Though it didn’t make our list of the best sci-fi movies of all time, there is a contingent of people who consider Andrei Tarkovsky’s film, Stalker, to be one of the greatest sci-fi movies ever made.
Now, I understand why it didn’t make our list. Because Stalker, which came out in 1979 during the Soviet Union, doesn’t contain any cool opening moments like Terminator 2: Judgment Day, nor does it have characters swinging around lightsabers like in the Star Wars movies.
Instead, it's a deeply philosophical movie that is devoid of any bells and whistles or flourishes, and…I kind of love it for that reason. Here’s why.
Stalker Is A Sci-Fi Movie By Ideas Alone
I’m going to be honest with you. Stalker is one of the strangest sci-fi movies I’ve ever seen, and mostly because I wouldn’t even consider it to be a sci-fi movie at all. I mean, it definitely is, as the plot concerns three men journeying into a mysterious place called “the Zone,” with the attempts of entering a room where all of their desires could come true. But…everything else about the movie (besides the fascinating ending) doesn’t really feel sci-fi at all.
For example, the Zone itself, which colorizes this initially sepia-toned film, isn’t really impressive in the slightest. In fact, it looks like a nuclear waste site (And partially was, which is possibly why the director, his wife, and some cast members died untimely deaths not too long after filming this movie). The three main characters make their way throughout the Zone meticulously, and spend a majority of the time waxing philosophical about everything from the meaning of life to the meaninglessness of life. So, obviously, it’s not a crowd-pleasing film.
In fact, at 161 minutes long, it took me two nights to watch in its entirety. I watched one of Denis Villeneuve’s best movies, Dune: Part 2, in one sitting – and that’s 166 minutes long – but it also wasn’t as mentally taxing as Stalker, which really asks a lot of its viewer, both in terms of concepts, but also in regards to patience (in true Tarkovsky fashion, there are literal minutes where characters are just walking around and not saying anything).
In any case, it definitely feels like a journey, but more so of the mind rather than toward the stars. And, you know what? I really dig it for that reason.
That Said, I Would Have Hated This Movie As A Teenager
This is a truly grown-up movie, and I say that as the deepest compliment. While I adored mature films like one of the greatest war movies, Apocalypse Now, back in high school, I mostly stuck to fun horror films, like all of the Friday the 13th movies. So, 8½, and L’Avventura (Or any black and white films, for that matter) I definitely wasn’t watching back in high school.
However, every now and then, I’d be adventurous and try a “classic” movie like Lawrence of Arabia, or Mutiny on the Bounty, and…well, I’d hate it! “Why is this soooo slow?” I’d ask the ceiling, and deeply regret that I even bothered watching it in the first place. I know for a fact that I’d feel that way about Stalker if I had watched it at a younger age. I mean, hell, I watched Tarkovsky’s movie, Mirror, as an adult, and I was extremely bored.
That said, I really adored Stalker as an adult. It gets into discussions of morality, and even the aggressive ennui that can be existence. It’s a film that its director likely never intended to be a commercial work of cinema, and it’s bold and brilliant for that reason. I really appreciate (and maybe even love) this movie today, but I know I would have HATED it as a teenager.
The Visuals And Sounds Really Resonate With Me, Despite Being So Sparse
I also really appreciate the overall look and sounds of this film. At times, I didn’t even realize that there was any music at all, but that’s only because it’s interlaced so well, that you kind of get lost in it, which is very impressive, to say the very least.
But, I want to talk about the visuals again, because even though it doesn’t really resemble any other sci-fi movie that I’ve ever seen, it’s still incredibly distinct and unique. With cinematography by Aleksandr Knyazhinsky, the film pulls a The Wizard of Oz, by being sepia toned in the beginning, but then turning into full color once our characters get into the Zone.
Now, the colors really aren’t anything special, as they’re mostly dark blues and bright greens, but the shock of seeing the color change sticks with you for pretty much the entire movie, especially since the colors sometimes go back to being sepia toned throughout the film.
And, this really resonated with me, as it made the Zone feel both beautiful, but also alien in nature, which makes sense, since the Room, which is somewhere within the Zone, might possibly be an alien artifact (it’s not entirely clear, nor does it really matter given the story at hand).
There’s also the famous scene with the lumpy sand dunes, known as “The Meat Grinder” in the film. Though there doesn’t really seem to be anything dangerous about the aforementioned “Meat Grinder,” the odd visuals make your imagination go wild, and I think that only works due to the subtle, but inventive, visuals and sound in this film, sparse as they both are.
Though It's Really Long, The Slow Pacing Works
I mentioned earlier how I didn’t like Mirror, but a big reason for that is due to its glacial pacing. Stalker is no different, as the movie takes its time at any chance it gets.
However, while I felt I couldn’t take the long, slow cuts of Mirror, I found them deeply engaging here. It might be because I truly didn’t know what was going to happen next, and the slow pacing added to the overall sense of dread that I was getting all throughout the film.
Now, I’m not sure if the slow pacing would work if I ever decided to watch it again, but I think it might, since I would appreciate the movie for a different reason rather than just the general unease that I got from the first viewing. I mean, I haven’t stopped thinking about the film ever since I watched it, so I’m pretty sure that I would find a ton of other stuff to admire if I ever watched it again.
Ultimately, I Agree That It Truly Is One Of The Greatest Sci-Fi Films Ever Made, But I Wouldn't Recommend It To Most People
Lastly, I agree with the people who call this one of the best sci-fi films of all time, though I definitely wouldn’t recommend this film to everybody.
That’s because the movie is wholly unsatisfying by the end. I’m not going to spoil the conclusion, but you might come out of it thinking, “Really? That’s it?” But, here’s the thing. I didn’t have that feeling, even though I know I probably would have if I had watched it in one night. Because this is one of those, "it’s not the destination, it’s the journey" kind of movies, and I know there are quite a few people who don’t vibe with that sort of thing.
And, that’s fine! Stalker truly is a great movie (a superb sci-fi movie, at that), but not every great movie is for everyone, and that’s okay, too.
But, what do you think? Have you also seen Stalker? And, if not, are you now interested in watching it? For more news on upcoming sci-fi movies, be sure to swing by here often.
