Some questions

Also: what did Alexander sacrifice (if anything) after all? Sleeping with Maria? If that was it, then what was the symbolism behind making love with her? (I guess it would have something to do with his mother or the motherly care and sympathy in general?)

But toms-email-1, mind you, most of these questions were meant not to have clearcut answers. As someone suggested somewhere in the comments, take a look at this page: http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~tstronds/nostalghia.com/TheTopics/Symbols.html.

A short citation from there:
"I am constantly being asked what this or that means in my films. It's unbearable! ... I don't know what my symbols mean. I only desire to induce feelings, any feelings, in viewers. ... My images do not signify anything beyond what they are... We do not know ourselves that well: sometimes we express forces which cannot be grasped by any ordinary measure."

My opinions..(may be spoilers)

1. Was the whole apocalypse thing a dream? The world was returned to normal after Alexander woke. Also, Maria seemed to not understand why Alexander was bowing to her in the house fire scene.
-I don't think it was a dream or anything. If it was, how could Alexander not have known it and then set his house on fire thinking it was real? In the house eburning scene, I think i notice Alexander limpiing, because of the fall he took while riding the bike to Maria's; this might prove that the whole film happened. I'd be interested to hear arguments for the dream theory, because i wouldn't rule it out. It seems to me that some seens don't quite fit.. such as Alexander not being present for the first sings of war, we see him next talking quietly to Maria. I am thinking now that it might not matter, at least to Alexander, if it was a dream or not. It effected him either way. How about this.. if you think it was a dream: The act of waking up from the dream was the mericle of God, the saving of his family. The end is the same in any way, he had to pay for everything being restored to how it was. Does it really matter that the danger was real? It could have been. In reality, men should praise God every singles day for what they have. But only whe Alexander was faced with losing everything, somehting that he perhaps handn't ever felt did he finaly appreciate it and brought himself to make God the Sacrifice. wow, good question, i never even thought about it being a dream before.

2. What were the black and white 'dream' sequences about? The curtain falling from the window. Alexander pulling cloth out of the ground. The arial shot of the wrecked car and debris, and later of the same scene with a crowd of people.
-I think the wreckege scenes with the flipped car were shots of chaos caused by the outbrake of the new war. The shots of the room with the curtain i believe is Little Man's room and bed; probably a peaceful image simply meant to show how tranquil life can be and what means most to Alexander.

3. Why did Alexander set fire to the house? He'd made a pact to give up all of his things, but why destroy the house and deprive his family too?
-As good a question as why does Andrei in Nastalghia carry the candle across the pool. I see it as a sign of faith. He owed God what he proised. Why do this to his family, though? I think he must have thought that burning their house is a million times better than them and the whole world dying and humanity being wiped of the face of earth. Houses can be rebuilt, and as we see in the last shot, Little Man is alone by his tree again, which makes me think that the family still resides there, either they rebuilt their house or bought a new one. This is what to me makes the film genious, the amount of faith Alexander had to go through with his promise.

4. Were the ambulance men taking him away 'cause he was insane? If so, how did they get there so fast and why the Benny Hill chase?
- IMO, the family must have seen the house on firefrom far away, even before we see them running to Alexander. Otto and Maria are also around in this scene, so one of them could have called the meds. I don't think it matters that much though. The chase was prolly cuz Alexander was distressed by having to leave his family and knowing people would believe he was out of his mind from then on.

5. Why did the son start talking at the end? What had happened that would cause his silence to stop?
-At first i thought that the last few shots take place days or weeks after the house burning scene, but watching it again i see now that it is the continuation of it.. Maria follows, or rather cuts off the car which drives right by Little Man. So this makes me think that he didn't got the operation that the family was talking about in the begining. Plus the two sentences he does say, to me, are very profoud, and ends the film perfectly. The son gets his voice back right after the car drives by with his father, so it's kind of ironic. Alexander say to God that he will become a mute and give u everythign that binds him to this world.. perhaps because of this his son can talk. To me it's a very positive sign, kinda like God appreciating Alexander keeping his deal so he threw in something extra, giving his son voice again even without the surgery.

I just saw this film once, but as i was writing this i kept looking over certain scenes. To me this film is about faith, believing in somthing we can't see, and duh.. sacrifices, thinking not of ourselves but others, and appreciating what we do have.