Admit it. 9 out of 10 of you are here because you heard that this movie is better than 2001: A Space Odyssey. Or perhaps there's some jerk who keeps putting you down every time you talk about scifi because you haven't seen Solyaris. Of all the phony name-dropping that goes on in scifi, this tops the list.
Well, I'm here to tell you that you don't have to sumbit. You want obscure Russian scifi that has a subtle yet poignant political/social commentary? Go see a film called KIN-DZA-DZA (1986). You want artistic science fiction which will confound your senses whilst piquing your consciousness? Go see MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH (1976). But for Chrissake, give this overrated flick a rest.
But if you must... well, OK. I'll give you some pointers on how to watch (endure) this picture. Try not to get annoyed by 7 minutes of closeups of pond scum. Resist the temptation to hurl things at the screen after watching 11 minutes of freeway footage. And don't puke when you see a meaningless, 3-minute closeup of a man's ear. Yes, I'm sure these scenes are all wrought with esoteric symbolism. But that doesn't change the fact that they are overindulgent wastes of film.
If, at any time during the picture, you need to get up, use the restroom or fix yourself a peanut butter sandwich, feel free to do so without hitting 'pause'. Chances are the same scene will be on the screen when you return.
The plot itself is interesting but slightly flawed. But perhaps by that point you're too busy pondering the socio-political significance of a man's earlobe to notice the flaws. The ending, yes, is quite memorable. So don't throw this film in the trash without fast forwarding to the ending. But then again, if you're familiar with the old Twilight Zone series, perhaps you'll be able to figure out the ending without wasting your time looking at algae.
The theme--well, here I actually have something positive to say. The theme is quite compelling, thought-provoking and ponderous. I assume that's why this film has warranted such a bloated rating on IMDb. Fair enough. But for all its poetry, this movie still did not give me an enjoyable experience. It was like listening to a very intelligent person speak in monotone, repeating himself ad nauseum. After a while, you just have to say, "Brevity is the soul of wit, my friend. And you? You're just a long-winded bore."
Well, I'm here to tell you that you don't have to sumbit. You want obscure Russian scifi that has a subtle yet poignant political/social commentary? Go see a film called KIN-DZA-DZA (1986). You want artistic science fiction which will confound your senses whilst piquing your consciousness? Go see MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH (1976). But for Chrissake, give this overrated flick a rest.
But if you must... well, OK. I'll give you some pointers on how to watch (endure) this picture. Try not to get annoyed by 7 minutes of closeups of pond scum. Resist the temptation to hurl things at the screen after watching 11 minutes of freeway footage. And don't puke when you see a meaningless, 3-minute closeup of a man's ear. Yes, I'm sure these scenes are all wrought with esoteric symbolism. But that doesn't change the fact that they are overindulgent wastes of film.
If, at any time during the picture, you need to get up, use the restroom or fix yourself a peanut butter sandwich, feel free to do so without hitting 'pause'. Chances are the same scene will be on the screen when you return.
The plot itself is interesting but slightly flawed. But perhaps by that point you're too busy pondering the socio-political significance of a man's earlobe to notice the flaws. The ending, yes, is quite memorable. So don't throw this film in the trash without fast forwarding to the ending. But then again, if you're familiar with the old Twilight Zone series, perhaps you'll be able to figure out the ending without wasting your time looking at algae.
The theme--well, here I actually have something positive to say. The theme is quite compelling, thought-provoking and ponderous. I assume that's why this film has warranted such a bloated rating on IMDb. Fair enough. But for all its poetry, this movie still did not give me an enjoyable experience. It was like listening to a very intelligent person speak in monotone, repeating himself ad nauseum. After a while, you just have to say, "Brevity is the soul of wit, my friend. And you? You're just a long-winded bore."