PTAbro's World Tour Stop 17: Russia

There is nothing I can say or do to diminish the overwhelming power of Andrei Rublev. It feels as large and a multifaceted as the nation it takes place in, with long, calm, silent segments representing the steppes, brutal action sequences full of roaring hate and terror representing the biting tundra, and understated, question-raising dialogues about the nature of art and religion that represent the cultured views of Moscow and St. Petersburg. If not anything else, Andrei Rublev is, like the man's famous icons, an exquisitely crafted reflection of the artist/country that gave it form.

Unfortunately, the Criterion transfer of this (at least the one provided to me) is frankly awful. It's a shame,…

Tarkovsky's beautiful sprawling epic about art, artists, spirituality, faith, identity, and a great deal else is a challenging -yet rewarding- experience.

An undeniably beautiful film (which comes with the territory) with an incredible orchestral soundtrack and art direction; everybody on the production team deserves the highest of praise. None more deserving of said praise than Tarkovsky, the man who brings it all together time after time to create something truly magnificent, and Andrei Rublev is no exception. I would go as far as saying it isn't quite his most beautiful film visually, but certainly his most ambitious.

The naked pagan celebration of raw passion and lust is one of the most compelling sequences i have ever seen and the incredible…

I feel like I shouldn't review this but I'm going to try it anyway. This is no doubt, a masterpiece. The film chronicles the life of a medieval Russian icon painter (Andrei Rublev). They're isn't a strict linear narrative here, it just follows stories that happened to happen around Andrei. From violent raids from Tartars to the construction of the princes bronze bell, this film has a wide scope to it, something that the 3 hour long running time made possible. From the very beginning I was enthralled and amazed, I didn't lose interest for a second.

The music is beautiful and really pushes the film along. As you would expect from Tarkovsky, the film looks incredible, he handles everything…

Seven episodes in the life of the titular medieval Russian icon painter, all of which add up to one of the most vivid and detailed cinematic depictions I've ever seen of the life of an artist. From naive optimism about human nature to an abject despair that leads him to swear off art-making for about 15 years, then finally a renewal of his passion with the help of a former monk and a young bellmaker (whose obsessive quest to finish a massive bell acts as a metaphor for the artistic process), Andrei Rublev—at least in Andrei Tarkovsky's interpretation of his life—remains consistently engaged with the world around him; in such a context, the moment where he pointedly wonders aloud if…

Note: This review is based on the original 205 minute version named "The Passion According to Andrei". Although it's not Tarkovksy's preferred version, and the Criterion Collection DVD has weak contrast and is heavily cropped, the cut scenes add a lot of depth to the film, and I wouldn't want to watch it without them.

All my life I've wanted to be a filmmaker, and if someone asked why, I would show them Andrei Tarkovsky's epic Andrei Rublev. When I first tried watching it one year ago, I had no idea what the hell was going on, and shut it off halfway through. I tried watching it over and over and over again, but to no avail. Finally, I got…

PTAbro's World Tour Stop 17: Russia

There is nothing I can say or do to diminish the overwhelming power of Andrei Rublev. It feels as large and a multifaceted as the nation it takes place in, with long, calm, silent segments representing the steppes, brutal action sequences full of roaring hate and terror representing the biting tundra, and understated, question-raising dialogues about the nature of art and religion that represent the cultured views of Moscow and St. Petersburg. If not anything else, Andrei Rublev is, like the man's famous icons, an exquisitely crafted reflection of the artist/country that gave it form.

Unfortunately, the Criterion transfer of this (at least the one provided to me) is frankly awful. It's a shame,…

Tarkovsky's biographical epic explores the close link between art and faith; how the artist is consumed by his creation and driven to self sacrifice. It speaks about art's power to elevate and somehow connect the observer to the eternal yet it's set on the backdrop of a gruesome war for the throne in which artists, monks and innocents are tortured and maimed, and even that art for which the artist toiled endlessly is burned and destroyed in the process.

We're talking about the kind of art that takes months if not years to create, art on a grand scale. It is for this reason that Rublev, beholding his paintings being burned wonders if it was all for naught. His story…

Seven episodes in the life of the titular medieval Russian icon painter, all of which add up to one of the most vivid and detailed cinematic depictions I've ever seen of the life of an artist. From naive optimism about human nature to an abject despair that leads him to swear off art-making for about 15 years, then finally a renewal of his passion with the help of a former monk and a young bellmaker (whose obsessive quest to finish a massive bell acts as a metaphor for the artistic process), Andrei Rublev—at least in Andrei Tarkovsky's interpretation of his life—remains consistently engaged with the world around him; in such a context, the moment where he pointedly wonders aloud if…

Note: This review is based on the original 205 minute version named "The Passion According to Andrei". Although it's not Tarkovksy's preferred version, and the Criterion Collection DVD has weak contrast and is heavily cropped, the cut scenes add a lot of depth to the film, and I wouldn't want to watch it without them.

All my life I've wanted to be a filmmaker, and if someone asked why, I would show them Andrei Tarkovsky's epic Andrei Rublev. When I first tried watching it one year ago, I had no idea what the hell was going on, and shut it off halfway through. I tried watching it over and over and over again, but to no avail. Finally, I got…