Andrei Tarkovsky was a selfish, narcissistic, but at the same time truly genius man. He was well versed in films and knew what to tell about them.
Tarkovsky gave his students a list of films that they must have watched. Below are ten films that the famous director especially liked.
10. Woman in the sand | 1963
Nicky Jumpei collects insects. He is prone to loneliness and deepened in himself. To find new interesting specimens, the collector goes on a short vacation on the Japanese coast.
He was late for the return bus to the city, but the locals met in the desert offer him an overnight stay with a certain woman. On a rope ladder, Nicky descends to the bottom of a sandy ravine.
The hostess accepts, feeds the guest, and in the morning he notices that there are no more stairs. A woman behaves very strange and does not want to let him go.
9. The Musette | 1967
Musette is a teenage girl whose life is not at all like a fairy tale. At school, teachers and classmates humiliate her all the time, her father terrorizes her daughter, and her mother is sick, and she must be constantly looked after.
Once, the Musket goes to the forest and encounters a poacher. He is sure that he took the life of the huntsman, and therefore decides to ensure his safety with the help of a suddenly met girl.
8. Person | 1966
Tarkovsky perceived this film in every way completely differently, which attracted the director.
It addresses a very important problem that concerns many modern people: a sense of the meaninglessness of existence and loneliness against the background of external well-being, the normal course of personal and professional life.
Ms. Vogler is a sought-after actress who once stops speaking directly during her performance and has not uttered a word since.
Doctors say that she has no problems with the psyche. Nurse Alma takes Vogler to the sea to figure out the reasons for her strange behavior.
7. Seven Samurai | 1954
XVI century, Japan. Gangs of marauders, robbers are actively operating in the country, there is a civil war.
Seven samurai were hired by peasants in order to protect the village. The villagers are cowardly and fragmented, but the defenders manage to rally them.
This is a beautiful, lyrical, life-affirming film, but at the same time it is quite realistic and visually tough.
Each character is spelled out very well, has its own unique character, personality.
6. Tales of the foggy moon after rain | 1953
There is a civil war in Japan. The plot takes place in the XVI century.
The poor potter has the opportunity to make good money: the pots that he makes are quickly taken apart, and the astonished master rejoices with silver coins. He had never been able to hold such money in his hands. After a while, the potter becomes obsessed, he dreams of luxury and wealth.
Another hero, who is an ordinary farmer, dreams of military glory. For all the dreams of these men their wives are paying.
5. The lights of the big city | 1931
This is Charlie Chaplin's silent film, which is accompanied by sound effects and music.
Tarkovsky noted that the main character of this film behaves very truthfully and naturally.
A beautiful blind girl is selling flowers on the street. Once she meets a little tramp and mistakenly takes him for a noble person.
A tramp learns that a girl can regain her vision, but this requires a rather expensive operation. He goes to look for money.
As a result, the girl still manages to recover with the help of the Tramp, but he himself is in prison.
4. Strawberry Glade | 1957
The Stockholm professor is almost 80 years old. He recalls his whole long life, reconsiders all the frustrations he had to face.
To get an honorary doctorate, the professor gets to the destination with his son's wife.
On the way, they call in where the man spent his youth. He recalls the past, dreams, old acquaintances, various people from the past. The professor must understand what he was wrong with, and also correct the mistakes, change his selfish and closed nature.
Tarkovsky called Bergman a very intelligent director.
3. Nazarin | 1959
Nazarin is a priest who took off his robe and went to beg. They try to accuse the priest of hiding a prostitute who killed her friend, and that is why he has to wander, ask for money and hide from persecution.
Nazarin is faced with ignorance, hatred, numerous vices of people, but at the same time he tries to understand them and even love them.
As a result, the priest is accused of being insane and trying to oppose the church. Tarkovsky notes that the protagonist of this film can be compared with Don Quixote.
2. Communion | 1962
The plot is based on faith and Protestantism. Priest Thomas Ericsson lived with his wife, who was able to constantly maintain in him faith in the Creator. At that time, Thomas could well be called happy.
He became a preacher, and parishioners believed what he was saying. However, then the beloved wife of the priest died. Left alone, Thomas began to lose faith in God and ceased to truly help people.
Teacher Marta wants to get closer to the priest, but he cannot understand himself and stop pushing away those who reach for him.
1. Diary of a village priest | 1950
This film Tarkovsky called his beloved.
A young priest who recently completed seminary arrives in a small town where he received a parish. He has health problems that greatly interfere with his plans.
People do not meet the priest in a very friendly manner; they even begin to plot against him. However, some interest in the newcomer shows an old clergyman who lives in another village.