Andrei Rublev (film)

Andrei Rublev
File:1969 andrey rublev.jpg
Directed by	Andrei Tarkovsky
Written by	Andrei Konchalovsky Andrei Tarkovsky
Produced by	Tamara Ogorodnikova
Starring	Anatoli Solonitsyn Ivan Lapikov Nikolai Grinko Nikolai Sergeyev Nikolai Burlyayev Irma Raush
Cinematography	Vadim Yusov
Music by	Vyacheslav Ovchinnikov
Release date	December 24, 1971 (1971-12-24) (USSR)
Running time	205 min. (original version)
Country	USSR
Language	Russian

Andrei Rublev ([Андрей Рублёв, Andrey Rublyov] Error: {{Lang-xx}}: text has italic markup (help)), also known as The Passion According to Andrei, is a 1966 Russian film directed by Andrei Tarkovsky from a screenplay written by Andrei Konchalovsky and Andrei Tarkovsky. The film is loosely based on the life of Andrei Rublev, the great 15th century Russian icon painter. The film features Anatoly Solonitsyn, Nikolai Grinko, Ivan Lapikov, Nikolai Sergeyev, Nikolai Burlyayev and Tarkovsky's wife Irma Raush.

Andrei Rublev is set against the background of 15th century Russia. Although the film is only loosely based on the life of Andrei Rublev, its depiction of medivial Russia is realistic. Tarkovsky created a film that shows the artist as "a world-historic figure" and "Christianity as a an axiom of Russia’s historical identity" during a turbulent period of Russian history, that ultimately resulted in the Tsardom of Russia. The film is about the essence of art and the importance of faith and shows an artist, who tries to find the appropriate response to the tragedies of his time.

Because of the films's religious themes and political ambiguity, it was unreleased in the Soviet Union for years after it was completed, except for a single screening in Moscow. A cut version of the film was shown at the Cannes Film Festival in 1969, where it won the FIPRESCI prize. Only in 1971 the cut version of the film was released in the Soviet Union. The film was further cut upon release in the US in 1973. Because of this several versions of the film exist. Today Andrei Rublev is widely regarded as a masterpiece and one of Tarkovsky's best works.

Plot

Note: The following synopsis refers to original, 205 minutes version of the film.

Andrei Rublev is divided into seven chapters and a prologue and an epilogue only loosely related to the main film. The main film charts the life of the great icon painter through several episodes of his life. The background is 15th century Russia, a turbulent period characterized by fighting between rival princes and the Tatar invasions.

The film's prologue shows the preparations for a hot air ballon ride. The ballon takes off with a man in the gondola. The man is highly delighted by the sight from the air, but can not prevent a crash landing.

The Jester, Summer 1400: Danil (Nikolai Grinko), Andrei (Anatoly Solonitsyn) and Kirill (Ivan Lapikov) are wandering monks, looking for work. They have just left the Andronikov Monastery, where they have lived many years. During a heavy rain they seek shelter in a barn, where a group of villagers is entertained by a jester. After same time the jester is picked up and brutally treated by a group of strangers.

Theopanes the Greek, Summer-Winter-Spring-Summer 1405-1406: Kirill meets Theophanes the Greek (Nikolai Sergeyev), who has been commissioned to decorate the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Moscow. He asks Kirill to assist him, but later sends a messenger to Andrei to offer Andrei the same job. Kirill realizes that he will not work for Theopanes and leaves the religious community in great anger.

The Holiday, 1408: During a nightly walk Andrei encounters a group of naked pagans, whose celebration implies sensuality and lust. Andrei feels attracted by the rituals, he witness. He is caught by the pagans and tied to a cross. A woman, only dressed with a mantle, frees his him.

The Last Judgement, Summer 1408: Andrei is working on the decoration of a church. Over months work is not progressing, as Andrei is doubting himself. He comes to the conclusion that he has lost the ease of mind, that an artist needs for his work.

The Raid, Autumn 1408: The invasion of Vladimir by the Tartars and the resulting carnage is shown in great detail. One famous scene shows a horse falling from a flight of stairs and being stabbed by a spear. Another famous scene shows a cow set on fire. Andrei prevents the rape of Durochka (Irma Raush), a Yurodivy, by slaying the perpetrator. Shaken by this event Andrei falls into self-doubt and decides to give up painting and takes a vow of silence.

The Charity, Winter 1412: Andrei is once again at the Andronikov Monastery. He neither paints nor speaks and keeps Durochka with him. After several years of absence Kirill shows up at the monastery and asks to be taken in. The father superior allows him to return, but requires him to copy the scriptures fifteen times. One day Tatars stop at the monastery while traveling through. One of the Tatars takes Durochka away as his eigth wife.

The Bell, Spring-Summer-Winter-Spring 1423-1424: Andrei's life turns around when he witnesses the casting of a bell. As the bellmaker has died, his son Boriska (Nikolai Burlyayev) lies to the men that he knows the secret of casting a bell. He supervises the digging of the pit, the selection of the clay, the building of the mold, the firing of the furnaces and the hoisting of the bell. Boriska collapses in tears when the bell rings perfectly at the inauguration ceremony. Witnessing the ceremony Andrei breaks his vow of silence and tells the boy that they should go together. "You’ll cast bells. I’ll paint icons."

