A film experiment about the subconscious

Betty 2022-04-20 09:01:35

The film uses a lot of long takes. Generally, there are two uses of long shots. One is to let the audience experience the passage of time, thereby increasing the sense of reality. The other is to allow the audience to better appreciate the actor's expressions and body language, so as to enter the character's inner world. For example, when the stalker leaves, the long shot of the wife crying on the ground can show her inner pain and despair. But too many long shots make this story with a thin plot even more tedious and boring, and people have to play it at double speed.

I think the film's discussion of human inner desires contains at least two meanings. The first layer is that our inner desires are never the same as what we reveal to others. Before entering the area, the writer said that his reason was to seek inspiration, and the professor said that he was because of scientific research. In fact, the former is to wish for those who cannibalize his soul, and the latter is to get revenge on the colleague who slept with his wife. And they both have backhands, the writer plans to kill himself if the room doesn't exist, and the professor plans to blow up the room after making a wish.

The second meaning is that the inner desires that people think and the most genuine desires in the subconscious are worlds apart. The stalker leads others into the area, overcomes the so-called dangers, and finally brings them to the room, believing that he has brought them hope. In fact, there is no danger in the first place, and even the room does not exist at all. Everything is used by the stalker to scare the entourage, to hold all the power, including the power to decide the life and death of others, in his own hands. At the same time, it is also satisfying his bad taste. He used it to do an experiment. As an endogenous driving force, people's desires will eventually give up because of fear, or will they overcome fear because of courage. The story of the porcupine is actually a truth. His younger brother may have really died in the district, but his innermost desire is indeed money, so he finally hanged himself. The male protagonist finally said that he would not bring others into the area because they had no faith and no longer believed in hope. In fact, he began to doubt his own heart and developed the same emotions as porcupines.

There is also the discussion about existentialism by writers, professors, and stalkers: writers think that science is only human prosthesis and tools, and art is the greatest value of human existence, because artistic creation is selfless and everyone can appreciate it. I think scientific research is also the meaning of human existence, because it is also selfless, and everyone can equally enjoy the beautiful life brought by technology.

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Extended Reading
  • Natalia 2021-11-13 08:01:25

    Classic restoration, a masterpiece of nihilism full of metaphors. The content can be said to be nothing, or it can be said to be all-encompassing. From Eisenstein to Tarkovsky to Sarkinsev, Russia/Former Soviet Union has produced a lot of masters of lens scheduling. The iconic transition lens of the "Stalker" can be crowned in history...

  • Winifred 2021-11-13 08:01:25

    BJIFF2016 was a very slow and silent journey. Many times there was only the sound of film spinning in the theater. In this silence, although we couldn't see the old tower, he saw us through. The audience becomes the fourth traveler, hesitating on the way, reflecting on his past. The Ode to Joy at the end is another monolith.

Stalker quotes

  • Stalker's Wife: You know, Mama was very opposed to it. You've probably already guessed, that he's one of God's fools. Everyone around here used to laugh at him. He was such a wretched muddler. Mama used to say: "he's a stalker, a marked man, an eternal jailbird. Remember the kind of children stalkers have." I didn't even argue. I knew all about it, that he was a marked man, a jailbird. I knew about the kids. Only what could I do? I was sure I'd be happy with him. I knew there'd be a lot of sorrow, but I'd rather know bitter-sweet happiness, than a grey, uneventful life. Perhaps I invented all this later. But when he come up to me and said: "Come with me", I went. And I've never regretted it. Never. There was a lot of grief, and fear, and pain, but I've never regretted it, nor envied anyone. It's just fate. It's life, it's us. And if there were no sorrow in our lives, it wouldn't be better, it would be worse. Because then there'd be no happiness, either. And there'd be no hope.

  • Stalker: In the Zone, the longer way, the less risk.