Stalker (1979)

Director:

Andrei Tarkovsky

Writers:

Arkadi Strugatsky (novel) &
Boris Strugatsky (novel) ...
(more)

Release Date:

17 April 1980 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Fantasy | Mystery | Sci-Fi

Plot:

Near a gray and unnamed city is the Zone, an alien place guarded by barbed wire and soldiers. Over his wife's numerous objections...

Plot Keywords:

Stalker | Hope | Alien | Barbed Wire | Scientist

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Aleksandr Kaidanovsky	...	Stalker
Alisa Frejndlikh	...	Stalker's Wife
Anatoli Solonitsyn	...	Writer
Nikolai Grinko	...	Scientist
Natasha Abramova	...	Martha, Stalker's daughter
Faime Jurno
Ye. Kostin
R. Rendi

Directed by
Andrei Tarkovsky

Writing credits
Arkadi Strugatsky		(novel "The Roadside Picnic") &
Boris Strugatsky		(novel "The Roadside Picnic")
Arkadi Strugatsky		(screenplay) &
Boris Strugatsky		(screenplay)
Andrei Tarkovsky		(screenplay) uncredited

Produced by
Aleksandra Demidova	....	producer
Willie Geller	....	line producer (1977)

Original Music by
Eduard Artemyev

Cinematography by
Aleksandr Knyazhinsky
Georgi Rerberg		(1977)
Leonid Kalashnikov		(uncredited)

Film Editing by
Lyudmila Feiginova

Production Design by
Aleksandr Bojm		(1977)
Andrei Tarkovsky

Art Direction by
Shavkat Abdusalamov		(uncredited)

Set Decoration by
Rashit Safiullin

Costume Design by
Yelena Fomina		(as Nina Fomina)

Makeup Department
Vitali Lvov	....	key makeup artist (as V. Lvov)

Production Management
Tamara Aleksandrovskaya	....	assistant production manager (as T. Aleksandrovskaya)
Vladimir Mosenkov	....	assistant production manager (as V. Mosenkov)
Vera Vdovina	....	assistant production manager (as V. Vdovina)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Arayk Agoronyan	....	trainee assistant director (as A. Agoronian)
Maria Chugunova	....	assistant director (as M. Chugunova)
Larisa Tarkovskaya	....	assistant director
Yevgeni Tsymbal	....	assistant director

Art Department
A. Merkulov	....	construction coordinator
Yevgeni Tsymbal	....	property assistant

Sound Department
Vladimir Sharun	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Nonna Fudim	....	camera operator
Lev Kazmin	....	electrician
Vadim Murashko	....	still photographer (as V. Murashko)
Sergei Naugolnykh	....	camera operator (as S. Naugolnykh)
Grigori Verkhovsky	....	assistant camera
Sergei Zajtsev	....	assistant camera

Editorial Department
Tatiana Alekseyeva	....	assistant editor
Tatiana Maslennikova	....	color grader

Music Department
Emin Khachaturyan	....	conductor
Raisa Lukina	....	music editor

Other crew
Olegar Fedoro	....	body double: Aleksandr Kajdanovsky
Konstantin Lopushansky	....	production assistant
Anatoli Stepanov	....	script supervisor
Oskar-Martin Vedru	....	location manager: railroad-specific scenes (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Gambaroff-Chemier Interallianz (uncredited)
• Mosfilm

Distributors

• Alta Films (1984) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Media Transactions (1982) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Seagull Films (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
• VEB Progress Film-Vertrieb (1981) (East Germany) (theatrical)
• Asociace Ceských Filmových Klubu (ACFK) (Czech Republic)
• Contemporary Films (1990) (UK) (all media)
• Continental Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Empresa Hispanoamericana de Video (EHV) (Argentina) (video)
• General Video (2006) (Italy) (DVD)
• Kino Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• RUSCICO (2004) (worldwide) (DVD)
• Sovexportfilm (Argentina)

Also Known As:

Сталкер (Soviet Union: Russian title)

Runtime:

163 min

Country:

West Germany | Soviet Union

Language:

Russian

Color:

Color (Sovcolor) | Black and White | Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Italy:T | Iceland:L | UK:A (1980) | UK:PG (1991) | Australia:M | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15 | West Germany:12 | Hong Kong:I | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Dolgopa, Russia

Company:

Gambaroff-Chemier Interallianz

Trivia:

The Zone of the film was inspired by a nuclear accident that took place near Chelyabinsk in 1957. Several hundred square kilometers were polluted by fallout and abandoned; of course there was no official mention of this forbidden zone at the time.

Quotes:

Martha, Stalker's daughter: I love your eyes, my darling friend, Their play so passionate and bright'ning, When a sudden stare up you send, And like a heaven-blown lightning, It'd take in all from end to end But there's more that I admire: Your eyes when they're downcast In bursts of love-inspired fire And through the eyelash goes fast A somber, dull call of desire...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Abdulladzhan, ili posvyashchaetsya Stivenu Spilbergu (1991)

Soundtrack:

An die Freude

A unique visionary film

Tarkovsky's direction for this film is nearly flawless.

The film mainly focuses on three characters and their basic goodness of each other. The photographic colors are brilliantly choreographed to the mood of character and viewer. The visionary landscapes are mesmerizing beautiful.

The survival techniques the characters in the film achieve is unlike anything I've seen in film. Much like Kubrick in terms of directive style and character study, Tarkovsky puts the viewer in a kaleidoscopic landscape of mood and emotion. No clichés here though. I have not read the story which the movie is based upon, but from what I understand the characters in the film all develop a healing understanding of each other.

That is when you know [as a viewer] that you will watch something unique and

exceptional. If you are into complex, psychological science fiction in the same vain of say {The Andromeda Strain, Solaris, 2001:a space odyssey} than you shall enjoy "Stalker".