Stalker (1979): The Sci-Fi Masterpiece That Killed Its Director 

Fun unrelated fact: Tarkovsky wrote the script for Andrey Rublev together with another famous soviet director Andron Konchalovsky. After they'd finished the script, they decided to celebrate and took a cab to the Metropol restaurant. Once they'd sat down and were ready to touch glasses, they discovered that they'd left the script behind in the cab. They had been working on the script for a year; there was only one copy, and the copy was lost. The two directors got drunk out of disappointment and frustration, and a few hours later, when Tarkovsky got back to Metropol after a walk to have a few more drinks, the very same cab pulled over next to him, the driver silently gave him the script through the window and took off. I've heard this story from another terrific soviet director Andrey Smirnov, the creator of Belorussky Vokzal (Belorussian Railway Station).

I actually live and spent a lot of time of my childhood around the areas stalker was shot. And i think i remember my dad mentioning he ruined many takes of the film with a tractor.

I can't imagine how soul crushing and just unbelievably heartbreaking it would be to film such a meticulous and dangerous film just for it to get ruined Its a blessing that we even got to see the masterpiece in the first place

Anatoly Solonitsyn died from lung cancer in 1982 when he was only 47. Four years later, Tarkovsky died from the same illness. Solonitsyn was Tarkovsky's kindred spirit, his alter ego, they understood each other almost without words. I have loved and admired Solonitsyn ever since I first saw him in Stalker 13 years ago. What he did in Andrey Rublev, I think, is beyond acting craft, beyond art, beyond human. There was always something transcendental, otherworldly in all his roles. A video about Andrey Rublev would be very interesting. There are many stories around its production and, in particular, the way Solonitsyn approached his role (which initially belonged to Stanislav Lyubshin).

“The film [Stalker] needs to be slower and duller at the start so that the viewers who walked into the wrong theatre have time to leave before the main action starts.” ― Andrei Tarkovsky

God I'm obsessed with the Stalker 1979 film. I love how different it is from the book. No aliens, monsters or villains, just pure existencial crisis between the three characters as they walk into a lifeless zone trying to find some sort of meaning to life only to walk further and further into a void.

All movies fillmed in USSR were not supposed to make profit, to make money. Government gave money to director to make movie. So when Tarkovsky were producinig his Stalker he didnt care abot boxoffice. That's why many soviet movies were pure art not business product like hollywood.

I saw 'Stalker' just because I was in a film club and it was on. I had no prior information about it. Probably the most visually stunning film I've ever seen ... years before CGI. It was all just (a few) sets, then incredible use of a blasted industrial landscape. The Russian V/O works like a musical soundtrack. I'd HATE to see a dubbed version! Amazing. On my greatest films, Top Ten List.

Rule #1: when Nykvist says bring two cameras you bring two cameras

Me: That's a beautiful looking static shot of a pineapple. Andrei Tarkovsky: Welcome to the next 45 minutes of the film.

The fact that Tarkovsky liked The Terminator says alot about the film

It might be most streamed in certain places, however Stalker is still such an underrated film of it's time and still a very deep and mysterious movie, especially that ending, just wow! Honest moment, only watched this for the first time last year, this is a brilliant film.

Jesus, I worked on many movie sets and trust me, most of the time it's extremely tiresome (even if we are in a "nice" place it's extremely crowded, everybody is in a rush, everybody is tense, you have to work sometimes 10-15 hours a day -maybe more- and you can never really rest because you don't know what's inside the directors head and if he says something you act instantly). I can't imagine what were it like to shoot this damned move 3 TIMES in the worst set you can imagine. Many people have no idea how much sweat is to make a movie.

Do we want to see more videos about Stalker? (Orson Welles voice) Yes! ALWAYS!

I love the idea of Kubrick being one side of the brain and Tarkosvky being the other purely from a poetic view. One is from the west, one is from the east, both operating during a very turbulent and tense time between their two countries, and they themselves are almost like opposites in their styles and motivations for movie making, despite both often times tackling similar subjects. Ying and yang, perfectly balanced, as all things should be.

Since he even dedicated it to him, I feel like von Trier's 'Antichrist' is the closest we'll ever get to a Tarkovsky horror film. I agree about missing out on so many great works in other genres he could have made. Great vid essay.

