Solaris

The more times I see it, the more I love it. Maybe the runtime is excessive, maybe some of the scenes don't make sense (and yet they still feel magical, for example the drive down the highway), but everything else – especially the atmosphere, the visual compositions hand in hand with the haunting music, the interesting philosophical musings, etc. – all make Tarkovsky's film one of my most magical cinematic experiences in years. This is the kind of uncompromising artistic statement you hardly see anymore in modern cinema. (01/21/2009)

Equally difficult to grasp as "2001: A Space Odyssey," but equally interpretive, possibly even stronger. Tarkovsky's film does not rely on visual spectacle, but instead the Russian creator opted for philosophical sci-fi, where everything important unfolds through dialogue, memories, not necessarily through images. There are scenes from inside spaceships, but it remains very limited. Even so, this is how sci-fi can be filmed, mainly because the narrative is no less powerful. (09/05/2014)

Technically brilliant and incredibly profound. Sometimes even unattainable. Tarkovsky is very demanding on the viewer in his abstraction and does not make it easier for them even for a second with his long-winded visions in his sphere of philosophy. However, all inaccessibility is beautifully erased by the simple central theme of the conflict between the most desperate emotion and the cold, meaningless scientific research. And most importantly, I guarantee that if you let yourself be absorbed, you will not understand most scenes due to their ambiguity off the top of your head. (08/10/2007)

8/10/2009: 2 stars /// 7/11/2014: I’m several years older and more experienced as a viewer, so I thought I’d give it another go, and it’s quite good. Science fiction of the more intellectual kind, mainly for people who enjoy being offered something to ponder over. The atmosphere is engaging and unsettling, also quite thought-provoking at times. But only at times, really, because, even though this is philosophic sci-fi, there’s not that much philosophising (they hardly speak). It could also be shorter, a lot. (10/08/2009)

The Tarkovsky scarecrow may not be such a major problem if we view Solaris through the lens of contemporary science fiction. The result will, unfortunately (or thankfully), be just another film that has not withstood the ravages of time. Of course, you can also read Lem's novel, watch the modern remake and, with a slightly ironic smile, look for the old TV version. All science fiction before Star Wars has its limits, including Tarkovsky's opus. I really don't appreciate a spaceship whose integral part is the icons of Andrei Rublev spread out in the cabins. I really, really don’t. (06/15/2017)