Ivans Childhood (7.6/10)

Andrei Tarkovsky, 1962

Ivan a pugnacious 12 year old orphan, is stubbornly determined to avenge the murder of his parents. He volunteers as a reconnaissance scout with the Soviet army during the Second World War. The film chronicles his adventures behind enemy lines and his tumultuous relationship with the Soviet Generals, who act as his adopted guardians. What I admired most about this film and about Tarkovsky’s films in general, is their strong connection to nature. He is able to capture the true essence and beauty of nature better then any director I know of. Tarkovsky treats each component of the natural environment as an individual character. The trees in the forest or the swampy landscapes are equally important as the actors. This biocentric philosophy gives his films a unique spiritual quality. In addition by using long takes he transcribes the passage of time in real-time making the film seem more ‘realistic’, and provides the perception of ‘presence’. Tarkovsky referred to this type of film making as ‘sculpting in Time’, which he further develops in subsequent works. Although Tarkovsky was disappointed by the finished product, the film proved to be a huge inspiration to both Bergman and Kieslowski. In my opinion Tarkovsky’s best work is without a doubt Stalker (8.6/10***SUPER), which interestingly is the film he himself is most proud of.