“Andrei Rublev”

Posted on by The Wandering Art Historian

I feel the need to be upfront with all of you before you get too far into this review of Andrei Tarkovsky’s film Andrei Rublev…

I just can’t with this guy.

I consider myself rather openminded, especially when it comes to art and that includes cinema.  I love movies that don’t tell the viewer exactly what is going on.  To me, that allows us, the viewers, to be involved in the storytelling process.  Two films that immediately come to mind that fall into that category are 2001: A Space Odyssey and Annihilation.  I love both films immensely and think that 2001 is the greatest film ever made.

But Tarkovksy…

I watched this film because I am familiar with the artist, Andrei Rublev, a Medieval Russian icon painter, and was curious to learn more about him.  However, my mistake was that I am also familiar with Tarkovsky, the director of said film, and that should have stopped me before I even put the disc in the Blu-ray player. 

I get it.  He is a genius.  His films are ART.  They are also a minimum of three hours in length and I must fight to stay awake the entire time.

Plus, there are no direct lines between points A and B in a Tarkovsky film.  In fact, there are sections of his films that sometimes leave me baffled because I struggle to understand how they connect with other scenes or plotlines. 

I attempted to watch his film Stalker a couple of years ago and fell asleep repeatedly.  Every time I woke up, it felt like a completely different film was on the screen. 

I truly appreciate that Tarkovsky was a man ahead of his time with his choice of camera angles, handheld shots, panning shots and that his writing is both poignant and emotional while also somewhat surreal.

But as I said earlier… I just can’t with this guy.

So, with all that said…

Andrei Tarkovsky’s Andrei Rublev is a collection of stories that loosely center around the Medieval Russian icon painter after which the film is named.  Themes ranging from imposter syndrome to a lack of creative inspiration combine with the eternal debate between the sacred and the secular and the power each realm holds over humans.  Can a person truly “fake it until they make it” when their life is on the line if they fall short?  Not in Russia during the early 1400’s!  Violence is the language of the times and it applies to both humans and animals, so heads up.  Russian identity is even called into question as Tatars (or Tartars) roam from village to village killing, raping, burning, and pillaging.

Leave a comment

The Wandering Art Historian's avatar
I am writer and artist with a degree in art history who loves to talk to people about art. I have spent the last seven years building up The Wandering Art Historian “brand” as a way to connect with people who want to learn more about art. I give lectures and presentations and teach classes and host book club discussions with a creative or artistic connection. I also write about local artists, events, museums, and exhibitions to promote the arts in Central Florida. In 2021, I had a creative crisis. I struggled with authenticity in the art making process. I decided to make myself vulnerable and find out what a real, genuine Adrienne H. Lee artwork would look like. The process was challenging and emotional and revelatory. I learned that if necessity is the mother of invention, then authenticity is the mother of reinvention. I reinvented myself and learned an entirely new medium. The resulting artwork surprised me, and it will surprise you, too. Some people wish for a fairytale ending. For me, the fairy tale is only the beginning.