Stalker by Andrei Tarkovsky

This is an amazing film that I was first introduced to at Foundation Art college... One of the tutors - Jackie Harding, came into the studio and said to us all, ' You have to come and watch this film, it will change your life...'

It is not light watching by any means but it is quite profound and the artisitic sequences are incredible, dark, edgy, atmospheric, disturbing... with a deep metaphoric philosophy.

As I understood it, it was the meeting or conflict of science and art, creation and destruction in the 'Zone', a place where the human soul is laid bare. It is deeply compelling, and the cinematic direction is genius...

I last saw this almost 15 years ago and yet every so often something will bring it back up from my sub-concious... So, last night I was watching a DVD of Rush in concert (I am a massive Rush fan!) and there's one or two of their songs that have a feeling about them reminscent to me anyway, of Stalker - edgy, slightly anguished... (for any Rush fans out there I'm talking about 'Subdivisions' 'Distant Early Warning' and 'Red Sector A')

It made me think it really is about time I watched this film again so I think I'll have to go and buy it! 'Stalker by Andrei Tarkovsky' I really do recommend it...

Here is a particularly good clip...