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Solaris Reviews

1972

60
from 8319 members

Released in 1972, Solaris is Andrei Tarkovsky's third feature and his most far-reaching examination of human perceptions and failings. It's often compared to Kubrick's 2001, but although both bring a metaphysical dimension to bear on space exploration, Solaris has a claustrophobic intensity which grips the attention over spans .. Read more

Starring	Natalya Bondarchuk, Donatas Banionis, Yuri Jarvet, Anatoli Solonitsyn
Director	Andrei Tarkovsky
Genres	Sci-Fi/Fantasy, World Cinema

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Critic's review of Solaris
View all critics' reviews (5)
- ...A conscious, calculated effort by one of the cinema's deepest thinkers to tackle a wide variety of philosophical concerns....A uniquely dazzling display of its maker's cinematic virtuosity...
- 199393
- - Box Office
  - 30 Jun 2011 at 05:11
Write your own review »
Most helpful member's review of Solaris
View all members' reviews (82)
- - 46
  - 2
  '2001' meets 'Vertigo'...
  
  Science-fiction needs atmosphere to succeed, and 'Solaris' has oodles of it. It's a peculiar, bleak, Russian winter kind of atmosphere: Tarkovsky&#... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 13492
- [Highly rated reviewer]
  - Lionel Laurent
  - London
  - 04 Aug 2004 at 00:39
Most recent members' reviews of Solaris
View all members' reviews (82)
- - 0
  - 0
  A Sci-fi great: ART HOUSE not action
  
  My girlfriend did not like it at all, which just goes to prove that this is a Sci-fi great. It questions who we are and where we are going. It casts a slow and... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 1081766
- - Did_watch_to_the_end
  - 7 reviews
  - 14 Jan 2012 at 16:15
- - 0
  - 1
  Gripping (eventually)!
  
  I understand why this film is compared to 2001:A Space Odyssey, but such a comparison is pretty superficial. Solaris has much more of a psychological edge to it... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 1034799
- - chiltsy
  - 9 reviews
  - 29 Aug 2011 at 16:35
- - 2
  - 6
  Beware! This film is dubbed!
  
  Beware! This film seems not to be available in the original Russian version, so what we get here is a DUBBED English (or French) version. If, like me, you balk ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 1019564
- - alacranguapa
  - 1 review
  - 20 Jul 2011 at 12:24
- - 0
  - 0
  serious mathmos
  
  When I first saw it on Czechoslovakian television as a kid it was a long and boring typical Soviet movie that had about as much science fiction in it as Harry ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 993982
- - juradino
  - 627 reviews
  - London
  - 17 May 2011 at 18:07
- - 0
  - 0
  Solaris: A study of reminiscence and love
  
  Solaris is the Tarkovsky's response to Kubrik's 2001 A Space Odyssey a year earlier. But here Tarkovsky emphasizes the aspects of human life and ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 991567
- [Highly rated reviewer]
  - LeonHarper
  - 49 reviews
  - At the movies
  - 11 May 2011 at 13:58
- - 0
  - 0
  Complex sci-fi/psychological film
  
  This film definitely isn't for everyone- I hated it, but I can also appreciate why some people love it. The premise of the film is that alien intelligence ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 957126
- - Carp37
  - 54 reviews
  - Sheffield
  - 25 Jan 2011 at 19:14
- - 3
  - 0
  Stunning Film
  
  This is an outstanding film in all respects - storyline, atmosphere, characterisation, acting, cinematigraphy and most exceptionally, the direction.
  
  ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 954643
- - Moirafrog
  - 4 reviews
  - Yorkshire
  - 17 Jan 2011 at 18:30
- - 1
  - 2
  Dangerously close to boring.
  
  Ultimately unsatisfying. The slow pace and ambient soundtrack make for a soporific experience and the heady intellectual angle was very self absorbed. Some ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 919161
- - jesuskenevil
  - 194 reviews
  - Bruton
  - 30 Aug 2010 at 01:31
- - 1
  - 2
  A heretic speaks
  
  I hated this film and was so glad that Disc 2 was faulty so that I could send it back. It's very, very slow; muddled; has cheap and nasty special effects; ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 910709
- - glycha
  - 15 reviews
  - St Albans
  - 02 Aug 2010 at 13:16
- - 1
  - 2
  ZZZZ zzzzz
  
  When you rent a sci fi film you often expect something with a bit of thought behind it and hopefully something intelligent (like 2001 or Bladerunner) but ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 896240
- - HPsauce
  - 29 reviews
  - Boston UK
  - 04 Jun 2010 at 22:55
View all members' reviews (82)

- - 46
  - 2
  '2001' meets 'Vertigo'...
  
