
Notes from the Costume Designer of “Solaris” - rdtsc
http://calvertjournal.com/features/show/4650?
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rdtsc
I like the movie, and in general most Tarkovsky's movies, (favorite is The
Mirror). But I think many expecting a traditional Sci-Fi movie like 2001: A
Space Odyssey, or Aliens, might be disappointed.

It is more about humans and what it means to be human than about aliens or
special effects.

To summarize the idea of the movie, this quote from Dr. Snaut probably is
probably appropriate:

\---

I must tell you that we really have no desire to conquer any cosmos. We want
to extend the Earth up to its borders. We don't know what to do with other
worlds. We don't need other worlds. We need a mirror. We struggle to make
contact, but we'll never achieve it. We are in a ridiculous predicament of man
pursuing a goal that he fears and that he really does not need. Man needs man!

\---

It is also interesting that Stanisław Lem never quite liked this version. It
was mostly Tarkovsky's own re-interpretation, which I think is great, but it
was not true to the book.

~~~
jessriedel
> But I think many expecting a traditional Sci-Fi movie like 2001: A Space
> Odyssey, or Aliens, might be disappointed. It is more about humans and what
> it means to be human than about aliens or special effects.

There must be a more clear way to express what you're saying here. I don't
think anyone would sensibly claim that _2001: A Space Odyssey_ was about
aliens or special effects; it clearly had a lot more to say about humans and
how they relate to technology and the unknown.

But I don't doubt that _Solaris_ is very different, and if I had to guess (as
someone who hasn't seen _Solaris_ and who isn't particularly cultured) I'd
guess I'd describe it uncharitably as "artsy" or "touchy-feely". Can someone
try to say something more charitable, while still making clear what
distinguishes it? Maybe a focus on person-to-person emotional relationships
rather than single-person emotions and person-to-person plot conflicts?

~~~
secstate
Yeah, the quote from one of the characters above summed it up pretty well.

I've never seen either movie version, but Lem's book (and much of Lem's
writing) tends to focus not on the boundless possibilities of space, but the
fact that even in space, we are still bound as humans to our human
experiences.

Solaris is not a space adventure. It's not even an exploration about the
future of humanity (2001). As best I can explain it, Solaris is about how
massively unprepared we are to experience other forms of life when we are so
desperately bad at even understanding any other human but ourselves.

~~~
lobster_johnson
And the book is, more than anything, a bleak critique of cargo cult science.

In the novel, endless volumes of books and papers are written about the planet
Solaris, but the literature has produced not a single scientific insight that
goes beyond merely anthropomorphizing; the protagonist himself satirically
describes the many, futile attempts at analyzing Solaris, deciding that all
the theories are incorrect, then, ironically, proceeds to formulate another
anthropomorphic theory himself, which he decides is the correct one.

The movies (Tarkovsky's and Soderbergh's) both retain the basic plot, but go
for a somewhat literal, romantic interpretation that Lem never intended. For
example, the subplot in the book about the "ghosts" that Solaris manifests is
comparatively unimportant in the novel, but takes up most of the screen time
in both movies.

Lem touches on this theme in many of his books, especially His Master's Voice,
which is also about scientists trying to understand an alien intelligence.

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mark_l_watson
I have watched the USA version of Solaris 6 or 7 times, the Russian verion 3
or 4 times, and enjoyed the book.

Facinating story and movies. It was cool to see behind the scenes of making
the Russian version.

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rurban
I commented that extensivly also, but only in German:
[http://rurban.xarch.at/film/solaris.html](http://rurban.xarch.at/film/solaris.html)

Esp. the differences of the two remakes, compared to Lem's work. And that
Tarkovsky's set design and choice of conventional horror scenes is not really
that interesting.

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dharma1
Thanks for sharing. Love Stalker and Solaris

