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Solaris - Criterion Collection
Solaris - Criterion Collection
Actors: Natalya Bondarchuk, Donatas Banionis, Jüri Järvet, Vladislav Dvorzhetsky, Nikolai Grinko
Director: Andrei Tarkovsky
Genres: Action & Adventure, Indie & Art House, Drama, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Mystery & Suspense
PG     2002     2hr 45min

Strange transmissions have been received from the 3 remaining residents on the solaris space station. When cosmonaut & psychologist kris kelvin is sent to investigate he experiences the strange phenomena that afflict the s...  more »

     

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Movie Details

Actors: Natalya Bondarchuk, Donatas Banionis, Jüri Järvet, Vladislav Dvorzhetsky, Nikolai Grinko
Director: Andrei Tarkovsky
Creators: Vadim Yusov, Andrei Tarkovsky, Lyudmila Feiginova, Nina Marcus, Viacheslav Tarasov, Fridrikh Gorenshtein, Stanislaw Lem
Genres: Action & Adventure, Indie & Art House, Drama, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Mystery & Suspense
Sub-Genres: Action & Adventure, Indie & Art House, Love & Romance, Science Fiction, Mystery & Suspense
Studio: Criterion
Format: DVD - Black and White,Color,Widescreen,Anamorphic - Subtitled
DVD Release Date: 11/26/2002
Original Release Date: 01/01/1972
Theatrical Release Date: 01/01/1972
Release Year: 2002
Run Time: 2hr 45min
Screens: Black and White,Color,Widescreen,Anamorphic
Number of Discs: 2
SwapaDVD Credits: 2
Total Copies: 0
Members Wishing: 18
Edition: Criterion Collection
MPAA Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Languages: Russian
Subtitles: English

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Member Movie Reviews

Samuel K. (Solvanda)
Reviewed on 6/8/2018...
One of my favorites for several decades. Much better than the newer version. Great book by Stanislaw Lem too.

Movie Reviews

A Haunting Masterpiece
Doctor Trance | MA, United States | 03/29/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)

"This film is long, poignant, interesting, haunting, dazzling to the eye, and actually quite scary. While watching it late one night, I found myself alone on the first floor of my house, and I must admit, I kept searching the room in fright after every little noise I heard. It's not a horror movie, but it rolls along at a slow, atmospheric, creepy-crawly pace.

One bonus of the film being so long with big spaces between dialogue, it gives you the opportunity to switch to the informative commentary track, to hear some interesting insight into the film. While most other movies you MUST watch it with the commentary off to be able to take it all in correctly, you can actually get away with switching back and forth without missing too much of the actual film. One part of the commentary I disagreed with was when the male narrator noted that in the scene where Satorius takes the gauze off Hari's finger and tosses it, that he is doing this because of contamination. One can clearly see by his expression and manner in doing this, that he is being sarcastic as he knows that Hari does not need a bandage, because the wound will simply regenerate and heal in a matter of minutes. There is also a sense of his envy toward her because Kelvin gets to have a doppleganger of his wife to somewhat enjoy, while Satorius only has dwarfs to deal with.

I think the scenes on Earth are gorgeous and completely necessary. Hoever, had they not been there like in the book, the movie would have been 2 hours instead of 2 hours and 40 minutes (a much easier time for mainstream audiences to grasp). I wouldn't trade it for a shorter run time at all. Tarkovsky is not a mainstream movie maker and thus the reason for him having these extra scenes on Earth, and he is still able to make a two hour film version of the book after that.

With the exception of Star Wars, many sci-fi films of the 60's and 70's (including Kubrick's 2001) went all out with Sci-Fi special effects, but then seeing them today, they still seem very outdated. Where this film had no special effects budget and minimal sets, I think it still holds up today without looking dated. The scenes on Earth could have all taken place right now, or 30 years from now without anyone doubting it. And the look of the space station's interior, albeit vague and minimal, still looks fresh and definitely wouldn't appear out of place in any current sci fi setting.

The only annoyance to me in the film was the switching between black and white and color. While a few scenes called for it due to a switch in tonality, or time within the film, there were other places where it made no logical sense to do so. Some say it was the lack of a budget that did not offer Tarkovsky a vast stash of color film, so he tried to artistically spare it. It's a shame if that's the case, because there are a few scenes in black and white, which would have worked much better in color.