This movie / the book, unless I'm mis-remembering, inspired the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. video game series, which was so great imo.

I feel obligated to watch this movie not just because it looks interesting but also because I need to validate the effort and loss behind it.

dude. I can't imagine how much work you put into all these edits. That's a lot of work

What an artist! The man literally killed himself for his art. Thank you for introducing Tarkovsky. I would have never known about him.

I've never seen such a good editorial on this film. People don't talk about Stalker enough.

I think the set of unfortunate events brought that atmosphere of heaviness and tiredness into the film that jumps at you out of the screen, it was a worthy effort all the way through.

"They told me I was daft for filming in a stagnant polluted swamp. But I did it anyway. That film collapsed into the swamp. So I filmed it a second time...that one burned down and sank into the swamp...but the THIRD film stayed!-Tarkovsky

this is, by far, the most beautifully put essay about a cinema that i have ever seen! kudos!

Alisa Freindlich is an amazing Soviet actress. She's 84 now and she still performs in Bolshoi Drama Theater in St. Petersburg.

I like how every line in the subtitles has a source citation.

Sorry for my bad english, but I would like to tell about the "effect" Tarkovsky wanted Rerberg to make, which you mention around 8:08. I just recently finished reading a book written by Evgeny Tsymbal, who worked as a props assitant from the beginning of filming till the end of it. That's from march 1977 till january 1979. The last scene they finished, was the last in the movie: Stalkers daughter reading the book and moving the glasses. So, he worked all the way through the shooting of this film, and he mentions this "effect". Which wasn't really an effect. So in the first version of the movie, they were shooting the dialogue between Professor, Writer and Stalker "on location" inside the abandoned power plant in Estonia. The scene was close to what we see in the final picture just before they come down to the threshold of the Room. There's dialogue between Professor, Writer and Stalker inside a small room, with mystical phonecall, shot through doorway. In the final version this was filmed on a soundstage in Moscow on "Mosfilm studio". Yes, ALL the interiors in the final version of the movie were build on soundstage. They were build by Rashid Safiullin and MOSTLY by Vladimir Fabrikov, who was lead carpenter and one of the production designers on the film. But in the first year of shooting, as mentioned before, they tried to make this kind of a scene on location inside the abandoned power plant. The problem was - there were almost no room to setup the light to light the scene. Tarkovsky said to Rerberg, that he saw same kind of a scene in one of the Bergman's movie and "he somehow did that, and it magically worked. I wanted you to make the same atmosphere". They tried in multiple times, it didn't work. Because there was no space to setup enough light. So Rerberg suggested to Safiullin and Tsymbal, what they tear down the wall, so he can put a ligh outside. Filming stopped about for a day and a half (but they were already out of schedule) while these 2 guys break a wall. Remember - it's on location. This power plant was built around WW1. With massive granite rocks. So the wall was around one meter thick. They have only crowbars and sledgehammers. Tsymbal remembers that after 1st day of work, the blood was pouring down from their palms. So anyway. They make a giant hole in this wall, Rerberg set up the lighting fixtures outside, they again started to shoot aaand... it again wasn't the thing Tarkovsky wanted. And again "the scene does not work" like it was in Bergman movie. Tarkovsky was furious that they wasted time, Rerberg couldn't do what he (Tarkovsky) want's and they ruined the location, they might have used later to shoot from different angles. That's the story.

This is my favorite piece you released. I reference it through every stage of production. Thank you!

I wonder if Tarkovsky had lived long enough to see The Matrix what his reaction would have been about the green tint the the footage he'd shot.

2:25 Just for the record: Tarkovsky's _Solaris_ is not an "answer" to Kubrick's _2001_ in any sense, neither was it "caused" by it. Tarkovsky hadn't even seen _2001_ until _Solaris_ was well into the editing stage. The motivation for _Solaris_ was completely different: it was Tarkovsky's problems with his previous film _Andrei Rublov_ which was shelved for several years by the ruling Communist Party. So Tarkovsky started looking for a topic for his next film as diametrically opposite to Mediaeval Russia as possible. By chance at a party someone told him of Stanisław Lem's book _Solaris_ and that he ought to read it. He did and decided this was the material he's been looking for. I know it's tempting to think Kubrick influenced Tarkovsky but it's simply not true, it was a coincidence.

this is one of those movies where, even having it explained to you, you just have to experience it yourself to understand. I was one of those people who put it off, because it sounded really really boring through description ... but the world tarkovski creates is simply incredible, and part of what makes it so good is how JUST enough is left to our imagination. there's a few things here and there, like the sound of a creature in the distance, the writer's unexplained fear when close to the room, the way the professor somehow ends up moving forward by going back for his canteen... it's just a masterfully crafted mindfuck of a movie.