The epilogue is the only part of the film in color and shows details of several of Andrei Rublev's icons.

Characters

No less than eight characters are artists who have different approaches to self-expression and creativity.

• Andrei Rublev – also the observer and “everyman” – humanistic, passionate, searches for the good in people, wants to inspire, not frighten. Interested in perceiving all aspects of existence.
• Daniil Chyorny – withdrawn, resigned, not as bent on creativity as self-realization/path to enlightenment. Eventually disappears.
• Kirill – Lacks talent, yet strives to achieve prominence. Jealous, self-righteous, very intelligent and perceptive.
• Feofan Grek – An established master, cynical, disillusioned, regards art as more of a craft/chore.
• Boriska – son of the bell-caster. He is aware of both his own importance and the difficult task at hand. Arrogant and persuasive yet humble and insecure. Is able to create through a combination of natural skill and pure faith.
• Serega – Andrei's apprentice. A practical-minded “commercial” artist with no internal dilemmas, but contemplative enough to get along with Andrei.
• The Balloonist – a daring escapist, literally and figuratively.
• Skomorokh – a bitterly sarcastic “enemy of the state”, who, along with his scathing/obscene social commentary/criticism is just earning a living.

Historical accuracy

Andrei Rublev was not intended to be directly biographical; little is known about Andrei Rublev and several historical facts were changed for the movie. Andrei is rather an observer who looks on upon the events in the movie, especially evident in the sequences centered on the casting of the bell towards the end of the movie, where Andrei plays the role of observer and is not central to the scenes.

Details of everyday medieval life are conveyed mainly through naturalistic and lyrical images, not exposition. The film is well-researched not in terms of specific events but in terms of general lifestyle and customs.

Appropriately for a medieval setting, religion takes center stage, and references to the Bible abound, as it was the primary text known to the population. There is a complex outlook on Christianity and the Church - both positive and negative aspects are perceived by the characters and discussed.

The spoken language is natural, not artificial or “scripted” – it is crude and primitive. Although not ancient Russian, it is mostly authentic (some of the words, however, are anachronistic and have European roots: “interesno”, “forma”, “sekret”).

All foreign languages (Mongol, Italian) are spoken in the original. Tarkovsky’s love of the Renaissance and Italy gets a tongue-in-cheek reference with the presence of “Italian Ambassadors” in the climactic scene.

Cinematic techniques

Many varied shots, including overhead crane shots are used. Long, fluid takes are favored over quick cuts. Fantasy sequences (of two different characters) and flashbacks are also used. Sequences are extended to allow viewer reflection.

Much of the cinematography is directly influenced by Akira Kurosawa, including the importance of the weather, shots of water, and composition. Slow motion, which was still very rare in cinema (to be famously utilized by Peckinpah a few years later), is also borrowed from Kurosawa.

There are many allusions to medieval and early renaissance painting, especially Brueghel – landscapes with peasants, the Calvary procession, composition of the crowd scenes, depiction of atrocities, etc.

The music score consists of mostly low-key, choral vocalizing and gains presence only during the final color sequence.

Alternate versions

Because of the movie's religious themes and political ambiguity, it was unreleased in the Soviet Union for years after it was completed. Initially, it was completed in 1966 in a 205 minute version, but was not "officially" released until 1971, with about 20 minutes of material cut. Because of this, there are several different versions, of varying lengths.

Some sources say that Tarkovsky, who was adamant about getting his films seen the way he wanted to, endorsed the cut of 20 minutes. This was the version that played in the USSR and Western Europe for many years. When it reached the U.S., it was cut by another 40 minutes, making it an incoherent mess in the eyes of many frustrated critics.

The Criterion Collection DVD is known as the director's cut. It is the original, 205 minute version. The editor, Lyudmila Feiginova, supposedly kept a print of this version under her bed. It is the longest cut available on DVD and is generally accepted as the director's cut, although some still dispute this.

Controversy

Several scenes within the film depict animal cruelty, but only one featured real physical harm to an animal, in the scene when a horse falls from a flight of stairs and is then stabbed by a spear. To produce the scene, the horse was shot in the neck before hand and once more afterwards in the head. This was done to avoid potentially harming a stunt horse—the horse was brought in from a slaughterhouse, killed on set, and then returned to the slaughterhouse for commercial consumption.

In a 1967 interview for Literaturnoe obozrenie, interviewer Aleksandr Lipkov noted, "the cruelty in the film is shown precisely to shock and stun the viewers. And this may even repel them." Tarkovsky responded: "No, I don't agree. This does not hinder viewer perception. Moreover we did all this quite sensitively. I can name films that show much more cruel things, compared to which ours looks quite modest."[1]

In the scene of the Tatar raid, there is a sequence of a cow set on fire. The cow actually had an asbestos-covered coat and was not harmed during the scene.

Gallery

• VHS cover
  VHS cover
• 
  A peasant flies a hot-air balloon, in the opening scene of Andrei Rublev

See also

• Middle Ages in film

Books

• Robert Bird (2004). Andrei Rublev. (London: BFI Publishing). ISBN 1-84457-038-X Review by Violetta Petrova

External links

• Andrey Rublyov at IMDb
• Template:Senses
• Criterion Collection essay by Jim Hoberman