Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.5

Stalker Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov August 19, 2016

Winner of the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the Cannes Film Festival, Andrei Tarkovsky's "Stalker" (1979) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of British distributors Curzon Artificial Eye. The supplemental features on the disc include filmed video introduction by film psychoanalyst Mary Wild; archival video interview with cinematographer Aleksandr Knyazhinskiy; archival video interview with set designer Rashit Safiullin; and more. The release also arrives with a 40-page illustrated booklet featuring writings on the film. In Russian, with optional English subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

The Zone

Films like this one are very, very rare. For a short period of time they can truly transport you to a different world. They can make you see the place you have temporarily left behind from a different angle and ponder whether you might be a visitor there as well. They can energize your mind in a way you never thought possible.

The transition occurs immediately after the opening credits disappear. You are abruptly pushed into a dark and gloomy world where time seems to have stopped. Your initial impression is that the thick long shadows have started chipping away from it and that soon they will succeed in collapsing it. The skinny man with the tired eyes that emerges from these shadows and tells his wife that he must leave is the Stalker (Aleksandr Kajdanovsky). You spend some time following him around and discover that he is a tracker who has agreed to lead the Writer (Anatoli Solonitsyn) and the Professor (Nikolai Grinko) into the Zone.

Along the way you listen to the travelers talking about the Zone and learn how it came to exist. A long time ago a giant meteor apparently fell from the sky and the radiation that entered the atmosphere with it instantly killed every single creature in the area. Scientists were dispatched to study the devastation, but they never returned and the army sealed off the area. For a while no one would come near it. When the atmosphere eventually rebalanced itself, rumors emerged that aliens had landed there and that there was a place where people can have their most personal wishes granted. It was the Room.

As the men approach and enter the Zone you learn about their lives and why they have decided to risk them. They mention the system that shaped them, science and faith, the many rumored secrets of the Room. You see some similarities between their reasons and start to understand bits of the logic behind them, but their words keep coming at you like giant waves that slowly begin to overwhelm your mind. Then while on the verge of giving up, you suddenly realize that you are also heading to the Room for the very same reason the Stalker, the Writer, and the Professor are -- because you have become a seeker of enlightenment.

The structure of the narrative and the manner in which the film ultimately engages the mind are absolutely brilliant. The entire journey through the Zone basically becomes something of a deeply personal experience that forces the viewer to think about a wide range of philosophical subjects.

The spectacular visuals also create a very special ambience. The unique use of filtered light and shadows and the very specific range of desaturated primary colors and nuances give the film a truly unforgettable poetic quality. In a way it feels like an elusive dream that somehow has suddenly come alive.

The hugely atmospheric soundtrack blends a variety of new age harmonies with Slavic folk elements. The meditation theme uses an incredible pan-flute/chimes solo that very much reminds of the one that is heard in the equally atmospheric soundtrack that was created for Picnic at Hanging Rock.

Stalker Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.34:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Andrei Tarkovsky's Stalker arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Curzon Artificial Eye.

My guess is that the master was created from an old interpositive, possibly even an element that is another generation or two away from it. What instantly becomes clear is that time has left its mark and as a result there are some visible fluctuations in terms of density and fluidity. In select areas there is also visible fading and even some chemical stains. Dirt, scratches and flecks are also present. While some of the density fluctuations can be traced back to specific stylistic preferences, the general flatness is introduced by light noise adjustments. I assume that at some point efforts were made to tone down the dirt and spikes of grain so that the film has a better overall balanced appearance. Grain is still visible, but it is certainly not as well exposed as it should be. The darker footage, in particular, can look unnaturally flat, though I think that at least some of the flatness is also inherited from the less than optimal element that was used to create the master. There are some general stability issues as well, including transition issues. Ultimately, there is certainly plenty of room for improvement, but the current presentation does represent a good upgrade in quality over the existing DVD release of the film. My score is 3.25/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Stalker Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: Russian LPCM 2.0. Optional English subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The audio is clear and crisp, but I noticed some light pops and hiss sneaking in throughout the entire film. Naturally, I have to assume that if the audio is fully remastered all of these imperfections will be eliminated. The music is clear and there are no balance issues to report.

Stalker Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Andrei Tarkovsky's Metaphysical Dream Zone: An Introduction By Mary Wild - a short video introduction to Stalker and Andrei Tarkovsky's unique body of work by film psychoanalyst Mary Wild. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• Andrei Tarkovsky's Metaphysical Dream Zone - Part 5: Stalker - in this video piece, Mary Wild discusses the unique narrative structure of Stalker, the meaning and role of the Room, the aura of mystery in the Zone, the role of the Stalker, the relationship between faith and death and its representation in the film, etc. In English, not subtitled. (15 min).

• Interview with Aleksandr Knyazhinskiy - in this archival interview, cinematographer Aleksandr Knyazhinskiy discusses the shooting of Stalker in Estonia (with some very interesting comments about the black dog that is seen in the Zone) and Andrei Tarkovsky's working methods. In Russian, with optional English subtitles. (6 min).

• Interview with Rashit Safiullin - in this archival interview, set designer Rashit Safiullin recalls his involvement with Stalker, and discusses the very problematic financing of the film, the shooting of specific scenes. Andrei Tarkovsky's perfectionism, etc. In Russian, with optional English subtitles. (15 min).

• Booklet - 40-page illustrated booklet.

Stalker Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Andrei Tarkovsky's Stalker offers a deeply personal experience that cannot possibly be summarized with simple words. I think that Blu-ray is a format that can replicate its brilliance quite well, though it appears that time and Russian producers have not been particularly kind to the film. This upcoming release from Curzon Artificial Eye represents a decent upgrade in quality over the existing DVD releases, but the film can look even more convincing in high-definition. RECOMMENDED.