"Andrei Rublev" is film directed by brilliant Russian director Andrey Tarkovsky - old and classic Russian film I wanted to watch long ago, but did not have time to and finally went to Tsutaya and borrowed this two VHS.
Andrei Rublev is the name of legendary icon painter who lived in XV century and became saint after his death. XV century in Russia is time when Tartar nomadic tribes occupied country and endless wars between feudal lords occurred throughout its territory...Film describes this historical time but also it shows figure of icon painter - man devoted to God and Art, and themes of meaning of faith and art became main motifs of the movie...
What is religion for? What the purpose of art? Andrei is monk and he paints icons - St.Maria, Christ, angels - as believes in kindness and love between people. But he sees the horrors of war - brother kills brother, people seems forgot what they believed from IX century when Christianity came to Russia from Byzantium...
In second part of the film - the whole process of making church bell is depicted. The moment when people for the first time toll just made bell is breathtaking.....Maybe foreign viewer sees beauty scene in this, but for Russian it is something more - in this bell, it`s sound and how people react..I watched and although in my life I have never gone to church service I felt like - here it is -something that a lot of us forgot but that remained something deep inside like memory of times.
After revolution religion in any form was forbidden in new Russia. Some churches were destructed, in others restaurants and other entertainment facilities were set up. It was permitted to write about Christianity only in negative tone. Artist who like Tarkovsky touched upon the question of religion and self-idenfication of Russian nation were either ignored or even forbidden... In 20 years I did not see any of his films (so popular and high accepted abroad) being shown on Russian TV. Only abroad first I knew about him and his works.When in 90s Soviet economic and political system crashed down, we suddenly realised that we lost our cultural values and heritage also after so many years of living under ideology and inner terror...Only now we are beginning to return to roots, reconstructing and building from zero churches destroyed 70 years ago.. Without "pravoslavie" (Russian orthodox Christianity), without knowing our history in its full volume and not-deformed form, I believe, Russians could not exist as nation...
This film appeared in far 1966 year make me think about such things today and feel that we still have so much in common with time described.
Here is one of the most famous icon by Andrei Rublev "Trinity"
3 comments:
I used to have a replica of "Trinity" icon at home - I remember it ever since I was very little. And it's so true about the sound of bell - it reunite us wherever we are. When the bell tolls during the Easter celebration at Nikolai-do every year, you can see people running to the church from every direction, whether it's a hostess after her shift in Roppongi or a curious passerby, we all come together driven by the invisible force to the one place where our heart and soul feel at peace.
I see....I think about going to church on their evening readings - just to study The Bible
You can go either Saturday evening or Sunday morning - we read Bible there but only for a short while as a part of the service. If you want to study it with a priest - you should ask for the classes schedule at the church. Father Gerasim is the one in charge now, you should ask him! ^-^ Or I can research it for you next time I am there! ^-^
Post a Comment