An Introduction to Watching
TARKOVSKY’S ANDREI RUBLEV
These notes are to help prepare you for a film that you’ll enjoy much more with a little context.
Filmed in Russia in 1966 the Soviet government censored the film. The censors were not able to understand much of it, other than that it was about an artist living in a time of political repression. The film finally appeared at the Cannes Film Festival in 1969, and several versions were released around the world in the early 1970’s cementing Tarkovsky’s reputation as one of the greatest Russian directors.
Andrei Rublev is one of the most realistic portrayals of the Middle Ages we have. The film takes place in the early 1400’s—a period we associate with the Renaissance in Europe. However, while Europe blossoms, Russia is still bogged down under the feudal system. This means hundreds of petty Princes living of the toil of serfs, their unfortunate subjects. The Princes in turn had to pay off the Mongols (in Andrei Rublev referred to as Tartars) who invaded from the south (China) and held power in Russia for some 200 years.
The stresses of hunger and disease dominated this period. Suffering the most were the serfs (peasants), who made up the vast majority of the population. They worked from childhood till death with little if any relief.
The main escape from these conditions lay in the monasteries of the Orthodox Church, but the church was poor as well. The pagan religions still held sway in the countryside and the church was continually looking for pagan heretics to punish brutally.
The religious Icon is a major image in Andrei Rublev. Icons were small paintings of the Virgin Mary, Christ, saints, angels, etc. which were believed to be the “living word of God” and were treated this way by a majority of the peasants. Painting them was one of the few ways an artist could survive at the time. Andrei was a painter of Icons, and one of the few who gained legendary status. That said, this film can’t be taken as a true biography as there is almost nothing known about the artist beyond the works he left behind. It is a meticulous portrait of an age and a profound reflection on the journey a great artist takes that helps him persevere and endure.
Bells are another important image in this film. The larger towns were generally dominated by a single church and if the town was rich enough, it’s towers held a bell. The power of this bell as a symbol cannot be overestimated. Bells stood between the people and the sky, and summoned them to God. The making of a bell was a complex and expensive affair, filled with danger. During the process of firing the metal in a clay mold, many things could go wrong, causing the bell to crack. If this happened, the bell makers could be put to death.
Another great film artist had this to say about Andrei Tarkovsky, the film’s director:
Suddenly I found myself standing at the door of a room, the keys to which, until now, had never been given to me. It was a room I had always wanted to enter and where he was moving freely and fully at ease. Tarkovsky is for me is the greatest, the one who invented a new language, true to the nature of film, as it captures life as a reflection, life as a dream. — Ingmar Bergman
The imagery and ideas in this film are extremely dense and it can be disorienting for viewers unaccustomed to reading imagery, or visual motifs. As Bergman notes, it is the masterful way that Tarkovsky uses imagery in new ways to reveal his subject matter. You want to be on the lookout for this new way of telling a story and constantly pulls the viewer into a new way of seeing.
Andrei Rublev has a rather unusual form. It’s episodes are divided into sections—each with a title. This gives the film a more formal feel, and can help you organize your memories of the film. This episodic format is similar to that of La Dolce Vita, a film by Federico Fellini, which Tarkovsky admired.
The film’s prologue introduces the subject of alchemy. Alchemists were the scientists of the middle ages, and searching for a method to turn base metals into gold. They believed four elements made up the world: earth, air, fire and water. Tarkovsky uses these elements to form visual motifs that reappear throughout the film, motifs that remind the viewer of the natural world. These motifs include:
• MILK (a nourishing element)
• HORSES and BIRDS (once free animals now domesticated)
• DOORS and ROADS (always leading the hero on to new discoveries and revelations)
It’s important to keep in mind, that this film’s “language” is not so much what people say or talk about, but about the way the images pile up, creating a context the viewer can interpret the plot through.
Here’s a brief description of the sections of the film, that might help you understand what the subject matter of each section is.
