Tarkovsky: An Introduction

by Matthew Blevins

08, May 2011Spotlight, TarkovskyView Comments

Andrei Tarkovsky is cinema. My passion lies in film as an art and is as close to a form as religion that I have. Religion is supposed to be that thing that transcends cynicism and rational thinking to make us a part of something larger than ourselves. Some cling to it as a security against the great unknown and as a framework to provide the answers to the questions that are too big for rationalization. Film provides me with those things when it realizes its fullest potential. Tarkovsky is one of those few masters that have the power to elevate the chosen art form of my obsession to its highest levels. This may seem like hyperbole and normally I would agree, but Tarkovsky has the power to disarm my cynical nature as together we explore that which is human, spiritual, ontological, cosmological, and the silently unquantifiable vibrations of existence. It seems rather presumptuous that I would be good enough to act as some sort of ambassador to or interpreter for his oeuvre, but my desire to do so comes from a place of passion and reverence. I am the only one with my set of life experiences, and my interpretations and meanderings on film are unique to those experiences. I do not presume to have any authority nor do I believe that film has one objective interpretation, so I hope you enjoy my take on his unmatched body of work as we reenter his worlds together.

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Behind me you see the empty bookshelves that my obsession with film has caused. Film teaches me most of the important concepts of life, such as cynicism, beauty, ugliness, subversion of societal norms, and what it is to be a tortured member of humanity. My passion for the medium is an important part of who I am as I stumble through existence in a desperate and frantic search for objective truths.

  • http://twitter.com/NextProjection Christopher Misch

    There will never be a better filmmaker.

  • http://www.bitchinfilmreviews.com blake

    I’m looking forward to this. Tarkovsky is one of the least familiar to me of the masters. After a few years in Russia, I tried to get into his work, as I thought an understand of the culture there might provide some sort of benefit. But I found it impenetrable at the time. To this day, I’ve only seen Ivan’s Childhood, Andrei Rublev, and Solaris.

    Educate me!

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