I just finished watching the film a second time and was left with a few questions;
What was the point of showing Burtons car ride back home at the beginning?
What was the painting in the space station library supposed to symbolise?
Why did Kris say that Gibarian (the doctor who killed himself) died of shame towards the end?
Thanks for any responses.
1. If you mean the long ride filmed in Tokyo, it sort of works to put some palpable temporal space between the early datcha scenes and what's to come later. It's also supposed to establish a more futuristic vibe, I think.
2. Idk, it does depict life on earth, lightyears removed from where they are. Beyond that... maybe someone else has some ideas.
3. Wasn't it implied Gibarian was a pedophile and kept receiving visits by some kid he'd taken advantage of?
"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan
Wasn't it implied Gibarian was a pedophile and kept receiving visits by some kid he'd taken advantage of?
Gibarian was the dead one with an obese black woman visitor.
Ah right. I don't remember that. I was looking through the book recently, so it's fresher in my mind. I guess it's high time I watched the film again. I remember liking it more than the novel.
shareYou're going to hate the reason for #1. It was very difficult to get a permit to work in Tokyo, so they simply extended the scene, to make it worthwhile. Sad, but I believe it's in the trivia.
#2. I believe it was to show man's insignificance when looked down on from above. I think the men (Hunters?) see the vast world, but the people are insignificant, like ants from a tall building. It also replicates the view seen when young Kris looks down on the snowy hill (minus the people).
#3. I got the sense that the "creations from his mind" that came to him, like Kris' Hari, were the cause of his shame. As some have implied, he might have been a pedophile.
1. The traffic scene is somewhat enigmatic, but I can posit some theories. It represents a voyage, notice how Dr Kelvin's trip is almost instantaneous. So maybe it serves as an artistic replacement for the rocket flight. Also I think the zoomed out shots of all the cars at the end are a reminder that there is still a society mucking around. Plus the shots of Burton's kid with him in the car act as counterpoint to Kelvin's isolation.
2. The zoom-and-study of the painting is very interesting as well. I think the purpose is a contrast to Hari's existence, who is also an imperfect recreation of something pleasing. Why do humans value art even if it's not real? This might be the pivotal question of the movie itself.
A man goes to the movies. The critic must be willing to admit that he is that man. -Robert Warshow
I've heard the theory that the elongated car journey is a means of justifying an expensive trip to Japan but find it very hard to believe. The poster who drew a parallel to Kelvin's lightning fast (in screen time) trip to Solaris makes a very good point. This is from Tarkovsky's Wikipedia entry:
"Tarkovsky developed a theory of cinema that he called "sculpting in time". By this he meant that the unique characteristic of cinema as a medium was to take our experience of time and alter it. Unedited movie footage transcribes time in real time. By using long takes and few cuts in his films, he aimed to give the viewers a sense of time passing, time lost, and the relationship of one moment in time to another."
I think juxtaposing the two journeys, which take place at broadly the same time, is very interesting. The enormous, incredible journey of the main character is never really witnessed. The boring, run of the mill journey of the minor character is shown in excruciating detail. What you think that means, if anything, is going to be subjective.