1. PROLOGUE: FLYING serves as an overture to the work, a visual portrait of an artistic experience—its passion and its danger. A group of men prepare a hot-air balloon to fly—they defy superstition, and are obviously visionaries. The townsfolk view the balloon as witchcraft and a struggle ensues. As the balloon ascends, it captures the overview, expanse and breath of experiencing great art but also illustrates the sacrifice that might be required to create it. The world of earth, air, fire and water is breathtakingly evoked. It ends with the enigmatic image of a horse, that lifts up as if it is resurrected. That idea of transformation figures very heavily in the film.
2. THE JESTER – Summer 1400: We meet a traveling jester—the portrait of the artist as entertainer (and a heretic because he is pagan). Through him we and introduced to the medieval world: the world of peasants, the monastery, Christianity vs. paganism. We also see the joy and artist can bring. Someone has reported the mime, however, and he is carted off by the religious policemen to his fate.
3. THEOPHANES the GREEK – 1405-1406: Rublev bids goodbye to his mentor and strikes out on his own with his assistants. This is what all artists must do to develop their own style. One of his friends is jealous and resentful that he wasn’t selected.
4. THE PAGEANT: On his journey to his first job, Rublev observes scenes that will inspire his painting—a village pageant of the crucifixion. It’s shocking how cruel it is, and how willingly the peasants take part in it. Note the beautiful white horse. What might it symbolize here?
5. THE HOLIDAY – 1408 MIDSUMMER’S NIGHT - St. JOHN’S EVE: The artist’s introduction to the sensual world. Midsummer’s night was pagan ritual where the young joyfully gave up their virginity. They are hunted down by Christian soldiers of the church in the morning after. Note how the woman swimming away from the scene, stays absolutely in place.
6. THE LAST JUDGMENT – 1408: Rublev’s first big job—he revolts against authority and learns about treachery and betrayal.
7. THE RAID – 1408: The horror of the world descends upon Rublev. A jealous prince attacks his own brother’s town and destroys it. Rublev, in defense, kills a man. This is one of the most skillful but upsetting scenes in the film. The men on the roof of the Cathedral are trying to find the gold they think has been hidden. Instead they peel the gold sections of the roof off.
8. THE CHARITY – Winter 1412: Because he believes he has utterly sinned Rublev vows silence and renounces art. A half-wit girl he saved is carried off by the Tartars. He meets a fellow artist, who has also has lost faith in himself.
9. THE BELL – 1423-1424: After a long period of wandering, Rublev observes a budding artist who comes into his own through enormous faith in himself - courage, chance-taking, hard work and a great deal of luck (many of the virtues needed for ambitious artistic undertakings). The young man has taken on the job of creating a bell for a cathedral. Through this remarkable sequence, one of the most beautiful in film, Rublev regains his faith in himself, and begins to produce his finest work.
10. CODA – The black and white film now fades into color, and we finally see Rublev’s actual work. All the scenes in the film are represented here, and it becomes apparent that Tarkovsky has created his film from the images Rublev painted.
The film includes action filled battle scene, lots of conflict and beautiful dreamlike moments. There are also a number of philosophical arguments – about time, integrity, art and the importance of faith—in each other and ourselves—and the artists place in the world. These discussions reflect the contemplative nature of Rublev and his teachers (not to mention Tarkovsky himself). These need a bit of patience, as many of you have never experienced these type of scenes in contemporary films.
Tarkovsky, when asked, denied he was interested in any kind of symbolism in his films. He felt that symbols delivered messages and he wanted his films to speak directly to his audience without a specific message.
Rublev is extraordinary in many ways: for its overall vision, for the skill with which its scenes are orchestrated, for the masterful use of imagery and visual themes, for its detailed and realistic evocation of life in the middle ages, and for its profound depiction of the stages of development in an artist’s life.
Ronald Chase
Director, San Francisco Art & Film
2001, revised 2009