Solaris (1972) Review – Fusion Patrol Ep. 795

Kenneth and Eugene look at Andrei Tarkovsky’s famous, and ponderously slow, 1972 film, Solaris. They discuss why 40 minutes of the film is set amongst wet greenery, Tarkovsky’s daddy issues, they ask “What the hell was the point of the horse?” and “Why did we sit through 10+ minutes of silent driving through Osaka?”

This cursed episode of Fusion Patrol was over four years in the making.

00:00:35 Introduction to Solaris
00:01:39 The Lost Recording
00:02:02 Revisiting Solaris
00:02:48 Watching at 1.5 Speed
00:03:42 Synopsis of Solaris
00:05:37 Part Two of the Film
00:07:58 The Nature of Guests
00:08:36 Dissecting the Film’s Themes
00:12:09 The Nature of Identity
00:12:26 Different Versions of Hari
00:18:25 Film Length and Pacing
00:21:03 Cultural Context
00:30:43 The Purpose of Characters
00:32:40 Understanding the Guests
00:34:34 Questions of Existence
00:39:10 The Climax of the Story
00:45:22 Communication with the Unknown
00:54:00 Tarkovsky’s Personal Influence
00:55:46 Visual and Aesthetic Choices
00:58:02 Final Thoughts on Solaris
01:11:21 Critique of Adaptations

Next week: Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, Olympiad