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Andrei Rublev (1966)
Andrei Tarkovsky
Andrei Rublev isn’t great just because Criterion says it is. Rublev has to
succeed on the same level as any film. And that includes character
development and acting performances. I point you to the chapter on
the sacking of Vladimir. The Tatar leader is magnificent. His Mongol
face and long, thick Mongol hair. Black of course. And above all, his
personality. Here you have a guy, a blood thirsty warlord, whose main
hobby consists of raping and pillaging a defenseless village. Rape is a
crime of violence. This guy would see that and raise you ten. And yet
consider his conversation with the prince:
Tatar: “Strong is your love for your brother. When were you
last reconciled with him?”
Prince: “The Metropolitan summoned us to kiss the cross.”
Tatar: “When?”
His interest in his companion’s story plays very genuine on the
screen. Makes him seem more human than the going average. (It’s
more follow-up than I would have offered.) And this is not some
filmic contrivance either—some cleverly inserted bit of dialogue in
order to set us up the flashback to the reconciliation scene. No. This
guy is the real deal. “It’s that Jungian thing.” Terrifying, captivating
and (you’ll see) beautiful. Dennis Hopper may be two of those, but he
sure ain’t all three. This was five minutes. There are 175 others just as
good.
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