Stalker (1979)

Detailed Summary

Introduction to the Zone

The film opens in a dystopian, unnamed city, where a “Stalker” (Alexander Kaidanovsky) — a guide who leads people into the mysterious “Zone” — prepares for his next trip. The Zone is an alien, forbidden area that is heavily guarded by the authorities. The Stalker’s clients this time are the Writer (Anatoly Solonitsyn), who seeks inspiration, and the Professor (Nikolai Grinko), a scientist who wants to study the Zone.

Entering the Zone

The Stalker, Writer, and Professor evade military patrols to gain access to the Zone. Once inside, the visual landscape changes drastically from sepia tones to vibrant color. The Zone is a lush, mysterious place filled with hidden dangers and ever-shifting paths. The Stalker warns his companions that the Zone is sentient and unpredictable. The goal is to reach the “Room,” a place rumored to grant a person their deepest desire.

Philosophical Conversations

Much of the journey to the Room involves deep philosophical conversations between the characters. The Writer is cynical and disillusioned, questioning the purpose of art and existence. The Professor approaches the journey with a scientific detachment but harbors hidden motivations. The Stalker, on the other hand, reveres the Zone and sees the Room as a place of spiritual enlightenment.

Trials of the Zone

As the group gets closer to the Room, they encounter strange phenomena, such as gravitational anomalies and otherworldly traps. The Stalker leads them through, advising them to follow non-linear paths and never take the direct route. Each step in the Zone feels like a metaphysical test.

Reaching the Room

At the threshold of the Room, the group faces a climactic moment of introspection. The Professor reveals that he brought a bomb to destroy the Room, fearing the power it holds if it falls into the wrong hands. The Writer, conflicted about whether his desires are worth fulfilling, hesitates to enter. The Stalker is crushed by their doubts, feeling betrayed by their lack of faith.

The Final Decision

None of the men enter the Room. The Professor dismantles his bomb, the Writer walks away from his ambitions, and the Stalker is left wondering if the Room is truly a place of miracles or just another illusion. The film ends back in the sepia-toned city, with the Stalker returning to his wife and child, who appears to possess telekinetic powers — a subtle hint that the Zone’s influence may extend beyond its borders.

Movie Ending

The ending of Stalker leaves the fate of the Room’s powers ambiguous. The Stalker, shattered by the lack of faith from the Writer and Professor, returns home disillusioned. However, the final scene shows the Stalker’s daughter, “Monkey,” moving objects with her mind, suggesting that the Zone’s strange influence might still affect the world outside.

Are There Post-Credits Scenes?

No, Stalker does not have any post-credits scenes.

Type of Movie

Stalker is a philosophical science fiction film with elements of drama and existentialism. It’s often categorized as an “art film” due to its slow pacing, heavy dialogue, and focus on themes over action.

Cast

• Alexander Kaidanovsky as the Stalker
• Anatoly Solonitsyn as the Writer
• Nikolai Grinko as the Professor
• Alisa Freindlich as the Stalker’s Wife
• Natasha Abramova as Monkey, the Stalker’s daughter

Film Music and Composer

Eduard Artemyev composed the haunting, atmospheric score, blending electronic music with ambient sounds. The music heightens the film’s mystery and unease.

Filming Locations

• Tallinn, Estonia: The crew filmed several of the film’s key scenes at an abandoned power plant near Tallinn.
• Kemerovo, Russia: Some locations in the city and nearby industrial areas created the desolate, dystopian setting beyond the Zone.

The real-world industrial decay of these locations mirrors the bleak, haunting atmosphere of the Zone in the film.

Awards and Nominations

Though Stalker didn’t gain widespread recognition in mainstream cinema when it was first released, it received critical acclaim in subsequent years. In 1980, it won the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the Cannes Film Festival.

Behind the Scenes Insights

• Radiation Exposure: The filming locations were reportedly contaminated with industrial pollutants, and several crew members, including director Andrei Tarkovsky, later developed serious health problems, believed to be related to the shoot.
• Multiple Reshoots: Tarkovsky reshot large portions of the film after the original footage was deemed unusable due to poor development techniques.
• Tarkovsky’s Perfectionism: The director was notorious for his slow, methodical approach to filmmaking, often requiring numerous takes to get the perfect shot.

Inspirations and References

• Book Inspiration: The movie is loosely based on the 1972 science fiction novel Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky.
• Philosophical Influences: The film touches on existentialist and theological themes, with clear influences from Dostoevsky and other Russian philosophers.

Alternate Endings and Deleted Scenes

No alternate endings or significant deleted scenes are publicly known. Tarkovsky’s vision for the film was deliberate, and he maintained tight creative control over the final cut.

Book Adaptations and Differences

• Loose Adaptation: While based on Roadside Picnic, Tarkovsky’s film is more philosophical and less plot-driven than the book. The novel features a more detailed explanation of the Zone’s origins and scientific elements, whereas the movie leaves these aspects ambiguous.
• Character Shifts: In the book, the character dynamics are different, and the Stalker has a more criminal background, whereas the film portrays him as a more spiritual, morally conflicted figure.

Memorable Scenes and Quotes

Key Scenes

• Entering the Zone: The shift from sepia to color as the group crosses into the Zone.
• The Room’s Threshold: The emotional and philosophical confrontation as the group stands at the entrance of the Room.
• Monkey’s Telekinesis: The final shot of the Stalker’s daughter moving objects with her mind, hinting at the Zone’s reach.

Iconic Quotes

• “Weakness is a great thing, and strength is nothing.”
• “A man writes because he is tormented.”
• “The Zone is a very complicated system of traps, and they’re all deadly.”

Easter Eggs and Hidden Details

• The Room remains unseen, increasing the mystery about whether it genuinely fulfills wishes.
• Tarkovsky’s use of color and sepia tones creates a visual metaphor for the divide between the ordinary world and the surreal Zone.

Trivia

• Stalker is one of the most influential science fiction films, having inspired works such as Annihilation (2018).
• Tarkovsky reportedly had little interest in science fiction, instead focusing on the film’s spiritual and philosophical dimensions.
• The Zone often symbolizes faith, human desire, and the quest for meaning.

Why Watch?

Stalker is a slow-burning, thought-provoking journey into the heart of human desire and fear. It challenges the viewer to ponder existential questions about purpose, belief, and the unknown. If you’re a fan of deep, philosophical films that don’t hand you easy answers, Stalker is a cinematic experience unlike any other.

Director’s Other Movies

• Solaris (1972)
• Andrei Rublev (1966)
• Mirror (1975)
• The Sacrifice (1986)
• Nostalgia (1983)

Recommended Films for Fans

• Annihilation (2018)
• Solaris (1972)
• The Road (2009)
• Blade Runner (1982)
• 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)