Solaris (1972)
Posted: Sun Aug 11, 2024 8:16 pm
Russian Soviet sci-fi flick about a proud Soviet Space Station that needed no western rock and roll music, or decadent right angles, orbiting a planet that has an ocean for a brain. It starts reading the minds of the comrade scientists aboard the station, manifesting their dreams, driving them mad.
Couple things.
1. I feel like the filmmaker watched 1969's 2001: A Space Odyssey, inspiring this film.
2. Because the pacing is sometimes terribly, horrendously slow. There's a 5 minute sequence of a character driving Tokyo highways, for some reason, rubbing his temples. For one example. It like the director wanted to mimic the slow pacing of Kubrick's movie, but didn't know the reason why.
3. This film won the big award at Cannes, that year. I suspect it's because the KGB, at the height of their power, threatened the people running the festival. I'm not kidding. I really think this.
4. I don't think there's a smile in this entire movie. Not even in the flashbacks. People even look deathly grim in wedding photos. It's very Soviet.
Anyway, it is award-winning. Give it a shot if you can. It's currently on Max.
And yes, my film nerd kid wanted to watch it.
Couple things.
1. I feel like the filmmaker watched 1969's 2001: A Space Odyssey, inspiring this film.
2. Because the pacing is sometimes terribly, horrendously slow. There's a 5 minute sequence of a character driving Tokyo highways, for some reason, rubbing his temples. For one example. It like the director wanted to mimic the slow pacing of Kubrick's movie, but didn't know the reason why.
3. This film won the big award at Cannes, that year. I suspect it's because the KGB, at the height of their power, threatened the people running the festival. I'm not kidding. I really think this.
4. I don't think there's a smile in this entire movie. Not even in the flashbacks. People even look deathly grim in wedding photos. It's very Soviet.
Anyway, it is award-winning. Give it a shot if you can. It's currently on Max.
And yes, my film nerd kid wanted to watch it.