Nostalgic 'Nostalghia'
Samodh THAVEESHA
The Russian masterpiece 'Nostalghia' - it is spelt both with and
without 'h' after 'g' in the Russian picture - by Andrei Tarkovsky as
suggested by its title is a film which considers over and above material
longings. It is another influential work of art which followed his other
masterpieces like 'Andrei Rublev', 'The Mirror', 'Stalker' and 'The
Sacrifice'. The movie had won the Grand Prix for Creative Filmmaking at
the Cannes Film Festival in 1983.
Set in rural picturesque Italy, Nostalghia, traces the research
process of a Russian poet, Andrei Gortchakov who believes 'Poetry is
untranslatable, like the whole art', in search of a Russian musical
composer who committed suicide living in Italy. Along with his beautiful
Italian interpreter Eugenia who tries to make him commit adultery,
Andrei carries on his research mission quite successfully until he comes
across Domenico, a seemingly insane retired professor who had once
locked his family in for seven years to save them from the evils of the
world.
This makes him indifferent to Eugenia and to her Italy. Eugenia is
provoked to remark: "you are the kind I would sleep with rather than
explain why I do not like it." though she finds him intolerable later
on. Domenico keeps company with Andrei and shows him the spiritual
realities of the world and connects him to the spiritual path of life.
Influenced by mystique, religious sites in Italy, Andrei begins to feel
a lot for his home country and for his wife and children at home back in
Russia beyond materialistic borders.
The professor then makes Andrei feel for the entire human race. The
movie ends with an extremely powerful unbroken sequence of 10-minute
duration where Andrei carries a lit candle from one side to the other
side of a pool, after two failures which he believes that will preserve
humanity from degradation, portraying his own and the entire humankind's
lifelong yearning for deep spiritual concerns.
Russia in 1970s and 80s was under communism where the country's
materialistic economic concerns were given the priority. The Russian
communist rulers were not much concerned of the man's spiritual needs.
Screened under such difficult circumstance, 'Nostalghia' spoke for the
Russians who were deprived of their spiritual rights and concerns. The
movie achieved much admiration from the audience in spite of the heavy
indictments placed on it by the Marxist intelligentsia. 'Nostalghia'
thus could be termed as a clarion call for the human kind's spiritual
requirements. The movie, in fact, is a powerful statement against the
contemporary Russians' and their spiritual and religious paralysis. It
shows life's deep concerns beyond materialistic worldly gain. Tarkovsky
vividly brings out this theme in a quite penetratingly distinctive
manner.
Nostalghia is very much powerful, subtle, metaphysical and insightful
in its content and portrayal of the collision of past and the present,
dream and reality and materialism and spirituality in existential angst.
It is full of dense and meditative texture of images and symbols.
Contrasting as well as harmonious symbols like fire, water, mist,
coldness and silence are skillfully intertwined to an enlightening
flawless whole.
Serious in content, 'Nostalghia' demands a lot from the discerning
audience. It is full of silent, meditative and slow-moving scenes that
will undoubtedly test your perception and intuition as well as
concentration and patience. Concentration is the key to understand
Tarkovsky's profound vision on life and humanity's faith and perennial
yearning for spiritual achievements-extending even beyond nostalgic
concerns.
Dear Artscope reader, I am sure 'Nostalghia' would enlighten you.
This will be another rich thought-provoking cinematic feast for your
scrutiny.
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