I’ve called this article The Quest for Truth because not only is the film itself a quest for Truth but this post will also be such a quest, a quest to get to the heart of Stalker, which is a film which gains in richness and depth with each subsequent viewing.
I first saw Stalker about three years ago, a poor quality print on DVD. For some reason it didn’t wow me, although I enjoyed it and could see it was a very good film. I think part of the problem was that there was a disconnect between what I was expecting the film to be and what it actually was. And describing it as a sci-fi film didn’t help either
Nevertheless something about the film got under my skin and when there was a chance to see it at the cinema I jumped at the chance. That was the first time I really connected with the film. And now we have the restored version on Criterion which enables us to see the film as it was meant to be seen. The contrasts are sharper, the colours are richer and the shadows have more depth.
What follows are personal musings on the film which, in the spirit of Tarkovsky, may not follow a linear sequence. I intend this to be impressionistic in tone. It also assumes knowledge of the film on the part of the reader. If you’ve not seen it, please do so first.
The Inner Is The Outer
I think Tarkovsky is a master at showing how the internal and external worlds form a continuum, and indeed, I would go further and say that he shows that the external world is the internal world. So whilst on the surface we have the story of three people travelling towards a “Room”, at the same time this represents an internal journey towards the depths of one’s own unconscious. Nowhere is this more clear than in the scene set in the sand-dune room. It stuck me as I saw this recently that the dunes resemble the surface of a giant brain. This can’t be coincidence. Because ultimately these characters ARE exploring their own brains/minds. So it makes complete sense. And one could also argue that the “meatgrinder” tunnel that leads to this room is akin to a fallopian tube which they go through as a kind of re-birth.
But let’s take some other things which I’ve not seen anyone else mention: near the beginning of the film stalker’s wife walks into the kitchen, switches on the light and it immediately blows. I’m convinced that this is to indicate her internal agitated mental state as she confronts stalker about his desire to visit the Zone again. Not only this, as she speaks we see a towel fall off its hook behind her. There’s no way that this is just a careless oversight by Tarkovsky. It’s reinforcing the psychic connection between her agitated internal state and the external world.
Lets’s take the scene when the writer has gone ahead into the sand-dune room and drops a stone into the well. Seconds pass until the stone hits the bottom. Then he comes out with a monologue expressing doubt and disillusionment with his profession. I had the realisation hat the dropping of the stone into the well is a metaphor, a signal that his next words are coming from the depths of his unconscious. This is Tarkovsky’s genius.
States of Consciousness
One of my favourite scenes in this – or any – film is the one where the three protagonists travel on a trolley into the zone. The sound of the trolley gets more and more distorted as they get closer. I’m convinced that Tarkovsky is using the sounds here to change our own state of consciousness in readiness for the Zone. I am reminded of shamanic drumming at this point. The beats lull us into a trance. For the purposes of the film it is the signal that we are not just moving from one geographical location to another but also one state of consciousness to another. The change from sepia to colour is also a powerful contributor to this change in state.
Symbolism and Metaphor
And what is the first thing we see in the Zone? A cross. In the guise of a telegraph pole. This has to be intentional on Tarkovsky’s part. The epitome of Christian iconography is shown as soon as one enters the Zone. We know therefore that this is sacred ground. Towards the end of the film the Writer wears a crown of thorns and what does he utter in this moment? “I don’t forgive you”. The opposite of what Jesus would have said. This could simply be a little joke on Tarkovsky’s part, expressed through the Writer in order to illustrate the writer’s disdain for Christianity. Nevertheless this is another example of a Christian reference.
Monkey and the Ending
Stalker’s daughter Monkey is the embodiment of the Zone. The ending of the film is one of the most powerful in all cinema. She telekinetically moves three glasses across a table. I think this is the one expression of true faith in the film. With just a seed of faith one can perform miracles. I think this film is as much about the beliefs of the viewer as it is about an objective reality. For example, if an Atheist watches the film what do they say about the ending? Oh, it was just the vibrations from the passing train that caused the glasses to move. If a Religion person sees it they say it was the power of God. Both wrong (in my opinion). Monkey is in touch with her pure essence. The inner is the outer. Everything is connected at a deeper level. The evidence that the passing train did not cause the glasses to move is this: the dog starts to whimper; Monkey turns towards the dog; at this precise moment, the glass stops moving; As she turn back to the glass, it starts moving again. Hence it was the power of her mind, not the train. And I think the reason the dog starts to whimper is because it’s sensitive ears are agitated by the high-pitched sound (frequency) made by the glass as it moves across the table.
Monkey’s atrophied legs may be the price that is paid for being the daughter of a Stalker, possibly she was conceived in the Zone which messed with her physical body but also this is compensated for by her spiritual faculties and powers. Is this an illustration of Karma? One asks the question, why has Stalker not gone to the Room to ask for his daughter to be healed? I would suggest this is because he is afraid that he may find out that his deepest wish is something else entirely.
And I love hearing certain critics talking about the film trying to understand the significance of the nut-throwing. Over-intellectualising something that can only be understood intuitively.
The Path of the Initiate
On any initiatic path to enlightenment obstacles are put into the initiates way to prevent them achieving this enlightenment. These are moments when they have to confront their own unconscious. We see this in the film. The message that the shortest route is not always the easiest is also part of the initiatic path. This is reinforced in the film. The Room represents one’s deepest wish. I see this as being the ultimate confrontation with one’s own unconscious self. How many of us really desire that? Very few. Because our deepest wish is simply the other side of the coin from our deepest fear. Hence they don’t go into the Room from fear of receiving their deepest wish, a wish which they are not even aware of at a conscious level. The Writer wants inspiration at a conscious level but what does he really want? If he goes into the Room he may get something else entirely. Furthermore, if a person received their deepest wish, what then? What next? What does he/she do with it? I’m reminded of the Buddhist phrase “Desire nothing. Enjoy”.
Stalker’s Wife
Stalker’s wife utters one of the key monologues in the film straight to camera in the penultimate scene of the film. She explains why she married him despite people’s warnings and knowing it would be difficult. I see this scene as key because she explains that without sadness there is no hope, so the sadness is necessary. I think hers is an expression of true love. So the last two scenes of the film can be summarised thus: love and magic.
Synchronisations
As they leave the pub near the beginning of the film one of them wants to go back to retrieve something. He is told not to since it is bad luck. This foreshadows what happens in the Zone later on when they are told not to go back the way they came.
Whilst in the Zone a cuckoo is heard several times. Towards the end when back home a cuckoo is heard again inside their house, from a cuckoo-clock. I think this is a sign that an aspect of the Zone is back home with Stalker and his family. It’s like an echo of the Zone.
Finally
Watching the film again it’s as if Tarkovsky did some magic that meant that the film itself changes slightly every time someone watched it. As if the film is itself a product of the Zone. We watch it, and time and space become malleable for two and a half hours. It is a remarkable film which challenges the viewer at all levels.