Comparison with Andrei Zvyagintsev (The Return)

I was just curious about how people felt about the comparison of Tarkovsky with Zvyagintsev. I’ve heard many people mention how Zvyagintsev is the “heir to Tarkovsky’s throne,” but while I do have a great admiration for “The Return,” I feel the two styles have as much difference as similarities. I’m still struggling to decide if Tarkovsky’s films had as much aggressive ambiguity as, say, “The Return.” I’ve read that he chose most of his material due to the beauty of the shot, but at the same time always tried to convey some type of message on faith.

I was curious what everyone else thought.

Zvyagintsev’s work definitely reminds us of Tarkovsky althought they have a thig of their own. He has made only two films and I think that they are so interesting that they justify the comparison, in the pace, symbolism and also beauty of shots, hauting images …etc. I even think that the Banishment is as good as the return. anyone agree??

I do agree, but the comparison between Aleksandr Sokurov and Tarkovsky is more common, and in terms of someone being “heir to the throne” (although that’s a silly stamp to put on a director), I’d certainly hold Sokurov as the favorite.

As for Zvyagintsev’s films, I really liked The Return, The Banishment not so much.

I think THE BANISHMENT is more akin to Tarkovsky as its structure utilizes rather unique flashback patterns and long shot, minimal editing, but has yet to devolop his own style. I liked THE RETURN much better and put it in my top ten the year t was released.

Throughout the whole of The Return I was constantly thinking of Ivan’s Childhood. The younger of the brothers “Ivan” in The Return was almost a mirror of unforgiving, independent, and distrustingly cynical nature as Tarkovsky’s Ivan. Was the same character name a coincidence? I think not. It seems clear throughout his long and mindful shots and almost dream like scene-scapes, Zvyaginstev is playing homage to Tarkovsky. Zvysginstev’s dialogue and character’s were so strongly characteristically russian, what I love about russian film and literature. The universal chord Zvyaginstev strikes at such basic and simple resourcefulness at survival skills was all-encompassing in its scope. The relationship of the brothers was so real. The father was brilliant, so cold and loathsome. This film is deeply sincere to Zvyaginstev by the end one cannot help but FEEL his artistry. Brilliant!

Has anyone seen Elena? The direction is absolute perfection, but I didn’t really compare much to Tarkovsky. Except maybe the first shot.