‘Stalker’ Analysis

Candidate number: 277-0055

Sequence runtime: 1:44:23 – 1:49:23
The movie ‘Stalker’ by Andrey Tarkovsky is science fiction masterpiece. ‘Stalker’ was released
in 1979, in USSR. 4.3 million tickets to the film were sold in the Soviet Union in the year of
release and $ 515,572 CAD collected when it was showed in other countries in 2002. The movie
is loosely based on a novel by the Strugatsky brothers “Roadside Picnic”; they wrote the script
for ‘Stalker’ as well. The film follows a man known as the "Stalker" who leads a writer and a
professor into an area known as the "Zone," a mysterious and forbidden place rumored to grant
wishes to those who enter it. Men are forced to confront their deepest desires and fears to reach
that sacred room. It is considered a classic of world cinema and has had a lasting influence on the
science fiction genre. I have also chosen a scene that I’ll focus on that runs from 1:44:23 to
1:49:23 and mainly consists of the writer’s monologue. I have chosen that scene because at that
point of the film everyone confronts their deepest hopes and fears; the writer’s monologue,
unlike the professor’s latter confession, was more relatable to an average soviet citizen that’s
why I decided to focus on it. This scene is significant because that is when the film begins
making sense. Furthermore, ‘Stalker’ raises important social issues of USSR in the 70s that I will
discuss through analyzing writing, editing, mise-en-scene, symbolism, and director’s vision.

The first film element I want to touch upon is writing. Overall, the film is a narratively complex,
dreamlike film that blurs the line between fantasy and reality and tells its story through a non-
linear narrative. In the scene itself, the character writer talks about the loss of meaning in the
modern society, about how people will do anything to feel something. That is given the fact that
in the 70s, soviet citizens were empty, lost all their values. Throughout the first decades of USSR
they believed in communism, after the war they believed in victory, in the 50s and 60s they
believed in reconstruction and bright future. Yet time passed and nothing changed; by the end of
70s people were stuck. Soviet poet Boris Pasternak wrote the following lines about the decades
after WWII, referring to people's hopes for change: "... the harbinger of freedom was in the air all
the post-war years, constituting their only historical content ...". Including the writer’s thought-
provoking monologue about the lack of self determination and meaning, Tarkovsky knew that
the viewers will likely see themselves in that character and perhaps reflect upon their lives.

Editing is the one of the main tools the director used to create a specific atmosphere. In the film
Tarkovsky frequently uses long takes, which allow the camera to stay on a shot for an extended
period of time and have minimal editing done in the post-production process. For example, in the
scene, the take during writer’s monologue is nearly 5 minutes long. This technique conveys scale
of the set, as well as allowing the viewer to take in the film's rich visual details. Graham Petrie
(p. 152), co-author of "The Films of Andrei Tarkovsky: A visual fugue" states that the average
shot length in Stalker is around 1 minute, with a total of "142 shots in 161 minutes, with many 4
minutes or longer". The longest shot is 6 minutes 50 seconds long (the telephone room scene).
Rare use of cuts certainly leaves the viewer feeling they were also journeying through the
dangerous Zone with the main characters by their side. By giving the audience a viewer’s point
of view and placing them in the zone such an unpredictable place is also reminiscent of the social
tension and the poor state of the country USSR was in in the late 70s when the film was released.
An element just as important in creating the mystifying atmosphere is mise-en-scene. The
camera lingers on the desolate, post-apocalyptic world of the "Zone," creating a sense of
isolation and desolation. The film's interiors, meanwhile, are often characterized by their stark,
minimalist design, which adds to the film's enigmatic atmosphere. The scene takes place in an
abandoned hall of a factory full of sand dunes, as you can see that in Figure 1 below. They must
have seemed extremely irrational to the soviet audience because sand is not a common element
in Eastern-European nature: most of the beaches there have a rocky relief. Furthermore, such
identical factories played a central role in the economy of USSR and were often located in urban
areas; they were also they main source of employment and stability for middle class. Although it
is not mentioned what country the film is set in, the setting very much associates with a
dystopian version of the Soviet Union. So, the workers, looking at their workplace full of sand,
and the upper class, seeing their main source of income in ruins, will have a strong feeling of
dissonance that the film is meant to create.