The Mirror was my favorite...long, lingering beautiful shots with such amazing minimal sound design.

The problem with "ruined" footage is somewhat more complicated than that. According to memoirs of Boris Strugatsky (co-writer of both original book and movie script) Tarkovsky was extremely unhappy with movie as it was coming along and thought that the take on the story and Stalker's character is wrong. Apparently first version had more tough and proactive protagonist, more in line with the book and even referred as "Rambo like". So there is certain suspicion by some people whether footage was ruined by accident or deliberately. In the end Tarkovsky asked authors to re-write the script and apparently liked this new Stalker character a lot more. So that's what we've got and according to authors it is pretty different to original vision.

"I'm not going out there." "What's out there?" "Endless rooms of stupidity.' - CUBE

I love the background music you inserted into this video, it's unique without being distracting and makes the video more gripping overall

If you've ever played the Stalker games it's actually crazy how much was not just inspired by the concept of the zone and it's stalkers but also the atmosphere. Stalker is a slow methodical game most times that almost forces you to stop and consider what's going on around you. No big pressing mission that needs to happen in this amount of time or that, no overarching evil or good just people living in the zone doing their best. There's also the escort missions that are very reminiscent of the movie which I like. But all in all it was the amount of alterations and reiterations and troubles around it's development that ultimately make it feel the most like Tarkovsky's stalker. This kit bashed underbudgeted experience that was not the the artists original intentions but still beautiful all the same. I also find it funny that Stalker also went under 3 iterations before the work could be considered complete (Not counting Clear Sky of course). At the end of the day the game never feels like it's trying to rush you through it but just like with the film it's trying to make you feel like your there which it achieves perfectly. I'm hoping with the second Stalker we can finally have a complete work directly inspired by the book that actually lives up to the artist's dreams

Must be a curse seeing how the game inspired by this movie went through 7 hells and back before being released

The original version of Stalker was ruined by a greenish and dark tent Zack Snyder " so? "

Thank you, for 40 years I've been trying to identify/remember the name of this this unsettling film that I had seen once before as part of a film festival in 1980, and never saw on show again.

As a massive fan of Tarkovsky and Stalker this was an amazing eye opener. Thank you so much for doing this!

I saw "Stalker" in a re-release at an art house a few years ago. I think Tarkovsky created a film that was a visceral experience that I cannot describe in any way for others to understand. I was immersed in it from beginning to end.

A masterpiece. A real think-piece. The idea that we don't all always know what we want, even when we think we do. It's quite cutting and penetrative, and really made me think and reflect. And the fact the film is visually stunning helps as well.

I just saw Stalker today. It's imagery is the most beautiful imagery that I've ever seen in a movie. Even the decay is beautiful.

I'm about to watch Stalker for the first time. Thanks for sharing the history behind creating the film. I'm going to watch Stalker now with a lot more appreciation behind how it was made

I’d actually played the STALKER game series before I rediscovered the novel Roadside Picnic and the original movie Stalker👌

Thanks for analysing a Tarkovsky movie! Stalker is definitely one of my favourites. As for Russian surnames (or those of most languages) one can just copy-paste the original name into google translate and then just listen to the pronunciation 👍

What a sad story. Thank you for making this video. Thank you, Andrei.

