Solaris

Andre Tarkovsky’s Solaris, in my opinion, is the greatest science fiction film ever created. Tarkovsky was successful in his objective to bring depth and emotion into the science fiction genre. But what resonated with me most was the complex message he gave viewers to ponder about. Firstly, Solaris is one of the most hypnotizing and most beautiful films I’ve ever seen. The film opens with long, sustained shots of flowing nature, representing Tarkovsky’s sentiment that cinema should “flow like water”. Personally, I adore the pacing of this film. It creates a sense of immersion and tranquility, and the longer, more sustained shots give the viewer time to soak into the emotion and tone of scenes. One of the longest scenes in the film is the highway scene. It represents a bridge between the Earth and Solaris. The audience is left to marinate in the bluish tint, the bustling metropolis, and their own thoughts so far in the film. Once on the space station, Tarkovsky does a good job of capturing the decay within the ship, and the effects of isolation on Snaut and Sartorius. Just like Stalker, Tarkovsky employs different color grading techniques to indicate feelings, dreams, and visions. What I find most fascinating with Solaris is the themes of the film. While Solaris is most directly compared to Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, both films could not be more opposite of each other. Tarkovsky was inspired to inject emotion and depth into the science fiction genre in response to 2001, in which he called the film cold and lifeless. Solaris is the antithesis of 2001. While the latter focuses on the evolution of humanity by the exploration of the cosmos, Solaris asks the question if we even need the cosmos in the first place. In a quote from Snaut, he states that man doesn’t need the cosmos, man needs man. We only explore the cosmos to find a mirror of ourselves. This theme is certified in the end of the film when Kris Kelvin stays on an island on Solaris building his childhood home from his repressed memories. Kris Kelvin went out into the unknown to bring what he already knows along him. Tarkovsky has a point with this. We want to explore the solar system, and imagine an expedition to mars. And what’s the dream that humanity wants for mars? Society, cities, civilization on the red planet that mirrors what we have here on earth. It’s a very unique take for a science fiction film that is explored masterfully in Solaris. The other major theme that I found is through the character arc of Kris Kelvin. In the beginning of the film, Kris has rationales. His sole objective on the planet of Solaris is to be a psychologist. He believes in scientific ethics. But by the end, his memories convince him to abandon his morals of science. His mission on Solaris transforms from his job to emulating the hole in his heart that was left due to the death of Hari. If Kris from the beginning of the film observed what his future self would be doing, he would be appalled. The theme here is how far will humanity go to fight for the past? What does it mean to let go, or embrace the future? These themes are incredibly complex, which was the goal for Tarkovsky when making Solaris.