Nostalghia (1983)

Director:

Andrei Tarkovsky

Writers:

Andrei Tarkovsky (screenplay) &
Tonino Guerra (screenplay)

Release Date:

March 1992 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The Russian poet Gortchakov, accompanied by guide and translator Eugenia, is traveling through Italy...

Plot Keywords:

Dream | Madness | Faith | Philosophy | Black And White Segues Into Color

Awards:

3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Oleg Yankovskiy	...	Andrei Gorchakov
Erland Josephson	...	Domenico
Domiziana Giordano	...	Eugenia
Patrizia Terreno	...	Andrei's Wife
Laura De Marchi	...	Chambermaid
Delia Boccardo	...	Domenico's Wife
Milena Vukotic	...	Civil Servant
Raffaele Di Mario
Rate Furlan
Livio Galassi
Elena Magoia
Piero Vida

Also Known As:

Ностальгия (Soviet Union: Russian title)
Nostalghia (USA)
Nostalghiya
Nostalgia (UK)

Runtime:

125 min

Country:

Italy | Soviet Union

Language:

Italian | Russian

Color:

Black and White | Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Italy:T | South Korea:15 | Australia:M | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-12 | Hungary:14 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | Hong Kong:IIA

Filming Locations:

Bagno Vignoni, San Quirico d'Orcia, Siena, Tuscany, Italy

Company:

Radiotelevisione Italiana (RAI)

Quotes:

Domenico: What kind of world is this if a madman tells you
[that]
Domenico: you must be ashamed of yourselves?

Movie Connections:

Featured in Autumn of the Magician (2009)

Who needs god when you've got Tarkovsky?

I have only seen 3 films by the Tarkster (This one, Stalker and Andrei Rublev) but already I'm pretty sure that he's the ultimate cinema artist, the only filmmakers that I can think of that can equal his level of artistry are David Lynch and Terrence Malick.

Nostalghia may not be quite as perfect as Andrei Rublev (Which is IMO the greatest film ever made), but it's reaches out to you in a more personal way. Many people may be put to sleep by Tark's style, but I hardly blinked during the film, I would study each shot until it had imprinted into my mind, like a photograph developing. I could go on for days on how beautifully photographed this film is. The famous 'candle' scene at the end is one of the most powerful scenes put on film. I also liked the performances, especially Erland Josephson as the lunatic Domenico. His self-immolation scene accompanied by the Beethoven music is a truly stunning moment (and it follows with the 'candle' scene! Whew!).

Overall, this is a deeply powerful film that, like Tarkovsky's other films I've seen, defies description. I can't wait to see more of Tark's films in future. 10/10.