Solaris
(Criterion 1972 + Fox 2002 DVDs)
Picture:
B/A- Sound: C+/B+ Extras: A/B
Film: A-/B
PLEASE NOTE: The Criterion edition here was
discontinued and replaced with a new print because one of the scenes turned out
to have the wrong color, but we have covered the reissued version on Blu-ray at
this link:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/11127/Solaris+(1972/Criterion+Collection+Bl
Now the original
review…
Late in
2002 director Steven Soderbergh and producer/director James Cameron released
the remake of Andrei Tarkovsky’s classic Russian film Solaris (1972). It is not vital to be familiar with the
original film, but it does help in understanding some of the thematic elements,
the simplistic nature of the film, its pace, certain musical cues, as well as
the mood, tone, character, and overall emotion of the experience.
There are
certain liberties that were taken with this remake, but the best way to
describe this 95-minute outing is a Cliff Notes version of a lengthy 3-hour
epic excursion. Both are well crafted and directed with precision and
grace. What is common for both these films though is their rhythm, which
if you are not locked into immediately, you may as well stop. There are
very few climaxes or pulses within this film that take the energy level up a
notch. The whole ride is rather smooth. It’s an experience that you
do not realize until after the fact.
Soderbergh’s
film quickly begins as Chris Kelvin (George Clooney) receives a message from
crewmembers aboard the Solaris space station expressing their situation, which
appears like a distress call. The members have been experiencing strange
phenomenon that no one can explain and they need Chris’ help. The members
do not give any detail other than they want to leave, but somehow cannot do
so. Chris is a psychologist who is quite isolated from the world as he
deals with others problems on a day-to-day basis his compassion for others has
become comatose.
Chris immediately boards a ship headed towards the distressed crewmembers that
are currently circling around a pool known as Solaris. When Solaris was originally adapted from
Stanislaw Lem’s novel in 1972, the film was deemed as the answer back to
Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey,
which came out only four years prior. There are certainly some thematic
elements that resonate in both. Indeed both films pride themselves in
their simplicity and find complexity through so little. The
extraterrestrial life or phenomenon that has been creating these occurrences in
both films seems to be calling mankind with its power in an attempt to contact
man on some level. In Solaris,
we have crewmembers that are sucked into the powers of this force, which they
cannot explain. Somehow this force makes their dreams merge with their
realities. Of course in 2001: A
Space Odyssey, mankind is contacted via black monolith, which in turn
causes us to evolve and in time we attempt to contact space.
Upon
arrival, Chris finds that very strange things are happening. People are
missing or found dead. Everyone on board seems fine with the situation as
if nothing major was going on, but at the same time they are scared on another
level. Chris notices that everyone is acting very peculiar even though
they physically seem intact. While 2001:
A Space Odyssey would comment on computers taking over man, Solaris would note that while we become
more advanced in our ways to communicate we become more and more
isolated. This was certainly true in 1972, yet even truer in 2002.
Perhaps this is good validation for doing a remake. Certainly to deliver
a film like this to an American audience was a huge step considering the lack
of sci-fi based films that enter the market successfully in Hollywood.
Surely
each and every one of us has remembered something from when we were younger
only to grow up and find out that the way we remember it is not quite as good
as it really is. So the question at hand is if we remember something a
certain way does it really matter to us if it really is that way or not.
To ourselves the way we create something inside our mind is much stronger than
the way something might exist to others. Chris Kelvin only remembers his
wife for what happened to her as she passed away years back. Her death is
never fully explained, but we understand that in some ways Chris blames
himself. He replays her death over and over again. While aboard the
space station his dead wife comes to him on the ship as real as ever. She
exists there in reality, which at first is like Heaven for Chris being with his
departed wife once again. Yet, can he live with her once again if she is
only comprised of the ways in which he remembers her? Can he remember her
for more than what happened? Can he forget the tragedy and relive the
romance?
Fox has
issued Solaris (2002) in a very
pleasing DVD with a 2.35:1 aspect ratio, which has been anamorphically
enhanced. Both the 1972 and the 2002 film were shot in scope the original
being in Sovscope, while the remake was shot in Panavision. Despite being
shot with a wide-open framework both films manage to create a very intimate
close-up environment from which the characters respond in. Soderbergh chose
to do all the cinematography and editing for this film trying to emulate the
vibe of the original with its icy tones and dramatic pacing. Only a
director like this would be able to take a literate stance on a film such as
this rather than the other direction, which the producer James Cameron may have
had with more action, guns, violence, and that sort. What is important
about the look and the feel of this film is that the off-screen action is just
as important as the on-screen action. What lies beyond the frame is a
mystery, which is unknown to us as it is unknown to the characters. We
know about as much as the characters on board and experience just as they
do. Where the original film benefits though is that it explores the
characters with a steady amount of work and bookends the film rather
differently.
The
Criterion Collection has issued a special 2-Disc version of the Tarkovsky’s Solaris. The film is presented in
a 2.35:1 aspect ratio preserving its original framing, which is a
high-definition transfer taken from a low-contrast print, made from the
original camera negative. The picture quality is pleasing throughout with
nice detail and definition. The colors are what come through the best
preserving the very subdued look of the film, which would be a common approach
in the 70’s in all of filmmaking. Directors and cameramen would turn away
from some of the more vibrant color palettes typical of the Technicolor
productions, which had been so common since the use of color films.
