MovieChat Forums > Nostalghia Discussion > Watch it twice

Watch it twice

posted 17 years ago by Voice-in-the-Machine
14 replies | jump to latest

All I can say for this film (and most of Tarkovsky's) is to watch it twice before passing much judgment on it. Whenever I first watch a Tarkovksy film, I often don't find it as alive as I hope for...there’s always a lot of silence and obscure talk whose point is hard to fully grasp. After watching it a second time, though, I find that these slower moments or dense dialogue is where the true power of the film lies. The second time through I always find myself much more able to inhabit the characters, and really start to understand what they are thinking and talking about (and without this, half the film is missing). The first time through sort of seems like a test run, in order to pick up on the main themes and meanings, so that you can then apply these in more detail the second time through.

After the first viewing, I was hard pressed to see it as one of Tarkovsky’s better films, but now I find it hard to argue that any of his earlier firms are better.

[–] green_eggg 17 years ago

I totally second that.

||| IF I DON'T GET TO SEE INLAND EMPIRE SOON I'M GONNA...!
I waited since November 2005.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] armensog 7 years ago

I third that!

[–] vampirock_x 17 years ago

Totally fourth all of you!

I just finished the second viewing last night. I was astonished by all that was familiar once but still had so much power and beauty! The first watching for me was to adjust the mind to the right place for the second, also the serious watching. Absolutely my favorite of Tarkovsky!

What made the universe made me.

[–] mjensen-3 17 years ago

I loved it on the first viewing. So the second viewing was even better.

Last Film seen:
Nostalghia- 10/10

[–] TemporaryOne-1 16 years ago

The first time through sort of seems like a test run, in order to pick up on the main themes and meanings, so that you can then apply these in more detail the second time through.

Exactly, and that applies not only to Tarkovsky's films, but also to other extraordinarily philosophical/transcendental filmmakers, for example Ingmar Bergman, Bela Tarr, Yimou Zhang, Wim Wenders, Luis Buñuel, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, etc.

These are filmmakers whose films are truly pieces of art, you can view their films 20 times yet still fail to absord their limitless strata of themes and references...

The masterpieces Andrei Rublev and Zerkalo, they are an alchemy of art, music, literature, religion, history, philosophy, metaphysics, psychology, memoirism, Russian folklore and culture, prestigious film techniques, they are impossible to fully comprehend and absorb in one viewing, ten viewings, one hundred viewings...

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] mihailosundic 10 years ago

Brilliant film.
I also think that it's his best film after Stalker taking second place with Solyaris.

[–] emncaity 16 years ago

"Exactly, and that applies not only to Tarkovsky's films, but also to other extraordinarily philosophical/transcendental filmmakers, for example Ingmar Bergman, Bela Tarr, Yimou Zhang, Wim Wenders, Luis Buñuel, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, etc."

Add to that list--maybe--Abderrahmane Sissako, at least from Bamako forward (I haven't seen his other films). Bamako really does have to be seen more than once. Yeah, I know it's polemic, but the conceit that wraps the polemic works--and there's a lot going on artistically besides the tremendously important theme of the polemic.

Totally agree about Tarkovsky, by the way. Actually, I'm not sure two viewings of most of his films would do; for me, some of them seem to come to full flower at three or four.

[–] WeGetIt 16 years ago

Yes. I juts saw it my second time and now think it is definetely one of Tarkovsky's nest, most inteligent, enigmatc, beautiful and creative films. It will forever be one of his best for me, and the only films i havn't seen of his is the Offeret. Nothing from this film really stuck with me form the 1st viewing, but the 2nd viewing just permamnently etched ever shot into my mind. To me the ending of the film is incredibly rewarding. Watching it twice is good advice before being too hard on this film.

[–] 16 years ago

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[–] 16 years ago

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[–] OliverBagshaw 11 years ago

I completely agree - a filmmaker as challenging as Tarkovsky, I find it very helpful to watch his films at least more than once so I can pick up details I probably missed on my first viewing. It feels very rewarding.

[–] snook_ocreed 11 years ago

Agreed. I wouldn't try and argue whether Nostalghia is better than any of his others, but I find it very interesting. It's possibly the least consequential plotwise, seeming somewhat humble compared to a WWII child soldier film, a medieval artist biopic, two sort-of sci-fi dramas, a personal-obscurantist project that seems to strike a chord with many Russian viewers, and a drama set as WWIII is to begin. The mood alone makes it essential viewing, being so potent that someone could probably break into something from The Producers and it would still find a way to make it look like Bergman. It's amazing that Tarkovsky didn't even know too much Italian (if any) and still knew what to do. He was truly in tune with film.