Andrei Rublev

Tarkovsky, 1969



For a three and a half hour movie, it certainly kept my attention well the
entire time. This however is a bit strange, as there really isn't much in the way of plot. The film movies itself forward, very slowly, and is rife with symbolism. I do not claim to understand even a fraction of all the symbolism. For example, there is repeated use of the image of the horse, from beginning to end, but I'm not quite sure what the horse is meant to represent. But the potential for me to go back again, and then listen to the commentary and uncover the meaning threads of meaning in this film is there.

What I most likely admired most about Rublev was the visuals. While I didn't always understand the significance of certain shots or sequences (such as the opening scene with the balloon), I none the less was stunned by the cinematography. I honestly don't even know how they accomplished some of the crane shots in this, especially in communist Russia when it was filmed. Every shot seems to be framed for a reason, and the graceful flow and arcs of the camera are so pleasant to watch. The brilliant yet subtle use of slow motion will not be leaving my mind for a while - some of the shots in slow motion are so powerful that you can only really see them to know what I mean.




The actors in Rublev are also quite unique. Sometimes acting in these older films can be a bit stiff, but everyone in here was surprisingly fluent and flowing - what helped was the amazing casting decisions. I'm not sure what it was about all the characters, and even the extras, but they all seemed so real, as if they lived in the 1400s in a terrorized Russia.

I should also mention how much Rublev affected me during certain scenes. In particular, the raid sequence. I was shocked that a movie from the sixties could be so violent. The bloodshed and carnage and chaos of it all was almost too much to take in, and the images of animals being hurt (or in one case burned alive) were almost too much to bear. Another sequence that affected me was when a person from Rublev's past comes back and asks for forgiveness and to be taken back from the secular world. It was simple, but so convincing and heartfelt. Many scenes, even if I did not understand their meaning, had an impact on me regardless.

Overall I think my consensus is I need to see this again. Not because I didn't like it - I loved Rublev - but because there simply is so much to take in that it needs more than one viewing just to absorb all of it. It's an emotionally impacting film, even when I don't understand what is happening, because it often deals with the heart of man and therefore the exterior plot does not even matter to be able to feel the emotions the film evokes. The cinematography was also brilliant - simply mesmerizing - so again, even if the symbolism flew past me I could still marvel at the visuals. A Russian masterpiece. If you have the time, defiantly get around to seeing this, even if you have to take a break half way through.