Solaris (1972)

Last updated:
July 27, 2025

Andrei Tarkovsky’s Solaris is a contemplative, philosophical science fiction film based on the novel by Polish author Stanisław Lem. Unlike conventional space operas, this 1972 Soviet classic focuses more on the inner landscapes of the human mind than the outer reaches of the universe. It’s an exploration of memory, grief, and the limits of human understanding—all unfolding in the eerie, isolated setting of a space station orbiting a sentient planet.

Table of Contents

Detailed Summary

Prologue: Earth and Emotional Baggage

The film begins not in space but on Earth, in a quiet, dreamlike countryside. Psychologist Kris Kelvin is preparing to travel to a space station orbiting the mysterious planet Solaris, where scientists have been conducting long-term research. Before he leaves, Kris has a melancholy conversation with his father and watches a video of a former cosmonaut, Burton, who warns about disturbing, unexplained phenomena experienced near Solaris. These phenomena hint at the planet’s ability to influence human consciousness.

This Earth-bound introduction sets a deliberately slow pace and reflects Tarkovsky’s focus on character introspection rather than cosmic spectacle.

Arrival at the Space Station

When Kris arrives at the Solaris space station, he finds it in a state of disrepair and psychological disarray. One scientist has committed suicide, and the other two, Snaut and Sartorius, are paranoid, secretive, and visibly disturbed. The atmosphere is claustrophobic and sterile, with barely any human warmth.

Kris soon discovers that the planet is creating physical manifestations of the crew’s inner thoughts and memories. These “visitors” appear to be human but are actually constructs formed by Solaris’s mysterious ocean-like consciousness.

The Appearance of Hari

Kris’s own grief becomes literalized when Hari, his dead wife, appears on the station. She has no memory of her suicide on Earth and behaves as a confused but increasingly self-aware entity. At first, Kris tries to get rid of her—jettisoning her into space—but she reappears, undeterred, a symbol of how we cannot escape our past trauma.

This new version of Hari is not a ghost but a living, breathing replica, created from Kris’s memories. As she begins to realize what she is and where she came from, she experiences anguish and an existential crisis. Kris, tormented by guilt and longing, begins to fall in love with this version of Hari, blurring the line between reality and illusion.

The Philosophical Dilemma

Snaut and Sartorius debate whether the Solaris ocean is intelligent and, if so, whether it is trying to communicate. Instead of answering human questions, Solaris seems to reflect them back through deeply personal, often painful experiences. Sartorius argues that these “guests” are dangerous and inhuman, while Snaut sees them as an opportunity for deeper understanding.

The film poses significant questions: Is Solaris a god-like being? Is it morally responsible? Is it offering understanding, or is it playing a cruel trick? More importantly: can we ever truly understand something completely alien?

Movie Ending

As the station’s crew attempts to “neutrino-bomb” the planet’s surface to force a reaction from Solaris, Kris becomes more emotionally attached to the recreated Hari. But Hari, recognizing that she’s merely a projection of Kris’s grief, decides to sacrifice herself. She collaborates with the scientists to use the same technology that created her to disintegrate herself permanently.

After Hari’s disappearance, Kris is left alone with his thoughts and the moral weight of his experience. He considers returning to Earth but remains on the station.

In the final scenes, Kris appears to have returned to Earth. He finds himself back at his father’s country house, in the same setting as the beginning. However, subtle details reveal that this isn’t reality. It begins to rain indoors, and Kris falls to his knees before his father. The camera pulls away to reveal that he is not on Earth, but on an island created by Solaris—an imitation of Earth born from his memories and desires.

The ending is deliberately ambiguous: has Kris surrendered to illusion? Is this a form of reconciliation or a tragic denial of reality? Tarkovsky leaves it open to interpretation, emphasizing the limits of human perception and the tragic beauty of emotional truth over empirical fact.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

No, Solaris (1972) does not contain any post-credits scenes. The film ends with a lingering, haunting shot that echoes its themes of memory, perception, and emotional truth. As a product of its time and artistic context, it avoids modern cinematic conventions like mid- or post-credit stingers.

Type of Movie

Solaris is a philosophical science fiction drama. It deals with metaphysical and emotional issues rather than space battles or technological spectacle. If 2001: A Space Odyssey asked “What is humanity’s place in the universe?”, then Solaris asks “What happens when the universe looks back?”

