, subÂlime natÂurÂal forces, and hauntÂing memÂoÂry. You can do no end of preÂlimÂiÂnary research on the film, its makÂer, and its makÂer’s strugÂgle to adapt the origÂiÂnal StanisÂlaw Lem novÂel to his own disÂtincÂtive senÂsiÂbilÂiÂty. Or you could just preÂcede your screenÂing with “Auteur in Space,” a brief examÂiÂnaÂtion of Solaris by well-known cinephile video essayÂist kogÂoÂnaÂda. It was made on behalf of The British Film InstiÂtute.
“The very conÂcept of genre is as cold as the tomb,” the narÂraÂtor quotes Tarkovsky as writÂing, going on to cite his critÂiÂcism of StanÂley KubrickÂ’s 2001 “for being too enamÂored by the specÂtaÂcle of the genre, for being too exotÂic, too immacÂuÂlate.” From then on, the video demonÂstrates not just what Tarkovsky does to push Solaris out of the shadÂow of 2oo1, but also to break it out of the stanÂdard forms of sciÂence ficÂtion and, ultiÂmateÂly, to free it from the stricÂtures of genre itself — to occuÂpy that catÂeÂgoÂry we can only call Tarkovsky.
And so the RussÂian auteur decides to make the space staÂtion on which most of the film takes place “look like a broÂken-down old bus.” He decides “to spend five minÂutes showÂing a man in an ordiÂnary car travÂelÂing along the highÂway, and less than two minÂutes showÂing his main charÂacÂter travÂelÂing through space.” He gives in to his “occuÂpaÂtion with the eleÂmenÂtal things of Earth.” He comes to “quesÂtion the limÂits of sciÂence in engagÂing the mysÂterÂies of exisÂtence,” ultiÂmateÂly using Solaris to pit sciÂence against ficÂtion, “each with their own weight and hisÂtoÂry and purÂsuit of truth and knowlÂedge.”
If, indeed, you haven’t yet seen Solaris and watch this video essay, you’ll sureÂly find yourÂself no longer able to resist the tempÂtaÂtion to expeÂriÂence the film as soon as posÂsiÂble. Maybe you’ll pop in the DVD or Blu-Ray, or betÂter yet, maybe you’ll catch a theÂatriÂcal screenÂing. But if you underÂstandÂably can’t wait for even a moment, you can watch it free online right now. And find othÂer Tarkovsky films free online here.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
Watch Solaris (1972), Andrei Tarkovsky’s HauntÂing Vision of the Future
The MasÂterÂful Polaroid PicÂtures TakÂen by FilmÂmakÂer Andrei Tarkovsky
Tarkovsky’s Advice to Young FilmÂmakÂers: SacÂriÂfice YourÂself for CinÂeÂma
ColÂin MarÂshall writes on cities, lanÂguage, Asia, and men’s style. He’s at work on a book about Los AngeÂles, A Los AngeÂles Primer, and the video series The City in CinÂeÂma. FolÂlow him on TwitÂter at @colinmarshall or on FaceÂbook.