Hello! First time viewer from UK but I had to comment since Tarkovsky is one of my favourite directors. Firstly, a couple of triv bits about Solyaris. The set built for the space station was beautiful. I've never seen such a perfect set (maybe Alien, and Outland come close) of a working station that once had a huge crew, now dwindled to a handful, and really nearing the end of its life (MIR Space Station anyone?) The story goes that Japanese director Akira Kurosawa asked to be allowed into the set for an hour on his own. He wanted to experience it for himself. What he did there, I don't know but somebody more familiar with him and his work could fill me in on that. If you're interested, for contrast, a USSR TV station made a monochrome version of Solyaris in 1968. It's wonderful to compare - you can see how Tarkovsky was all about emotion in his version, whole the 1969 TV film is more "nuts and bolts". Finally on Solyaris, Stanislaw Lem, the author, didn't like Tarkovsky's film. But! Most of us that have read the English translation have been reading a *garbled telex version* of the book for years. The English translation from 1971 came like this: Polish to French to English - with the French and English translators not really "getting" what Lem was saying. Luckily, a brand new translation came out a few years back, and not only is it available on Audible, but there is an incredible audiobook version that captures what Lem *meant* beautifully. BONUS EXTRA: BBC Radio 4 made a two hour (if I'm remembering correctly) radio play. Joanne Froggatt played Rheya, and it is done with such care you'd think it was Radio 4 in 1980 ( when they still have a shit about good drama). And onto Stalker. I'd already read Roadside Picnic and was excited there was a film version. I was jumping up and down for joy when I found out Tarkovsky had made it. I have a wonderful box set of his films, which include Stalker and Solyaris, but a year or so ago I found out Criterion had restored Solyaris, so I bought that immediately and watch that version now - big difference! About the chemical poisoning in Estonia. Yes, totally true. These people REALLY died for their art. A strange coinkydink happens here. An actor in noir radio series, along with some decent film roles, is someone I deeply admire - Dick Powell. He plays a private eye in the radio series "Richard Diamond" , and if you want to *see* him nor, check out 1949's "Johnny O'Clock" which is just gorgeous start to finish. Now, Dick Powell directed a terrible film with (ugh) John Wayne who plays Genghis Khan (!) in 1956's "The Conquerer" (no, I haven't seen it). It was filmed smack dab in a piece of Nevada used for nuclear testing. To make matters terrifyingly worse, they scooped up tons of the Geiger Counter Destroying sand and took it to the film studio for interior shot set dressing. A disturbing number of those who worked in any way on this (travesty - no, stop, be professional) film died early due to strange cancers - Dick Powell among them. His wife has said it was smoking that killed him, but you just have to look at the numbers and make your own mind up. So a bit about a few great films, and I hope someone got something out of this. And your video on Stalker was perfect. Presentation is top notch, some good gags, and a respect for a Soviet director who, in the west, doesn't get the credit he deserves . Nice one sir, extremely well done, and might turn on a few new fans. All the best from a tiny bit of a tiny island!

Thank you for this video! I fell in love with this film so deeply the first time I watched it that I learned Russian just to be able to fully watch, understand, and appreciated this masterpiece. It cost me 2 years of my life, more than 1000 hours and over 6000 USD in lessons and apps... это того стоило

I went to see “Stalker” 3 times in one week when it first came out! It totally blew my mind.

I wanted to focus on understanding the central message of the film after watching it for the first time today. Initially I saw the Stalker as a charlatan. Promising a divine reward but only to those who pay him and following him without question. At the threshold of The Room the decision for both not to enter leads to an uncharacteristic emotional breakdown of the stalker. Like a preacher losing his congregation. The paradox is that the stalker is delivering them to materialistic evil, not from it. The Scientist never intended to enter and the Artist (Writer) reflected and repented at the final moment. One knew the truth and the other found it along the way. I ultimately saw the stalker as the films moral antagonist. What frustrated me was the daughter. Until the revelation at the end I assumed this wasn't even a Sci-Fi, there was nothing supernatural about the Zone or even the film, it was purely a nuclear accident in a dystopian future. So I came to the following conclusion...... The zone is a metaphor for the materialistic pursuits of humans. The stalker is its delusional salesman who takes pride in being followed by more intelligent and creative men than himself all under the myth of him being a "stalker". Tarkovsky's real expression of anything supernatural or divine isn't found in colours of the The Zone, it is in the stalkers sepia toned home, in the only humanistic quality of the film, his family. This is shown first in his wife's monologue symbolising marriage and love through hardship. Then finally in the through the "miracle" of a child. Took me a good few hours to think about and write this mini thesis. Ive probably got something wrong or not elaborated more on other themes but if anyone can add to this I'd be grateful.

