![]() ![]() Whether the film reflects the search for freedom in the Soviet Union, the potentials of cinema, feelings of inferiority, the bleak sides the human soul, its story is vague enough to warrant a number of possible interpretations. Stalker openly showcases Tarkovsky’s remarkable talent as director - but unearthing the actual content and overarching films of the film is difficult. With his eerie sound design, reliance on long takes, and languid pace, Tarkovsky creates an enriching, tense, and contemplative atmosphere. The Zone appears familiar yet distanced and eerie, and we begin to search for meaning within the enigmatic landscape - just like Stalker, Writer, and Professor. After an indecipherable passage of time, the men enter the Zone the filter transitions from sepia to vivid color, which invites us to feel the same wonder as the characters. Filmed in sepia, the sequence consists of a number of tracking shots on Stalker, Writer, and Professor’s faces, and the “clank” noise of the cart eventually forefronts an ambient and sparse score. ![]() In one of the most sublime moments of the film, the three men transport on a trolley into the Zone. The Zone entails dilapidated houses, overgrown flora, ponds, trees, and a dog, but its vivid appearance still unnerves us. Instead of presenting the Zone as a visually imposing, alien world, Tarkovsky firmly places us in an uncannily recognizable landscape. Like most of the films on this list, Stalker and Solaris deviate from common sci-fi tropes, especially Stalker. Why Watch? Stalker and Solaris, often hailed as the Soviet Union’s answer to 2001, remain two of Tarkovsky’s most revered films. While in the Zone, the three men search for “Room,” where a traveller’s innermost desires become fulfilled. The Scoop: The Stalker (Alexander Kaidanovsky) illegally guides the cynical Writer (Anatoly Solonitsyn) and rational Professor (Nikolai Grinko) through the Zone, a mysterious, dangerous, and restricted site where the normal laws of nature do not apply. The following non-exhaustive list is comprised of 10 films that capture the allure and richness of the subgenre. The stunning and innovative arthouse sci-fi subgenre illustrates how sci-fi doesn’t have to depend on scientific and rational explanations, CGI, and common storytelling structures to render otherworldly, captivating films. I intend to highlight films which haven’t penetrated the mainstream consciousness like 2001 or Blade Runner - or any major sci-fi blockbuster - but nonetheless exemplify the more bizarre and resonate dimensions of sci-fi. Regardless of their status as arthouse or conventional Hollywood films, the films occupy a ubiquitous place in pop culture. Blade Runner, meanwhile, explores existentialist themes. 2001 rejects a digestible, linear narrative, deploys abstract imagery, and exerts ambiguous metaphors. To some, beloved films like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Blade Runner constitute arthouse sci-fi, even with their massive budgets and wide releases. More critically, they juxtapose these normative conceptions of sci-fi with philosophical themes, enigmatic plots, and a slow pace. Andrei Tarkovsky, Lars von Trier, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, and others incorporate common sci-fi tropes like dystopian settings, virtual reality, mutations, and time travel into their films. Arthouse sci-fi films don’t generate the same level of modern and public recognition as, say, The Matrix, but they illuminate sci-fi’s transcending of its own conventions and entrance into the realm of experimental film. I love these sci-fi works in all of their decadence, campy dialogue, and visual excess, but it’s important to note the existence of an entire sci-fi subgenre - arthouse sci-fi. These charming canonical works captivate us they remain valuable artifacts of film history they have inspired countless of filmmakers to make equally entertaining and ambitious movies. We often associate science fiction with crowd-pleasing Hollywood blockbusters like Star Wars, ET, Inception, and Alien - big-budgeted films with gripping characters, a breathless pace, jam-packed action, and extravagant special effects. Some are made on a budget of 160 million dollars, others $7000. ![]() Some celebrate scientific and technological breakthroughs, others offer a nihilistic worldview on mankind. Some sci-fi works feature time travel, others dystopian settings. The genre comprises of hundreds - if not thousands - of films, which vary in style, themes, and scope. Over the years, sci-fi has become one of cinema’s most nebulous terms. ![]()
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