Overall, a masterpiece of a film that is certainly not for everyone. The majority of blockbuster oriented moviegoers will hate this film, but true film lovers should treasure it. Stunning visuals, superb acting, and a one of a kind director."
Rent this unless you know you're ready for it
Timothy Hulsey | Charlottesville, VA United States | 11/24/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)

"First of all, this 2-disc Criterion "special edition" of Andrei Tarkovsky's 1972 film _Solaris_ is clearly intended to capitalize on Steven Soderbergh's American remake. I'm not sure whether either will succeed; Soderbergh's version is an art film masquerading as a Christmas movie, and I think it's fair to say that those who can't stand the original won't much like the remake.Tarkovsky's _Solaris_ has suffered unfairly from facile comparisons with Kubrick's _2001: A Space Odyssey_. The two films are deeply opposed in both tone and content, though on the most superficial level, the pace of both films makes them appear rather similar. That said, Tarkovsky's elliptical, nostalgic work stands very well on its own.The first forty-five minutes of _Solaris_ are slow going, even by Tarkovsky's glacial standards. (They're also profoundly important to subsequent action, so don't even try to skip them.) Once the action shifts to the mysterious space station, the story quickly sinks its hooks into you and doesn't let go for an instant, up to its mysterious and unsettling conclusion.Criterion's video and audio transfers are dependably high-quality, though in this case far from flawless. The extras on Disc 2 consist mostly of dull interviews with cast and crew (though, in a notable omission, there is no interview with Tarkovsky himself). But the audio commentary on Disc 1 with film scholars Vida Johnson and Graham Petrie is absolutely indispensible (at least, if you're into this sort of academic analysis). As is usually the case with Criterion, the extras are directed chiefly at hard-core film buffs and scholars.Some critics have noted that _Solaris_ is Tarkovsky's most commercial film, although in terms of his oeuvre that term is strictly relative. It's still plenty strange, and if you haven't been properly initiated into Tarkovsky's work, this film is as frustrating and impenetrable as anything he directed (except for his last, most accessible film, _The Sacrifice_).If you're ready for _Solaris_, it's a deeply moving experience. If not, stay away until you know you are."
Tarkovsky's "Solaris" DVD released by RUSCICO
Timothy Hulsey | 05/20/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Solaris, directed by Andrei Tarkovsky, is a unusual piece of science fiction that will require multiple viewings and an open mind to understand all that it has to offer. A moody expression of the 1961 work by novelist Stainslaw Lem, a master of the philosophical, moves us carefully in and about the issues of life and death.Strange happenings have been reported by three scientists onboard a space station orbiting Solaris, a distant planet. Psychologist Kris Kelvin (Donatas Banionis), is sent to investigate. The opening of the nearly 3 hour film is quite slow, setting some groundwork for the rest of the film by establishing its roots on Earth, something not present in the novel. The earth setting is in and about the home of Kelvins father played by Nikolai Grinko. It is here that he learns from his fathers friend Burton (Vladislav Dvorzhetsky) of the mystery surrounding Solaris. Burton, a cosmonaut that orbited the planet years earlier, gives an indication that there is more to the planet than just being covered by water, but the details are left intentionally vague so they can be flush out later in the film.Kelvin leaves Earth and arrives at the space station to find it in a state of disrepair, a crewman dead that was a personal friend and the remaining two occupants in a state of paranoia. Soon after Kelvin experiences what has been afflicting the crew when a vision of his wife Hari appears. This is quite odd considering she has been dead for over 10 years, but he can talk to her and touch her and she seems real. She knows who she is but does not remember anything about the details of her death. In actuality, Kelvin's wife died by committing suicide and now he is placed in the position of either reliving that horror or being able to do something to prevent it. Is it an illusion or does he really have a chance to change the past?But as it turns out, Hari is not really Hari, but rather a physical reincarnation of his memory of her. The film is quite deep and moving when she finally realizes what she really is and how she and the crew handle her realization and their own understanding of who they are.The film was made in the Soviet Union like Tarkovsky's previous two films, but unlike them doesn't deal with the restrictions on the freedoms of his country's people. Instead it deals with the morality of ones feelings and the science that surrounds them. Not tied to any country or culture it explores the nostalgia of earlier times prior to technological achievements expanding our horizons.P.S. To watch the movie preview video clip you can on russianDVD.com website for free."