Stalker

Wow.  What is happiness? What is desire? Is what we desire what will make us happy? Can we control our desires and choose what we want in our lives?  What is the point of the room if we don’t go in? The active choice from our three protagonists to not enter the room shows this choice, choosing what they desire over their subconscious desires. Through the journey to the room and the thoughts and realization of what our own subconscious’s desires may be we are able to learn of ourselves and make a conscious decision as to what we want, choosing what will bring us happiness over that which we simply desire.  “My conscience wants vegetarianism to win over the world. And my subconscious is yearning for a piece of juicy meat. But what do I want?” This is one of the most confusing, yet thought provoking movies I have ever seen. It is chalk full of symbolism I can barely begin to grasp. Absolutely incredible. Takes tons of time to breathe, to allow you to think about what’s going on, to feel the suspense throughout. Insane psychological horror making you reach the depths of your mind to figure out what you desire, who you are, why you do the things you do.  I found the three main characters so fascinating, offering different views on these ideas of want, desire, and happiness. The professor offering these worldly, scientific approaches to problems. Showing the move of the world towards an industrialized society seeking what is most economical for happiness. The professor ultimately decides against both his wants and desires.  The writer was such a compelling character, with this more human side, but still focused on his desire of greatness and expression and not seeing what his own wants are. Throughout, he is trying to understand his own wants but lacks the personal aspect to it, knowing what his subconscious desires, and what society is telling him, but can’t understand what he wants.  The stalker shows this side of faith, turning away from reason and fully embracing the mystical side of the zone. He is shocked and disturbed by the professor and writers lackluster attitudes towards the traps and his rules of traversing this zone.  I’m sure more thoughts about this will come to me but this was an incredible movie. So many layers to an incredibly slow and uneventful story. I could watch this a hundred times and still not understand it.  Also cinematography was astonishing, they really don't make movies like this anymore.