Film critics can be a scared pack of dogs, collectively more fearful than when standing alone. Tarkovsky's supposed masterpiece can be dissected as easily as any other sixth-form play would be. There are three men who have to go through the trials of The Zone in an undisclosed land, which is basically a thinly veiled version of the Soviet Union.
It's a stage play where changes of setting only exist to provide more excuses for scriptwriters to cram elementary philosophy into the characters' mouths. If you're of a fickle persuasion, some imaginative and Nicolas Roeg-style nature inserts, with some brilliant shots alongside them, will probably convince you that there's a genius of an artistic mind behind the random imagery. It's not that some points don't get scored, but there are too many agendas and no uniting purpose. It may be one of the most overrated films ever, and would slip under the radar as a reasonably intelligent slice of metaphysical examination were it not for the yoke of its reputation.
5/10
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