Cast

Donatas Banionis as Kris Kelvin
Natalya Bondarchuk as Hari
Jüri Järvet as Dr. Snaut
Anatoly Solonitsyn as Dr. Sartorius
Vladislav Dvorzhetsky as Henri Burton
Nikolai Grinko as Kris’s father

Film Music and Composer

The film’s haunting and meditative score was composed by Eduard Artemyev, one of the pioneers of electronic music in Soviet cinema. The soundtrack blends classical and synthesized sounds, with notable use of J.S. Bach’s chorale prelude “Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ,” reinforcing the spiritual and introspective tone of the film.

Filming Locations

Mosfilm Studios, Moscow, USSR – used for the space station interiors.
Zvenigorod and Ryazan Oblast, Russia – used for Earth scenes, particularly the countryside around Kris’s father’s house.
Tokyo, Japan – brief shots of the city used to depict the futuristic Earth.

The choice of earthly, natural locations for the Earth sequences was meant to contrast with the sterile artificiality of the space station, reinforcing the emotional and thematic split between reality and simulation.

Awards and Nominations

Grand Prix Special Jury Prize – 1972 Cannes Film Festival
FIPRESCI Prize – Cannes Film Festival
Nominated for Palme d’Or at Cannes
Frequently listed in top 100 “Greatest Films of All Time” lists by Sight & Sound, Cahiers du Cinéma, and others.

Behind the Scenes Insights

Tarkovsky was skeptical of Stanisław Lem’s emphasis on hard science fiction. He wanted to create a “response to 2001: A Space Odyssey” that prioritized human emotion and spiritual questions over technology.
The lead actress, Natalya Bondarchuk, went through intense emotional preparation for the role of Hari. She later said the role left a lasting psychological impact.
The production used real locations in Japan to depict futuristic Earth, rather than building sets, due to budget limitations and to reflect realism.
Tarkovsky often clashed with Soviet authorities but was allowed relative freedom on Solaris due to the international prestige it was expected to bring.

Inspirations and References

Based on the 1961 novel Solaris by Stanisław Lem.
Lem’s book was more focused on epistemology and the limits of scientific inquiry. Tarkovsky stripped away much of the “alien science” to focus on emotional and existential themes.
Influenced by Fyodor Dostoevsky, Carl Jung, and Christian mysticism.
Referenced by many later films, including Interstellar and Annihilation.

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

Tarkovsky did not shoot alternate endings, but there were scenes trimmed from early cuts that featured more psychological dialogue between Snaut and Sartorius. One reportedly featured a more direct confrontation with Solaris’s intentions, but it was removed to maintain ambiguity.

Book Adaptations and Differences

Lem’s Solaris was more of a scientific-philosophical treatise exploring the impossibility of understanding truly alien life.
Tarkovsky was critical of the book’s intellectualism and wanted to ground the story in emotional and moral territory.
The character of Hari is less prominent in the book but becomes the emotional core of the film.
Lem disliked Tarkovsky’s adaptation, calling it “romantic psychodrama in space”—which, to be fair, is exactly what it is.

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

Kris discovering Hari for the first time in his room.
The moment Kris burns Hari’s first body in the rocket.
Hari’s breakdown upon learning she is not real.
The final sequence revealing that Kris never really left Solaris.

Iconic Quotes

Snaut: “We don’t want other worlds. We want a mirror.”
Kris: “What is essential is invisible to the eye. We are not searching for truth—we are searching for peace.”
Sartorius: “Man needs man!”

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

The book Kris reads on the space station is Don Quixote, a subtle nod to the film’s themes of illusion and idealism.
Solaris’s ocean has no musical score during scenes depicting it, emphasizing its otherworldly nature.
The use of reflections—mirrors, glass, and water—throughout the film reinforces the idea of self-confrontation.

Trivia

The film runs 166 minutes, making it one of the longest science fiction films of its era.
Tarkovsky’s father, Arseny Tarkovsky, was a poet, and some of his poems appear in the film.
Lem was offered to co-write the script but declined when Tarkovsky insisted on making major changes.
Despite its slow pace, the film was a massive box office hit in the USSR.

Why Watch?

Solaris isn’t your typical sci-fi film. It’s an introspective, poetic meditation on love, memory, guilt, and the unknowable nature of existence. It’s ideal for those who enjoy philosophical cinema, and for viewers tired of space being reduced to laser battles and time loops. It’s a film that asks: what if the real alien is your own unresolved past?

Director’s Other Movies

Andrei Rublev (1966)
Stalker (1979)
Mirror (1975)
The Sacrifice (1986)
Ivan’s Childhood (1962)

Solaris (1972)