Day 34: Andrei Rublev (1966)

Andrei Tarkovsky’s Russian epic “Andrei Rublev,” is a story of art, God, and society, loosely based on the life of the great 15th century Russian icon painter. Though Rublev’sstory is the main plot, the film itself is more concerned withshowing the connection between an artist’s personality and his talent as well as the maturity and development he must go through with the changes of society and its beliefs

Coming in at over three hours, this is one of the longest films watched during the “Criterion Summer,” but, nevertheless, it is a rousing epic, which is divided into a prologue, seven chapters, and an epilogue- each concerned with a specific period of Rublev’s life

Taking place in 15th century Russia, we witness a very turbulent period of history where the Grand Prince and his brother are at war against one another, tearing the country apart. Amongst all this chaos, Andrei Rublevstands as a monk withan artist’s heart, who seeks an appropriate artistic response to the tragedies of his time. Withall the hypocrisy, from both the government and the church, flooding his country, Rublevis almost a lone figure in search for the truth in God and art as both have been so deviously bastardized by society.

At one point, Rublev is asked by a church in Vladimir to paint “The Last Judgement” of Christ’s return and, after trying for some time, Rublev throws down his paint brush, deciding that the subject matter disgusts him and its only purpose is to strike fear into the hearts of the Russian people. Unable to come to grips with the subject matter and overcome with the current events of his country, he believes he has lost the mind’s ease an artist’s needs to create and soon he quits painting all together, devoting himself to a vow of silence instead. For years, this is the life he keeps until one day a small boy and a large bell will challenge him to renew his passion for art and mankind.

With “Andre Rublev,” director Andrei Tarkovsky created the most audacious historical epic in Russian cinema since Sergei Eisenstein’s “Ivan the Terrible” and, with such a production, he focused his lens, not primarily on Rublev, but his surroundings- giving audiences a chance to see the bleak and dark beginnings of a movement that would eventually result in the Tsardom of Russia. Of course, this negative tone did not sit well with the Russian government and they demanded heavy editing before a release could be approved. Besides its negativity, the government also found the film too experimental and politically complicated, especially so close to the Revolution’s 50th anniversary.

Though, at first, Tarkovsky resisted, he soon cut fifteen minutes of the film, hoping it would be enough to gain approval for the Cannes Film Festival. The government declined the request in 1968 but, in 69 the French Communist Party pleaded for its release and, as an act of international goodwill, the Russians let it be shown, though out of competition and at 4 A.M. on the festivals final day, in hopes it would gain little notoriety. The opposite occurred and the film was lauded by critics and audiences to such a degree it won the festival’s International Critics’ Prize, infuriating the Soviet authorities.

With it’s tale of art amongst government upheaval, “Andre Rublev” was the perfect catalyst for discussion on the topics of censorship and government intrusion, especially in 1960′s Russia, where an overthrow would soon come and artists would once again, like Rublev, be able to seek for truth in their work.

To learn more about “Andre Rublev,” check out Criterion’s page here.

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