In Tarkovsky’s film Stalker, a man called Stalker leads two men, the Professor and the Writer, through a mysterious place called “the Zone” in order to reach the Room, where a person’s innermost desire is fulfilled. Much of the film depicts the capricious journey to the Room as well as the Writer and Professor’s hesitance to follow the Stalker’s enigmatic instructions. It is not difficult to understand the figurative meaning of the Room; its symbolism is made especially clear when the Stalker says “This is the only place to come to when all hope is gone” (2:12:23 -2:12:30). The Room is symbolic of hope and faith that is more divine than that which can be found anywhere else. The Stalker is thus elevated to a Christ-like figure as he is the
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Remember how St. Peter nearly drowned” (1:09:37-1:09:45). This is an allusion to the biblical story in which Jesus saves one of his disciples, Peter, after he falls into water, rather than walking on water, because of his doubt of Jesus. This allusion aligns the authority of the Stalker with the authority of Jesus, because the Writer is suggesting that the Professor could perish if he does not follow the Stalker’s instructions, just as Peter almost did.
Upon the arrival of the men to the Zone. The Stalker leaves the group and walks to look at the exterior of the Room. He kneels in the tall grass in front of it, bending his head down as though in prayer or in reverence. This resembles Jesus, who, according to Luke 5:16 in the the Bible, “would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.”
After he kneels, the Stalker lets himself fall to the ground to lay face-down in the field. The Stalker’s need to rest is reflected several times in the film. For example, once he arrives back at his house, he lays on the hard floor, saying to his wife “If only you knew how tired I am. Only God knows” …show more content…
I’ve never achieved anything, and I can’t do anything here. I have nothing to give my wife. I can’t have friends, but don’t deprive me of what’s mine. . . Everything I have is here. Here, in the Zone. My happiness, my freedom, dignity. They’re all here. The people I bring here are unhappy like me. They’ve got nothing left to hope for. Nobody can help them. But I can - a louse. A louse can help them! I weep for joy because I can help them. I ask for nothing more. (2:13:43 -2:14:45)
The Zone contains the Stalker’s happiness, yet in the same breath he says that he is unhappy. The Zone contains the Stalker’s freedom, yet at the beginning of the film he tells his wife that he is “imprisoned everywhere” (). All that the Stalker possesses is his ability to help others despite his inability to help himself and his family. He asks for nothing more than to bring hope to others, yet he takes away his wife’s hope in order to do so. This monologue reflects that while there is contradiction, there is no dichotomy; the Stalker is both the selfish addict and the selfless Christ-figure.
These contradictions are where the heart of the film resides. The writer presents this concept early in the film when he says: “My consciousness wants the triumph of vegetarianism. My subconscious longs for a juicy steak”
Remember how St. Peter nearly drowned” (1:09:37-1:09:45). This is an allusion to the biblical story in which Jesus saves one of his disciples, Peter, after he falls into water, rather than walking on water, because of his doubt of Jesus. This allusion aligns the authority of the Stalker with the authority of Jesus, because the Writer is suggesting that the Professor could perish if he does not follow the Stalker’s instructions, just as Peter almost did.
Upon the arrival of the men to the Zone. The Stalker leaves the group and walks to look at the exterior of the Room. He kneels in the tall grass in front of it, bending his head down as though in prayer or in reverence. This resembles Jesus, who, according to Luke 5:16 in the the Bible, “would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.”
After he kneels, the Stalker lets himself fall to the ground to lay face-down in the field. The Stalker’s need to rest is reflected several times in the film. For example, once he arrives back at his house, he lays on the hard floor, saying to his wife “If only you knew how tired I am. Only God knows” …show more content…
I’ve never achieved anything, and I can’t do anything here. I have nothing to give my wife. I can’t have friends, but don’t deprive me of what’s mine. . . Everything I have is here. Here, in the Zone. My happiness, my freedom, dignity. They’re all here. The people I bring here are unhappy like me. They’ve got nothing left to hope for. Nobody can help them. But I can - a louse. A louse can help them! I weep for joy because I can help them. I ask for nothing more. (2:13:43 -2:14:45)
The Zone contains the Stalker’s happiness, yet in the same breath he says that he is unhappy. The Zone contains the Stalker’s freedom, yet at the beginning of the film he tells his wife that he is “imprisoned everywhere” (). All that the Stalker possesses is his ability to help others despite his inability to help himself and his family. He asks for nothing more than to bring hope to others, yet he takes away his wife’s hope in order to do so. This monologue reflects that while there is contradiction, there is no dichotomy; the Stalker is both the selfish addict and the selfless Christ-figure.
These contradictions are where the heart of the film resides. The writer presents this concept early in the film when he says: “My consciousness wants the triumph of vegetarianism. My subconscious longs for a juicy steak”