Andrei Rublev
Despite being an atheist myself, Andrei Rublev has had a lasting effect on me ever since the credits rolled. You can tell that Tarkovsky was directing this film with a lot more passion in comparison to his previous projects due to him being an Orthodox Christian himself.
The prologue is one of my favourite in the film because the entire story is, unknowingly to the audience, summarised in about two minutes. It is also reflecting on what many people must endure once they have "reached fame": reaching the peak of popularity and then thrown away for the rest of their life.
Solonitsyn is an actor who, to be completely honest, I am not familiar with at all but he has truly shocked me with the immensely impressive main performance as Andrei. It is insanely impressive once he makes a vow of silence yet is still so memorable physically. Seeing him trying to obey his religion but having outbursts of rage is genuinely upsetting, especially when he tortures himself.
The film is made up of eight episodes as well as a prologue and epilogue. I feel this is the primary reason for why this 3 hour film is so incredibly paced because it feels more like an eight-part miniseries. My ranking of them:
1. The Holiday (The Feast) – It's all about pagan vitality and bodily joy which are two things that institutional religion suppress. All the rain-soaked nudity, fires and rituals feel dangerously alive.
2. The Raid – An incredibly epic sequence with piles of violence and death. Also the point of Andrei's reflection, leading to his personal mental torture.
3. The Bell – The dramatic climax to the film which is probably deepest on a psychological level and a phenomenal final scene.
4. The Jester – A perfectly cruel, ironic and politically sharp sequence to perfectly start Andrei's story, contrasting the events yet to happen.
5. Prologue (The Balloon) – As I have already mentioned, works amazingly as a thesis statement to reality asserting itself to human aspiration.
6. Theophanes the Greek – An amazing introduction to the harsh, judgement-driven character, having a spiritually tense tone.
7. The Last Judgment – Mainly used to propel Andrei toward his eventual collapse but is still an interesting watch.
8. Epilogue (Icons in Colour) – A rich-in-colour climax consisting only of 10 minutes of Rublev's most famous work but amazingly juxtaposes the previous bleak nearly-3 hours.
9. Silence – The beginning of Rublev's end. Shows his withdrawal but feels slow-paced.
10. The Passion – Features some of the best dialogue in the film but felt rather stretched.
Overall, Andrei Rublev is one of the greatest war films of all time and also a fantastic representation of religion. It features some of the most powerful and extraordinary performances I've ever watched and insanely grand set design. The fact that this is a true story just shows how grim life would have been like in Medieval times and also how historically accurate Tarkovsky was with 15th century Russia. Each time I watch another one of his films, he climbs closer towards my favourite directors. Masterpiece!
"If a man is silent, it doesn't mean he agrees."