Shot of the sand dunes in an abandoned hall of the Zone (Fig. 1)

Another important thing that you might not pay much attention to at first is symbolism. The plot
itself is pretty straightforward therefore the main symbols do not require explaining. This is
about a journey to self discovery. Characters travel through the Zone discovering themselves and
understanding their sacred wishes ones reach the room. Therefore, the Zone can be interpretated
as an unconscious, messed up human mind while the room is the key to it. That is why the writer
often leads philosophical discussion with the Stalker, raising up thought-provoking question that
make us confront our deepest fears and longings. On top of that, in 1970s USSR was a country in
transition. It was a period of Brezhnev Stagnation when no changes were happening, and it was
hard to tell where everything was going. At that that time all the soviet citizens were in a way on
a journey with their country to self discovery, questioning everything from the system to
themselves. Vladimir Vysotsky, soviet poet and bard somehow passed the censor with the
following lines: Save our souls; We are delirious from suffocation; Save our souls; Hurry to us;
Hear us on land; Our SOS is getting quieter, quieter; And horror cuts souls in half. Consequently,
by personifying our inner fight of belief in a miracle (stalker) and materialism (writer) director
made the soviet citizens once again question their lifestyle and purpose.

Last element that creates purely psychological tension is director’s vision and intention to get
into the viewer’s head. At some point of his monologue (Figure 2), the writer breaks the fourth
wall, making eye contact with the audience (Figure 3). This scene is significant because it’s the
first time in the film with a continuous look in the camera. After the monologue actors stare at
the camera from time to time and the closing scene of the movie is shot in an interview format.
For Russians, it is unusual to make eye contact with strangers because it is viewed as a very
intimate thing, reserved for meaningful interactions. Additionally, in Russian society, there is
often a strong emphasis on privacy, and making eye contact can be viewed as an intrusion into
one's personal space. Therefore, the writer doing so, may come to the viewer by surprise also
because such gesture was not common in Soviet cinematography. However, that was
Tarkovsky’s intention, to make a deeper connection with the audience through that gaze and

communicate the message in a clearer, physical way.

The writer looking into the distance (Fig. 3) then making eye contact with the audience (Fig. 4)

Overall, to completely understand ‘Stalker’ you need to be aware of the state USSR was in at the
time Tarkovsky and the Strugatsky brothers made the film. In terms of social context, the film is
set in an unspecified Eastern European country that is clearly meant to represent the Soviet
Union. The Zone itself is a post-apocalyptic place where the rules of society do not apply which
can be seen as a commentary on the social tensions of the time. In the well written characters
Soviet citizens saw themselves struggling to find meaning at the time of stagnation. The Stalker
himself represents a guide through this controlled society, leading the other characters on a quest
for self-discovery, but also highlighting the dangers of blindly following authority. Ultimately,
through the use of film elements listed above and various others Tarkovsky suggests that it is
only through accepting the uncertainty and mystery of life that one can find true meaning and
purpose. This general message with its deep and complex meaning still resonates with audiences
today and challenges the viewer to interpret its value. The ending of the film also ambiguous and
open-ended, which reflects the reality of the time, as the audience is left with a sense of
uncertainty and incompleteness, much like the reality of the Soviet society at that time.

Word count: 1503

 Citations

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Hudkins, Bryan. “MEANING OF TARKOVSKY'S STALKER {SPOILERS]”. DREAMS in

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Petrie, Graham and Johnson Vide T. “The Films of Andrei Tarkovsky: A visual fugue”. Indiana
University Press, December 22 1994

Hellerman, Jason. “How the Long Take Uses Creative Camera Work to Control the Audience”.
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Orfeus. “The meaning of the film Stalker 1979 by Tarkovsky”. Kakoi smysl, December 14 2022,
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