Strasti po Andreyu

English title: Andrei Roublev

Genre: historical, biographical drama (mostly in black and white)

With: Anatoliy Solonitsyn (Andrey Rublev, a monk specializing in iconography at the Andronnikov monastery), Ivan Lapikov (Kirill, a fellow monk and rival painter), Nikolay Grinko (Daniil Chyornyy, the other monk in the trio we meet at the 10-minute mark), Nikolay Sergeev (Theophanes the Greek, a renowned painter looking to hire an assistant), Irina Tarkovskaya (Durochka, the simple-minded girl of whom Andrey becomes a protector), Rolan Bykov (Skomorokh, the buffoon seen early on and very late in the movie), Mikhail Kononov (Foma), Yuriy Nazarov (the Grand Duke), Nikolay Burlyaev (Boris, the young foundry artist), Nikolay Glazkov (Yefim the balloon rider)

Director: Andrei Tarkovsky

Screenplay: Andrey Konchalovskiy, Andrei Tarkovsky

Release: 1966

Studio: Mosfilm et al.

Rating: R

MBiS score: 9.0/10

 

 

A Duty to Suffer for Art and Religion 

 

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Story-line: Russia, a land in turmoil at the beginning of the 15^th century. While some men dream of flying like birds and build strange contraptions to free themselves from the forces of gravity, earthbound peasants live in pitiful poverty, nobles clash to increase their power base and ethnic groups collide in bloody, cruel war. As a witness to these tumultuous events, Andrey Rublev, a monk regarded as a great painter of religious icons, tries to reconcile the demands of his craft, the frailties of human beings and the principles of his faith.

Pluses: intense performances by Anatoliy Solonitsyn (as the exigent, well-meaning Andrey), Ivan Lapikov, Nikolay Sergeev and Rolan Bykov especially, world-class direction, an arty, episodic and exacting screenplay that affords scenes of grandeur, heated discussion and meditation, historically faithful production values, exceptional cinematography and a stunningly effective musical score.  

Minuses: if you jump into this movie not knowing anything about its structure or its main character, you may feel confused and even discouraged. To be frank, I was mightily tempted to quit early on but, instead, I stopped at the 45-minute mark and read the synopsis posted on the wonderful IMDB website… yes, you can read it before watching this particular movie. Once I did, everything became much clearer and I was better equipped to appreciate this astounding and worthy film (the last segment, depicting the casting and founding of a cathedral bell, is truly awesome).

Comments: because of its setting and mood, this unusual and remarkable epic stirs up memories of Bergman’s THE SEVENTH SEAL. Conceptually, it runs the gamut, mixing personal drama, religion, social considerations, art and even war. Being a work of enlightenment more than entertainment, ANDREI ROUBLEV is indeed a challenging watch but, the more I got into it, the more I understood why it is considered a masterpiece. Behold Tarkovsky’s brilliance! 

 

MBiS 

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*Please note that proper names in this review have alternate spellings. My apologies to any and all concerned.