Stalker

“You can't be happy at the expense of other's unhappiness”. Where do I even start writing this review? There’s so much I want to say but at the same time I can’t think of anything to say. This movie is just so complex, and it takes multiple watched to understand this movie, if truly understanding this movie is even possible. This was currently my second watch, and I appreciate this movie way more than on my first watch. But I’m yet far from completely understanding this masterpiece.  Stalker follows three men—The Stalker, the Writer, and the Professor—who venture into a mysterious area known as “The Zone.” This location is believed to grant a person’s deepest, most personal wish, though it’s surrounded by danger and uncertainty. As they journey deeper to the zone, the men grapple with their inner desires, fears, and existential questions. While the Professor seeks knowledge and the Writer looks for inspiration, the Stalker, who guides them, believes in the Zone’s spiritual power. The film  explores themes of faith, human desires, and the search for meaning.  So this movie centers around the 3 main characters their journey to “the room” where the biggest inner desire gets granted. The whole film builds to this final climax, but we eventually never get this climax. I don’t really think there really is a climax at all. Maybe it’s the three of them, too scared to faced their true self’s in “the room”. Maybe it’s the stalker breakdown, maybe it’s something else, I don’t know. But I should know, as I’m technically right with them, with the Stalker, the Professor and the Writer on their gripping journey. Tarkovsky’s approach to filmmaking in Stalker makes you feel as though you’re truly part of the world he’s created. The slow pacing, long, beautiful shots, and deep, contemplative dialogue draw you in, making the “Zone” feel like a real place, not just a fictional concept. It’s as if you’ve always known of the Zone, hearing stories about it, but never experiencing it from this perspective. This makes the film gripping and remarkable, but In the end, you realize that the Zone isn’t real, but for those 2.5 hours, you were transported to a world where it was alive.  The brilliance of this movie cannot be justified In a lousy review. It can’t be put to words. Masterpiece. 5/5