@14:55 "Made trips into the zone to care for the powerplant" = "Salvage irradiated hardware left behind after the evacuation for material to sell" Growing up in Kyiv in the 90s some amount of school time was spent learning not to touch any metal bits sold by shady characters on the street.

Wow. I've always loved Stalker and had no idea about its troubled production. This was fantastic to watch.

Just wanted to point out that "Solaris" was based on a book of the same name. Including the ship's looks and design

This video is wonderful, as is your series. I just found it, but i love movie trivia and info! Also your voice is so soothing, and engaging, and incredibly genuine. :)

Hey, I don't know how I came across this, but it was amazing and I'm watching this movie as soon as possible. Great work, thanks so much, man.

Tarkovsky was a visionary. That comes with a price tag that far exceeds the cost of a production. Many great artists have killed themselves to realize their vision. God bless them all.

That one dream sounds like a film itself "escaping from prison only to want go back"

I studied photography and film, where we had a short film project, and later I was an extra for a local TV series. Goofing around with your class for a full day is fun. Waiting around for something to happen along with 100 other people you don't know for a full day is exhausting.

I had been obsessed with this film, but never knew much about it, probability because I was searching under the wrong title - The Zone and found nothing. When the Internet had no video, they would occasionally broadcast it at late night on an intellectual national TV channel. Now finally I got an answer to my quest, thank you.

Phew... It was frustrating & sad to hear all that. Wonder how they got through this 3 times. But Stalker really is the most eerily stunning film.

I was left in awe and with so much unspoken emotions the first fine I saw "Stalker". It's an incredible journey, in my humble opinion far more superior than the source material, the "picnic" novella. I found the characters incredibly fascinating, and the visuals are really gorgeous. I was shocked when I hear about the intoxication and the death of both his genius and his talented crews. Solaris was enchanting, but this is the film that really got under my skin.

Every frame of Stalker is visual masterpiece.

Thank you. Fascinating background. Only finished watching Stalker yrsteday, took me a long time to get all the way through it.

Thank you, Tyler, for covering Tarkovsky and Sidney Lumet and David Lean, and other amazing filmmakers from the past instead of pumping out half-baked superhero stuff just because it's popular. Stay true to yourself and your passions. You're the best in the game today.

As an ethnic Russian and a fan of Tarkovsky, I thank you for this refreshing take on his work. I feel like when he is talked about by Russians in documentaries it is always with exceptional reverence... Not like he doesn't deserve it of course, but I really like your style. You've already got some very good tips on pronouncing some of the surnames. I would like to add that the stress in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, is on the first syllable. Oh and the Jonesey t-shirt is cute! 😄👍

Hey thanks for the video, it was pretty good and I really like the setup! Editing was really good!

4 years later and I am revisiting this and its more than amazing than ever!

you look like Ray Liota if you order him from AliExpress. Love the content btw

Some of the Stalker environments look incredibly toxic, but I think a bit much is made out of the Stalker-killed-them theory. Being smokers, drinkers, and living lives of creative stress under government control couldn't have helped.

I find ironic that when first watching this film I passed out just before they came back, sitting by the water. i just finished it today and that last section was so different, I almost believed that the zone didn't exist at all until the last scene of the film

Congratulations on the video again; You have a very good way of presenting and editing that makes the videos very joyful to watch, not to mention I love Tarkovsky and this was a brilliant choice.

“So They Shot Stalker for a *THIRD* Time....” Yeah, I heard that’s the version they shot with Eric Stoltz.

I saw Stalker about 1990 at the "Anvil Civic Cinema" in Sheffield (UK), just before it closed. I then lived with a poet who was mates with the cinema's curator Dave Godin, so got invited to some after-film drinks with some Eastern European film studies academics who had been at the showing. One had known Tarkovsky in Italy in the early 80s, and claimed to have seen the first version of the film. He too said that it was exactly the same as the third version we had watched earlier that day. (excellent critique btw : you got a subscriber)

This is as good a presentation as any review I have ever seen. Well done, Tyler.

First one of your videos I've seen. So much information. Loved it. Will definitely watch more. Thanks.

