MovieChat Forums > Solyaris (1972) Discussion > Questions

Questions

posted 11 years ago by sonofbeach-sheet
13 replies | jump to latest

I know they are seemingly trivial things irrelevant to the main them of the movie, but was curious about some things

1. How many years had passed between the time of Berton's film they watch and present day? And why did they wait so long for Kelvin to make a trip to Solaris?

2. Who was the little girl befriending the boy? Kelvin's daughter?

3. When Berton is riding through supposedly futuristic Moscow, is there even a driver of the car or is it automatic?

4. And the end; did Kelvin "die" and reunite with his wife, or just a hallucination?

[–] Ethereal-Cloud 11 years ago

#3: The futuristic city was actually Tokyo Japan, there's already a thread on the topic.

Let me add one other question to your list. Why was the rocket named 'Solaris' and why was it written in English when everything else was in Russian?

[–] nephihaha 11 years ago

"Why was the rocket named 'Solaris' and why was it written in English when everything else was in Russian?"

It was written in Roman script, not English. Quite different. The writing was in both Cyrillic and Roman. Presumably for international recognition.

---
It's not "sci-fi", it's SF!

[–] truekiwijoker 11 years ago

Why was the rocket named 'Solaris' and why was it written in English when everything else was in Russian?

It is written in Latin characters (as used by the English language) instead of Cyrillic characters (as used by the Russian Language) because it is an American spaceship.

Although the film was Soviet; it is about AMERICANS.

[–] vladivostok-1 11 years ago

Yeah! And Gibarian is an American as well! Jesus! Have you ever read AMERICAN film critics who wrote several monographs on Solaris? Dude, you speak just like those bureaucrats of the Soviet State Cinema; they would ask Tarkovsky if Kris leaves Earth from "a Communist, Socialist or Capitalist country??" They were desperate to know it for sure!

[–] vladivostok-1 11 years ago

In the script (3rd draft) the futuristic city is unnamed, intentionally.

[–] 11 years ago

[deleted]

[–] nephihaha 11 years ago

"How many years had passed between the time of Berton's film they watch and present day?"

At least several. Berton seemed to have aged quite a lot.

"And why did they wait so long for Kelvin to make a trip to Solaris?"

It takes time to get there and back, and they wanted to prepare properly.

"Who was the little girl befriending the boy? Kelvin's daughter?"

It's unclear.

"When Berton is riding through supposedly futuristic Moscow, is there even a driver of the car or is it automatic?"

Automatic. And it's Tokyo - hence the Japanese signs.

---
It's not "sci-fi", it's SF!

[–] vladchan 11 years ago

2- she is listed as Kelvin's niece

-- Mothershytter... Son of an ass!!

[–] vladivostok-1 11 years ago

Q: "Who was the little girl befriending the boy? Kelvin's daughter?"
A: "A neighbor girl" (from the script, 3rd draft).

[–] truekiwijoker 11 years ago

3. When Berton is riding through supposedly futuristic Moscow, is there even a driver of the car or is it automatic?

Berton isn't riding through supposedly futuristic Moscow.
Although Solaris is a Soviet film from a Soviet/Polish science fiction novel; it is set in the USA. Didn't you notice that the characters all have British/American names? That Berton is a USAF pilot?

[–] vladivostok-1 11 years ago

Let's stick to the primary source. The movie is set in the FUTURE, in which all boundaries between the countries are dissolved. Solaris is clear of ideology of any kind; it is not about the "Soviet" or "American" scientists; it's about us, earthlings. This film is about the earth. Full stop.

[–] vladivostok-1 11 years ago

"4. And the end; did Kelvin "die" and reunite with his wife, or [is it] just a hallucination?" - Kris Kelvin did not die - neither in the novel, nor in the film. However, in early script variants there was Kris-II, and it was the latter who reunited with his father on the island. The final draft is clear - it is real Kris landing on "the island with a dacha" in the middle of the Solaris Ocean.

[–] mrbwiz422 10 years ago

See now... I thought he reunited with her at the end for some reason.

The way he dropped to his knees and took his father's hand was the same way he dropped to his knees and took his wife's hand... Maybe that's just something he does.

I took it to be when they scattered her, she became the ocean. She created that island for him.

Or it was the ocean wanting to make contact I guess.

It made me second guess if there was any Solaris in the first place. He could have crashed in the ocean and it was all faked. Or those other scientists could be long past dead, and could be "Guests"

I don't know man I just don't know.