Stalker 1979
I just watched Stalker, a foreign film from the Soviet Union, its considered one of the greatest films ever made. The film is futuristic and the story is about this area called "The Zone" where in the zone is located "The Room" where when you are inside the room all of your greatest desires come true. However the Zone is totally illegal to enter and people are imprisoned for trying to enter. Also The Zone is alive and can mess around with your head and it is dangerous to be inside for long.
It is in subtitles but you don't even really need to read anything for about 40 minutes or so. This film is very visually exceptional, you could literally take any frame from this film and hang it on the wall like a piece of art. The first 45 minutes or so are excellent. There are a lot of social commentaries about the Soviet Union and society in the film and to this day apparently many people argue over the messages. Three men go on a journey and try to reach the zone to enter the room, a professor a writer and a stalker (someone who has navigated the zone before who was imprisoned.)
Spoilers
A good movie, but once they reach the "Zone" it totally slows down, in my opinion becomes almost excruciatingly slow paced and drawn out. I appreciate the cinematography and ideas presented but it feels like a 3 hour movie that could be an hour and a half. They literally just kind of walk around in circles in the forest while philosophizing.
overall there were some really good parts, and very interesting things to think about, but don't put this movie on late at night, I had a hard time trying to stay awake, and I do enjoy foreign and black and white films, but this one's pace just started killing me half way through.
Definitely worth a check out though, and based on the fact that its considered an all time great film.