1972
Solaris (Pol., Eng. & Rus.)
Soviet Union (Russia), colour and black & white,.
Running time: 165 min, but varies from 160-167 min. (some early English versions were cut to 132 min.)
Film length: 14850 ft or 4529 metres
Awards: Special Jury Prize at International Film Festival in Cannes, 1972
Rating ****½ (9 of 10); *** of *** by Clute Science Fiction - The Illustrated Encyclopedia (1995 p. 275)
Produced by: Mosfilm
Directed by: Andrei (Andriey, Andrew) Arsenevich Tarkovsky (Tarkowski, Tarkovskij,)
Screenplay: Andrei Tarkovsky & Friedrich Gorenstein based on novel by Stanisł aw Lem Solaris; Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Ministerstwa Obrony Narodowej 1961, translated as Solaris from the French translation by Joanna Kilmartin & Steve Cox; New York: Walker & Co. 1970.
Plot summary: Set in the far future (beyond 21st century). A psychologist (Chris Kelvin) is sent to a space station orbiting planet Solaris in order to investigate events leading to the death of several scientists. Planet Solaris is covered almost entirely by a sentient ocean - attempts by the human scientists to establish a contact with the ocean result only in the creation (by the ocean) of so called "guests" (or "visitors") - more than perfect copies of humans made of the subatomic particles and thus virtually indestructible. Kelvin is met by a "copy" of his wife, which has long ago committed suicide because of problems in their marriage. Although he and his surviving colleagues succeed eventually to get rid of their "guests", they discover that the ocean is a real and total alien, so meaningful exchange of information is not (and most likely will never be) possible.
Cinematography: Vadim Yusov (Jusov)
Scenography: Mikhail Romadin, Art Director (also used paintings of Brueghel and Rembrandt van Rijn)
Music: Eduard (Edward) Artemyev (also used excerpts from Johann Sebastian Bach)
Sound Mix: Mono (remastered to stereo for DVD)
Special effects: (unknown)
Colour System: Sovcolor
Cast (in credits order):
Donatas Banionis as Chris Kelvin (a psychologist)
Natalya (Natalia, Natalie) Bondarchuk as Hari (Rheya, also spelled 'Khari', Chris' dead wife)
Yuri Jarvet (Yarvet) as Snauth (Snow, a cybernetician)
Anatoli (Anatoly) Solonitsin (Solonitzin) as Sartorius (a biologist)
Vladislav Dvorjetski (Dvorzetsky, Dvorjetzki) as Burton (Berton - a pilot)
Sos Sarkissian as Gibarian (Gibaryan - a station leader)
Nikolai Grinko as Chris' father (“invented” by Tarkovsky)
Comments on Tarkovsky’s “Solaris” (1972):
According to:
http://www.k26.com/solaris/The_Films/Andrei_Tarkovsky/• Among their 35 demands for cuts on SOLARIS, the Russian censors made comments like "remove the concept of God" and "remove the scenes where Kris is walking with his pants off."
• Tarkovsky had wanted to make an autobiographical film but every script he submitted to the Soviet officials was rejected, so he decided on Solaris, as the censors deemed science fiction a safe genre aimed towards the youth and incapable of harboring subversive elements.
• Tarkovsky had wanted to cast Swedish actress Bibi Andersson in the role of Hari.
• Tarkovsky saw Stanley Kubrick's 2001 and disliked it thinking it cold and sterile and relying too much on technology. He then set out to make SOLARIS its opposite.
Copyright for this filmography by Lech Keller
lech.keller@gmail.com
