Alexander, a journalist and former actor and philosopher, tells his little son how worried he is about the lack of spirituality of modern mankind. In the night of his birthday, the third world war breaks out. In his despair Alexander turns himself in a prayer to God, offering him everything to have the war not happen at all. –IMDb
Considered one of Russia’s most distinguished contemporary directors, the late Andrei Tarkovsky is known for highly personalized and poetic films. The son of poet Arseni Tarkovsky, he studied Arabic and first worked as a geologist before attending the State Film School in Moscow under Mikhail Romm. While there he made a pair of short films, “There Will Be No Leave Today” (1959) and the acclaimed Katok i Skripka/The Steamroller and the Violin (his diploma film). Following graduation in 1960, Tarkovsky went to work for Mosfilm and made his feature-film directorial debut in 1962 with Ivanovo Detstvo/Ivan’s Childhood. The film earned him top honors at that year’s Venice Film Festival. His sophomore film, Andrei Rublev, is Tarkovsky’s most renowned work. Ostensibly a portrait of a 15th century Russian painter, the film is actually a metaphorical drama mirroring the plight of Russian artists. Some have expanded the film’s parable to reflect the dramatic effects of war and chaos upon humanity… read more
Why do I like Tarkovsky films? I don’t claim to understand the philosophy of the master. Each Tarkovsky film is like a portal to a world which you can travel into, as long as you keep you eyes on the screen. In ‘The Sacrifice,’ the set is sparse, a spacious house in a barren island, and a tree without a single leaf. But, how Tarkovsky presents these images, we are, so to speak, out there with Michael. Devastating.
the final work from the legendary director, it is more accessible than the mirror, stalker, solyaris & nostalghia. offret is about philosophy, the empty soul, and human emotion against the fate… read review
The Sacrifice underlines the spiritual struggle one goes through when faced with death, or rather the fear of death. Erland Josephson’s character Alexander, feels he must do something to save his family… read review
Many will no doubt find this cinematic blasphemy, but I found legendary director Andrei Tarkovsky’s final film to be horribly uneven. A visual marvel – every frame is a work of art, exquisitely composed… read review
One of Tarkovsky’s finest films. The film tackles difficult philosophical questions and the human condition through incredible directing and very believable character development. The movie takes place… read review