Andrei Tarkovsky's swan song "Offret" ("The Sacrifice") is composed of 112 long takes and sequences, almost without any cuts, planned scenes just like a stage play with enormous acts whose dialogs are rich, powerful and filled with insights on life, death, philosophy, sacrifices. It sounds like a film directed by Ingmar Bergman and there's no secret that this was Tarkovksy paying a tribute to one of his favorite directors, filming in Bergman's famous island used as scenery in many of his films; some actors who worked with him and the habitual cinematographer Sven Nykvist are present in "Offret".
In one the finest performances ever captured on film, Erland Josephson lives the journalist Alexander, a worried man about mankind's destiny who tells to his little and mute son, called 'Little Man', about how doomed we are, but also tells him good things too, teaches him to plant a tree and all. On the day of Alexander's birthday the Third World War breaks in and this time we and the characters have the feeling that now the world really is gonna end. As last wish, Alexander pray to God wishing to have more time to live and in exchange he'll give up his family, his belongings and his house.
I don't wanna keep wavering about where the plot goes and show the thoughts I have about the film, I'll leave that to you reader. Instead, I'll keep my focus on some of the beautiful things presented here, some of my favorite moments and the physical aspect that I found interesting about "Offret".
As I said earlier, this film looks like more a work from Bergman than a work from Tarkovsky, and for the die hard fans of the Russian director might not be so appealing since he uses the visual to tell his stories in most of his classics but here he depends on dialogs and more dialogs which is quite rare in his filmography. Tarkovsky composes along with Nykvist two worlds in one: a beautiful and colorful island with green trees, a sunny place; and the devastated place with dark tons, shapes, very dreadful, creating an apocalyptical world without any kind of expensive scenarios. He uses the cinematography and a subtle and powerful special effects to destroy the world.
Here are the things I won't forget about this masterpiece: 1) Alfred's prayer, one of the most emotional and heartbreaking moments ever made, filmed in one long shot; 2) the house on fire burning down to the ground, beautifully filmed; 3) The jar of milk smashing on the floor when the planes appear showing us that the war begun; 4) The story described by the postman about his 'collection' of events; 5) Alfred's monologues about art, death, life, fear. Tarkovsky's idea flying in its fullness. 6) Alfred visiting the only one who can help him, Maria the maid of his house. 7) The desperation of Alfred's family when the world's end. 8) The first scene with Little Man and his dad planting the lonely tree (which also ends the film with Little Man's first quote), meaning the creation of life, a hint of hope. 9) the ending, absolutely perfect.
It is art and philosophy at its highest point. And it's sad that this Tarkovsky last film in the way that I really loved his change of style here, I was looking forward for more films like this but it simply didn't happened. Life was taken away from him very early but we're left with interesting and great masterpieces like this, "Stalker" and more. One of the most beautiful pictures ever made and must be included on a list of films that you can't get out of your head. 10/10
In one the finest performances ever captured on film, Erland Josephson lives the journalist Alexander, a worried man about mankind's destiny who tells to his little and mute son, called 'Little Man', about how doomed we are, but also tells him good things too, teaches him to plant a tree and all. On the day of Alexander's birthday the Third World War breaks in and this time we and the characters have the feeling that now the world really is gonna end. As last wish, Alexander pray to God wishing to have more time to live and in exchange he'll give up his family, his belongings and his house.
I don't wanna keep wavering about where the plot goes and show the thoughts I have about the film, I'll leave that to you reader. Instead, I'll keep my focus on some of the beautiful things presented here, some of my favorite moments and the physical aspect that I found interesting about "Offret".
As I said earlier, this film looks like more a work from Bergman than a work from Tarkovsky, and for the die hard fans of the Russian director might not be so appealing since he uses the visual to tell his stories in most of his classics but here he depends on dialogs and more dialogs which is quite rare in his filmography. Tarkovsky composes along with Nykvist two worlds in one: a beautiful and colorful island with green trees, a sunny place; and the devastated place with dark tons, shapes, very dreadful, creating an apocalyptical world without any kind of expensive scenarios. He uses the cinematography and a subtle and powerful special effects to destroy the world.
Here are the things I won't forget about this masterpiece: 1) Alfred's prayer, one of the most emotional and heartbreaking moments ever made, filmed in one long shot; 2) the house on fire burning down to the ground, beautifully filmed; 3) The jar of milk smashing on the floor when the planes appear showing us that the war begun; 4) The story described by the postman about his 'collection' of events; 5) Alfred's monologues about art, death, life, fear. Tarkovsky's idea flying in its fullness. 6) Alfred visiting the only one who can help him, Maria the maid of his house. 7) The desperation of Alfred's family when the world's end. 8) The first scene with Little Man and his dad planting the lonely tree (which also ends the film with Little Man's first quote), meaning the creation of life, a hint of hope. 9) the ending, absolutely perfect.
It is art and philosophy at its highest point. And it's sad that this Tarkovsky last film in the way that I really loved his change of style here, I was looking forward for more films like this but it simply didn't happened. Life was taken away from him very early but we're left with interesting and great masterpieces like this, "Stalker" and more. One of the most beautiful pictures ever made and must be included on a list of films that you can't get out of your head. 10/10