From the
opening of the 1972 Solaris, we
spend a few minutes on Earth before our departure in a natural setting.
We see water, plants, and life. This montage of scenes helps us identify
with being here on Earth (as in ‘home’) and being familiar with everything
before we leave with Kris (or Chris) towards the space station Solaris.
However, at the end of the film a different sense of the word ‘home’ is
implied. What is home really? A place you live, a place you feel
comfortable, or just a place that harbors dreams? In the remake we never
really gain the same sense of the homeward experience that our main character
goes through. This element has been taken out as we quickly leave Earth
and head for Solaris. The original also spends more time with the
reflections of certain characters and acts more like a study than a film at
times. These moments can become tedious to get through, whereas the
remake brushes through without hesitation, yet some say this film is
boring. Obviously a film like this takes patience. Notice how films
similar to this have failed miserably such as Barry Levinson’s 1998 film Sphere.
From a
sound perspective Solaris’ (2002)
atmosphere is beautifully captured on this DVD in Dolby Digital 5.1.
Soderbergh chose to use this film with very slight dashes of music here and
there and what is impressive is that the soundstage can become involved without
the need for a lot of action. This once again proves that dramas can show
off sound design just as much as any action film. For further proof, check
out the DVD’s for The Red Violin, Meet Joe Black: Ultimate Edition, or K-Pax. The only disappointing
factor with this soundtrack is the absent DTS 5.1 option, which a film like
this would have benefited greatly. Considering that there are many
moments of low grumbling and deeper bass involvement the DTS would have allowed
the mix to contain a smoother more refined low-end presence. Instead the
Dolby only mix shortchanges us by giving a rather compressed channel of sound.
Criterion
created a 24-bit remastered soundtrack for Tarkovsky’s Solaris presenting the
film is a standard 1.0 mono, which does the film little justice. The
opening scene alone demonstrates the limitations as we hear Bach’s "Ich
ruf' zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ" trying to penetrate through the single
channel. A 5.1 remix would have been tedious for this film, yet the
results would have allowed the atmosphere to engulf the viewer and aid in bring
the viewer into this film, which is vital since it’s a strong character study
with a science fiction vein. Notice Tarkovsky also chose classical music
for his space film similar to Kubrick. Using this type of music is the
complete backwards direction from what might be the norm considering most
sci-fi pieces up until this time were trying to use cheesy sound FX, echoing
soundtracks, and other bizarre arrangements to make the music sound
alien-like.
The
Criterion Edition of Solaris
contains a commentary track provided by Vida Johnson and Graham Petrie, who are
co-authors of The Films of Andrei Tarkovsky: A Visual Fugue. Both these
individuals comment to great length about the importance of certain elements
within the film, the visual language, as well as certain production
aspects. This is a very scholarly-based commentary track recommended for
only those familiar with this film and are interested more so in Tarkovsky’s
contributions to cinema. The 2-Disc set also included nine deleted scenes
for the film as well as some alterative takes. There are also very
interesting interviews with lead actress Natalya Bondarchuk, cinematographer
Vadim Yusov, art director Mikhail Romadin, and composer Eduard Artemyev.
As if these extras weren’t enough there is also an excerpt with author
Stanislaw Lem about his Solaris and there are two essays provided in the booklet,
one by Akira Kurosawa and the other by Phillip Lopate.
Fox’s Solaris does not contain quite as many
extras nor are they as intellectual, but does include a commentary track with
Soderbergh and James Cameron, in which they discuss their approach on the
film. It is interesting to hear how they became involved and what ideas
they both had for the film. Soderbergh addresses more of the ‘on set’
topics of the film, while Cameron deals more with the producer side of it, but
does mention at time why he liked Soderbergh’s approach and basically just let
him go with the project how he felt necessary. The DVD also contains an
HBO “Making Of”, which is nothing special at all, but acts more like a large
commercial for the film. There is a Featurette on the DVD as well, which
seems like more fluff and the original screenplay is also provided. True
fans of the original would have certainly liked to have seen and heard more
mentioned about the differences within both versions. A compare/contrast
would have worked. Soderbergh commenting more on the inspirations of the
original or why he included or excluded certain elements would have been
beneficial as well.
While
both versions of Solaris can exist
on their own the perfect combination is to become knowledgeable on both.
The original is given proper DVD treatment with enough information to aid the
viewer in getting more from the experience. By doing so, perhaps the
remake might make more sense. While both films contain a similar set-up
and delivery the endings are in some regards poles apart. Do not expect
to find much mentioned about the original film if you only get the remake
because there is little mention about the original as if it did not even
exist. Even on the commentary track there is little reference, which is
insane considering many of the shots are identical as well as various music and
editing cues, character developments, and of course the story. For those
who feel that reading subtitles for the epic 3-hour Tarkovsky version is just
too much, than the remake will do nicely in presenting a shortened version
despite have a few setbacks in comparison to the original.
-
Nate Goss
