Video / DVD review

I heard about Andrei Tarkovsky's masterpiece "Andrei Rublev" from my media studies teacher while still in high school. A few weeks later I had an opportunity to see it on the big screen and I remember then in spite of not been able to fully understand it's story line, my whole outlook on movies and art in general had turned upside down. It was really one of those rare life changing experiences. "Andrei Rublev" is a visually stunning, almost magical picture. Some of the scenes will stay with you forever. It is also a metaphorical, multi layered portrayal of Russia's greatest icon painter and actually medieval Russia itself. I can compare it only to pure poetry or perhaps, a Bruegel's painting showing a human condition rather than preaching or explaining it. And this picture has it all: envy, betrayal, grace, redemption, evil, bravery, misery and much more. One of the aspects of this movie that strikes me the most is Andrei's attitude towards his art. He is a gifted artist, almost a celebrity in his time but on the other hand he is so humble, almost too shy and completely true to his art; qualities so rare today where almost everything and everyone is commercialised and dehumanised. Throughout this movie which shows great part of his life, he confronts massive responsibility as an artist and someone for whom art is almost theological confession of faith. He was a men who refused to paint Hell because he thought that people suffer too much in this world. What they need is something to give them hope. He was also troubled with the reality of the world he had lived in; authorities who were no better than invading Tatars that were literally reaping Russia at his time. As a consequence he greatly straggled to keep his faith alive and strenght to continue his work. Later, he will find a new hope in life thanks to the most unlikely person, a boy called Borisha. A boy who is not afraid of putting his life on the line in order to make it better and practice another art, the art of bell making.
Finally, this movie is not everyone's cup of tea. It's long, black and white, a foreign language film with subtitles but if you just give it a go you may experience something really different and special.

By Damir Trupinić