Roadside Picnic and everything it has spawned is so beautiful. Stalker is a mesmerizing film and I only show it to people I trust because it's a deal breaker, not many out there have the patience to watch it. I definitely want more

Ironic that the "ruined filmstock" would become a hollywood trend in the matrix era. everything was green or blue tinted for a long time.

When you've played the STALKER series, it's hard not to imagine the backbreaking work in the back to get the whole show running.

This is the perfect movie to fall asleep to. It's beautiful, so you want to stay awake and keep watching, but it still ends up lulling you to sleep when you're tired.

It also killed Solonitsyn, one of the best actors I've ever seen perform on screen

Saw it on film in Moscow last year and quality of the film was amazing. Tarkovsky specifically pointed that there's no politics, movie is more on philosophical, religious and transcendental side. Stalker is like a priest essentially, in a totally materialistic world. Btw that shot of paper waste was made by Rerberg, and that's the only piece by him which been left in final cut of the movie. As for being a cause of death of Tarkovsky himself and some crew members, dunno about that. There's still some crew members alive to this day, such as costume designer Nelly Fomina etc. I've heard Tarkovsky had a strong lung infection at his childhood (possibly tuberculosis), and up to late 60s -- early 70s he was a smoker. Also, durring work on Stalker he had heart attack, and recent medical studies shows some correlation between heart attack and cancer. So it's most likely was a combination of these unlucky and unfortunate events which leads to his disease.

Roadside Picnic is one of the greatest Sci-fi stories I have read. Never knew there was a movie made of it. Thanks :)

I'm glad more people are watching Stalker, Andrei Tarkovsky is such a good director and the Stalker universe is just amazing.

It warms my heart to see Stalker get some love. Best served whilst in the grip of existential despair.

Momma always said life was like an “Empty.” Something on the top and something on the bottom- and nothing worth nothing in the middle.”

One of my favorite videos on RU-vid. Thank you!

I find myself coming back to this video over and over when I want to introduce them to Tarkovsky and Stalker. Something about knowing the story that went on behind the scenes makes the movie that much more amazing to watch with people.

“Get out of here stalker” “I said come in, don’t stand there” “You can’t go there”

funny how everything looks pornographic next to Stalker

such a comprehensive and insightful review .. well done and thank you .

I randomly thought of this video last night and spent all of today trying to remember the name of the movie/director so I could rewatch this. Tarkovsky is a prime example of a director with uncompromising vision and I really admire him for that. This guy had some really horrible luck, the story behind Stalker really sticks with me like no other.

"Its beautiful here, not a single soul here" - Stalker

The film is a masterpiece on every single level, dialog, cinematography, music, atmosphere...everything! A dark film that shines bright. This is one the the best critiques I have heard yet.

Observed: Many members of the cast and crew mysteriously died after being exposed to dangerous chemicals while shooting the film. Also observed: Every single person smoking a cigarette in every single still shot where they are working.

Viewed through eyes of average pop culture consumer, Stalker killed Tarkovsky (also several others from the set), but the movie was so good that it killed The Roadside Picnic. Then came the Interwebz and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. computer game and killed everything (few times over).

Hey, Tyler about that Bergman's effect you're talking on 7:58 In his interview in 1997, Rerberg said smth that might be it. It was about the scene with three people inside the power station. They tried medium shot but failed to get an image out of it and Tarkovsky was desperate about it cause Bergman and Nykvist were able to film long shots and he could not. So he asked Rerberg to try to film that scene with the widest lens they got which Rerberg did not like to work with. After that 2nd try they failed to get the image again so this time Tarkovsky demanded on using of the long-focus lens but Rerberg declined cause they did not have enough room in that building to move or to get the light. Then, after the crew managed to get a hole in the wall big enough for the camera dolly and for the lights from the outside of the compound, they did the 3rd take and still no image of the scene... So Rerberg got fired after that and to make that long shot Tarkovsky build the whole hangar for that scene (I think, that was that "special studio" you mentioned).

"Get out of here, Stal.." Oh wrong Stalker

Been binge-watching a lot of RedLetterMedia and video essays on Scorn, so I guess thats how this appeared on my feed: couldn't be happier, love your narrative pacing and humour so definitely subscribing

CinemaTyler, you are brilliant! THANK YOU for sharing your work with us.