Solaris (1972) is a Soviet science fiction film directed by Andrei Tarkovsky, based on the 1961 novel of the same name by Polish writer Stanisław Lem. The film is a psychological and philosophical exploration of memory, grief, and the nature of human consciousness, set against the backdrop of space travel.
Tarkovsky initially wanted his ex-wife, Irma Raush, to play Hari, but after meeting actress Bibi Andersson in June 1970, he decided that she was better for the role. Wishing to work with Tarkovsky, Andersson agreed to be paid in roubles. Nevertheless, Natalya Bondarchuk was ultimately cast as Hari. Tarkovsky had met her when they were students at the State Institute of Cinematography. It was she who had introduced the novel Solaris to him. Tarkovsky auditioned her in 1970, but decided she was too young for the part. He instead recommended her to director Larisa Shepitko, who cast her in You and I. Half a year later, Tarkovsky screened that film and was so pleasantly surprised by her performance that he decided to cast Bondarchuk as Hari after all.
In the summer of 1970 the State Committee for Cinematography (Goskino SSSR) authorized the production of Solaris, with a length of 4,000 meters (13,123 ft), equivalent to a two-hour-twenty-minute running time. The exteriors were photographed at Zvenigorod, near Moscow; the interiors were photographed at the Mosfilm studios. The scenes of space pilot Burton driving through a city were photographed in September and October 1971 at Akasaka and Iikura in Tokyo. The original plan was to film futuristic structures at the World Expo ’70, but the trip was delayed. The shooting began in March 1971 with cinematographer Vadim Yusov, who also photographed Tarkovsky’s previous films. They quarreled so much on this film that they never worked together again. Eastman Kodak color film was used in the color scenes. Not widely available in the Soviet Union, it had to be specially procured for the production. The first version of Solaris was completed in December 1971.
The Solaris ocean was created with acetone, aluminium powder, and dyes. Mikhail Romadin designed the space station as lived-in, beat-up and decrepit rather than shiny, neat and futuristic. The designer and director consulted with scientist and aerospace engineer Lupichev, who lent them a 1960s-era mainframe computer for set decoration. For some of the sequences, Romadin designed a mirror room that enabled Yusov to hide within a mirrored sphere so as to be invisible in the finished film. Akira Kurosawa, who was visiting the Mosfilm studios just then, expressed admiration for the space station design.
In January 1972 the State Committee for Cinematography requested editorial changes before releasing Solaris. These included a more realistic film with a clearer image of the future and deletion of allusions to God and Christianity. Tarkovsky successfully resisted such major changes, and after a few minor edits Solaris was approved for release in March 1972.
Tarkovsky’s Solaris is often compared to 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) but differs in its focus on emotion and philosophy rather than technology. The film features long, meditative shots, dreamlike sequences, and a slow, contemplative pace. Tarkovsky himself saw Solaris as a response to what he considered the cold, mechanical approach of Western sci-fi films.
Though initially met with mixed reviews, Solaris is now regarded as one of the greatest science fiction films of all time. It won the Grand Prix Special Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival and has been highly influential in cinema. The film was later remade in 2002 by Steven Soderbergh, starring George Clooney, though Tarkovsky’s version remains the definitive adaptation for many cinephiles.