  Science-fiction needs atmosphere to succeed, and 'Solaris' has oodles of it. It's a peculiar, bleak, Russian winter kind of atmosphere: Tarkovsky&#... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 13492
- [Highly rated reviewer]
  - Lionel Laurent
  - London
  - 04 Aug 2004 at 00:39
- - 30
  - 6
  The OTHER Solaris.
  
  This is the film that Stanislav Lem approved of. This is the film that does justice to his book and doesn't rely on big stars and special effects to get the... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 294727
- - TJS101
  - Hampshire
  - 07 Nov 2003 at 09:43
- - 21
  - 11
  Tales from Enigmatic Oceans
  
  Potential viewers have a neat choice: those who prefer Hollywood-style movies should go for the 2002 remake, 'cos they'll really hate this; those who ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 70652
- - Mike
  - Spondon, Derby
  - 08 Feb 2005 at 09:53
- - 16
  - 10
  The one without Clooney...
  
  Modern cinema audiences brought up on a diet of explosions and testosterone edged dialogue will undoubtedly struggle with this film. The pace is comatose, the ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 15006
- - Clucky
  - Cardiff, Wales
  - 17 Aug 2004 at 13:21
- - 9
  - 3
  First and best?
  
  Recently remade - I wonder how many of the people who've rented this were expecting the George Clooney version - this is the original SF classic often ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 294519
- - unprinted
  - London
  - 01 Nov 2003 at 23:43
- - 6
  - 0
  THERES ONLY ONE SOLARIS
  
  If you own a solaris remake 2002 [george Clooney] bin it ! RENT THIS ONE INSTEAD
  
  ITS A MASTERPIECE.
  
  Report this review
- 208382
- - COLIN JONES
  - WREXHAM
  - 18 Feb 2006 at 12:49
- - 6
  - 0
  erm, So far..so good?!
  
  I can only assume the other reviews here are based on previous viewings of the movie through another source.
  
  For reasons that escape me, this rental ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 433577
- - IJH
  - Newcastle, ENGLAND
  - 25 Apr 2007 at 09:56
- - 6
  - 2
  Classic but his other work is better..
  
  Solaris is deep; it's interesting- but it pales sharply in comparison with Mirror and Stalker his later, and much better made, films. It inspired me to read... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 335782
- - susiehugh
  - london
  - 24 May 2005 at 19:09
- - 8
  - 7
  Enlightening
  
  This film fills in all the gaps that the George Clooney’s version misses out. Excellent camera work and the score is very apt.
  
  Report this review
- 302065
- - nettyf
  - Lancashire
  - 30 Mar 2004 at 19:21
- - 3
  - 0
  Stunning Film
  
  This is an outstanding film in all respects - storyline, atmosphere, characterisation, acting, cinematigraphy and most exceptionally, the direction.
  
  ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 954643
- - Moirafrog
  - 4 reviews
  - Yorkshire
  - 17 Jan 2011 at 18:30

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Critics' reviews
- ...A conscious, calculated effort by one of the cinema's deepest thinkers to tackle a wide variety of philosophical concerns....A uniquely dazzling display of its maker's cinematic virtuosity...
- 199393
- - Box Office
  - 30 Jun 2011 at 05:11
- ...Beautiful and astonishing....SOLARIS is a dazzlingly imaginative work with awesome production values and special effects...
- 199395
- - Los Angeles Times
  - 30 Jun 2011 at 05:11
- Both engrossing and alienating, 'Solaris' was Tarkovsky's response to Kubrick's slightly earlier '2001: A Space... read more on Time Out
- 44458
- - Time Out
  - 04 Nov 2008 at 00:14
- ...Stunningly beautiful....[An] hypnotic meditation on guilt, human intelligence, and the nature of man's soul...
- 199394
- - Entertainment Weekly
  - 30 Jun 2011 at 05:11
- [D]eeply innovative....By Tarkovsky standards, accessible. By any standards, a brooding beauty
- 199396
- - Uncut
  - 30 Jun 2011 at 05:11

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Buy from Amazon.co.uk

- - Buy
- Solaris
  
  Released in 1972, Solaris is Andrei Tarkovsky's third feature and his most far-reaching examination of human perceptions and failings. It's often compared to Kubrick's 2001, but although both bring a metaphysical dimension to bear on space exploration, Solaris has a ...