"Solaris" (1972) DVD Review

Pros

• Thought-provoking and hypnotically resonant
• Grounded in humanism and morality
• Arresting and unusual visual style

Cons

• Too slow-moving for many viewers
• No action and unimpressive special effects
• May be too intellectual for some

Description

• Two-disc DVD set containing Russian-language science-fiction film "Solaris" (1972)
• Movie co-written and directed by Andrei Tarkovsky
• Movie is 2 hours 47 minutes long, but fits on one disc
• Feature-length audio commentary by scholars Vida Johnson and Graham Petrie
• DVDs contain 9 deleted and alternate scenes
• DVDs contain video interviews with lead actress, cinematographer, art director, and composer
• DVDs contain excerpt from documentary on novelist Stanislaw Lem
• Excellent picture quality (anamorphic widescreen 2.35:1)
• Good sound quality (Monaural)

Guide Review - "Solaris" (1972) DVD Review

Although I had seen Andrei Tarkovsky's "Solaris" years ago, I had forgotten how thought-provoking and hypnotically resonant it was until I saw it again recently on DVD. The visual style of the film fits the story beautifully. The movie takes place in the near future when mankind is in the process of its first contact with an extraterrestrial intelligence. Most of the scenes are on a space station orbiting the mysterious planet Solaris. The conflict concerns the central character's struggle to come to grips with the bizarre events, including becoming emotionally involved with a replica of his deceased wife. To my mind this movie is cerebral science fiction at its very best because of the humanistic and moral issues it explores.

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