Re:The sudden death and eternal life of Solaris
by bhangi on Monday September 04, 2017 @08:06PM
(#15171609)
Tarkovsky's works are generally demanding works of art. They are definitely slow paced and almost boring, but I've always found myself in a much more thoughtful frame of mind after watching his films.
As for Solaris, it is worth reading the book as well as watching both versions of the film -- they ask and explore different questions. The book is about the nature of intelligence and life whereas the films are more about the human part of the equation -- what does it mean to be a human as opposed to be a "replicant"? Tarkovsky is slower paced, but IMHO encourages deep reflection. Soderbergh's version is definitely more watchable and is actually quite thoughtful by Hollywood standards.
Re:The sudden death and eternal life of Solaris
by mark_l_watson on Tuesday September 05, 2017 @07:51AM
(#15174261)
We all like different things, which is good. Personally, I have watched the US version of Solaris about 6 or 7 times, and the Russian version twice, and read the book. A planet size consciousness, messing with people - great premise for a story.
Also people, please don't downvote parent. It's very fair to say this movie is boring and confusing, and I think it was the very point. Tarkovsky has this style of filming around supernatural / sf things but never actually showing them. Instead, he prefers to explore the anxiety they cause on humans, anxiety which he often represents through long waiting with deceptive conclusions, so I would say that feeling annoyed is quite what is expected from people watching them. It's art, not entertainment.