The main plot is very simple, that is, three people go to find a mysterious area called "Zone" formed by a meteorite falling a long time ago. It is said that a room in it can fulfill all people's wishes. A writer, a scientist, and a guide, two of which are obviously symbols of science, while the guide represents the subconscious and faith. It discusses profound philosophical propositions such as the meaning of survival, the nature of the soul, spiritual existence and the subconscious in a highly metaphorical way.
The film can be clearly divided into several parts:
the first part is about the experience before entering the "zone", about half an hour. This part of the light image is processed very dim and rough, as chaotic and blurred as in a dream, and the background environment is mostly blurred (most of the audience must have fallen asleep or resolutely turned off the player). This part ends with an extremely lengthy shot that only shows the backs of the characters and leaves the audience at a loss;
the second part is the most comfortable part of the film. In the "zone", it is surrounded by greenery, and most of the film also ends with The elegant green tone is dominant, and the tranquil images create a solemn and mysterious atmosphere. There are also several stunning long shots interspersed in it, with an abstract expressionist style, which makes people "unintelligible". It is estimated that many images of Von Trier's debut work "Crime Elements" are from this. The
third part is the most suffocating part of the whole film. The mysterious and tense atmosphere makes people dare not blink. The whole scene is that they pass through a tunnel called "meat grinder". Most of the shots are shot from behind people. The soundtrack is very bold, giving people a heart-wrenching feeling;
In the fourth part, when I arrived at the room where my wish could come true, the three of them were all confused. This part of the large number of obscure and esoteric dialogues explores the meaning of life, reveals N themes of the film, and is also a section that has been analyzed by film critics in a daze. However, all I can see is the conflict between science and belief, and I will not discuss the abstract philosophical themes of the film here. This part ends with a surreal shot: the water begins to wave, a layer of oil and foam slowly drifting over, accompanied by a Godard-esque soundtrack of pumping, and suddenly and without warning, it turns to the scene of them returning;
I thought the film was over, but Tarkovsky delivered a stunning two-minute ending that gave the film its sacred place in film history—a little girl subconsciously moved three times. bottles, one of which fell off the table. Mystical powers and the subconscious mind are discussed throughout the film, but the controlling role of this mystical power is really revealed for the first time in the film at the end. The three bottles undoubtedly represent three people. The two unbroken bottles are the symbols of writers and scientists. Their opinions are almost unanimous, that is, taking physical reality as the rule and denying the subconscious, the guide is the one who falls. The broken bottle seems to herald the shattering of spiritual beliefs and subconscious norms. Using the fact that the subconscious acts to predict the collapse of the subconscious, this seemingly contradictory expression method seems to make the theme and thought of the film form an unfinished cycle, or it is like a philosophical paradox.
In short, there are two major characteristics of this film - 1. Tranquil scene and super avant-garde with a very experimental shooting style; 2. Profound philosophical speculation. People who like philosophy must not miss it.
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