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ANDREI RUBLEV
Directed by Andrei Tarkovksy
Warning: there are spoilers in this review
Tarkovsky’s ANDREI RUBLEV begins with a sequence that has nothing to do with the film’s plot, and does not introduce any of the characters who will appear later. At first glance, this scene may seem pointless, but what it does is reflect what will happen later in the film, and introduce the film’s theme. In this scene, a man who is being chased by a mob for unexplained reasons takes off in a primitive hot-air balloon. For a few minutes, the man soars over the land, where a group of horses are running free, and shouts for joy. Eventually the hot air runs out, and the man and his balloon come crashing down to earth. Tarkovsky’s camera then cuts to a shot of a horse who was knocked down by the balloon. It rolls over, gets up, and runs away.
The rest of the film tells the story of icon painter Andrei Rublev in medieval Russia. But this is not a character study, nor is it an accurate portrayal of the real Andrei Rublev. This mostly fictional story of the icon painter is told in two parts ("The Passion According to Andrei" Parts I and II), which are each divided into episodes.
The film does an excellent job of portraying the character of Andrei Rublev. In Part I of the film, most of the time is spent with Andrei, following him and watching his actions. In Part II, the film focuses more on the events Andrei witnesses. Since we see what Andrei sees, and experience what he experiences, we are put in his place, which serves greatly to develop his character. And by the time the film ends, Andrei is one of the most well-developed characters in film history.
In Andrei’s plight, it comes to pass that he kills a man. The guilt of this weighs so heavily on him that he vows to take a vow of silence as a penance for his sin. Along with this vow of silence, he stops painting. He feels that he has nothing to say to the world. At the film’s finale, Andrei breaks his silence. He had just witnessed a young man undertake the task of making a bell for a prince, which many thought he would not accomplish. When the bell is completed, it rings, and all the people involved celebrate. All of them, that is, except for the young man in charge of making the bell. He has broken down crying because, although he claimed that his father, a bell-maker, had told him the secret of bell-making, he had not. Andrei breaks his silence to console the crying young man, and decided to paint icons again. Rublev sees the effect that art has on people, how it gives them hope, and he realizes that he does have something to say with his paintings. The bell symbolizes the hope of the people.
It is at the finale of the film where we see how the opening sequence mirrors the rest of the film. Throughout RUBLEV, horses are seen everywhere. They are used to reflect Andrei’s feelings. When he is happy and feels like he has a purpose, the horses are shown running free. When he feels that he has no purpose and nothing to say, the horses are shown as captives, working for people. So when the man in the hot-air balloon sees the horses running free, it shows that he is free as he soars over the land. When he crashes, we see a horse get knocked down and roll over. The fact that the horse gets back up and runs free again reflects on Andrei. Although he feels that he no longer has anything to say to anyone, he eventually gets up and does have something to say. He does have a purpose. That is the theme of the film: Although at times we feel that we have no purpose, have nothing to say, and will mean nothing after our deaths, our hope, the hope of humanity, lives on.
ANDREI RUBLEV spoke to me so much. At times in my life, I have felt that I have no purpose, and I know that there will be times like that in the future. But what this film told me, what it spoke so loudly and clearly to me, is that I do have a purpose. My life, and everyone’s life, means something. And that is a very comforting thought.
My Rating: Masterpiece
Review by Jared Mills
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