Solaris: Clooney vs. the Russians

[CarlZog]

I watched both Solaris movies back-to-back over the weekend. I've never read the original story, but it's now next on my list.

The original film's pacing was a little slow for me, but for the most part I thought the story development was deeper and more interesting -- particularly the ending.

The new version required substantially less attention and was filled with some typical Hollywood concessions, but I thought was a good movie in its own right. I'm assuming the original film held closer to Lem's story.

Just wondering what everybody else thought....

 

[uv23]

I'm a long time Tarkovsky fan and was worried about the new Solaris potentially sucking. But I quite enjoyed it - the style and music was great, pacing and atmosphere just right. The only part I didn't like was the annoying little teenybopper girls that came to the movie to see Clooney's butt, but thats not a problem with the movie per se.

 

[Fyrie]

So, how do you all interpret the ending?

 

[uv23]

So, how do you all interpret the ending?

He couldn't bear to be without the love of his life, even if he knew she wasn't real. So he stayed on Solaris, choosing fantasy/heaven/god/a beautiful dream over reality.

 

[CarlZog]

So, how do you all interpret the ending?

Well, Tarkovsky's ending is pretty straightforward. The interesting part about it was that he let his wife go, and in the end what he really wanted to be back home with his father.

Soderbergh's ending is a little more mysterious. Obviously, Kelvin wants to stay with his wife, but the self-healing cut left big hints that this is no longer the real Kelvin. Did the planet create a copy Kelvin to live with a copy Reya? Neither movie provides anything resembling reason or motivation on the planet's part.

CZ

 

[Mallus]

Neither movie provides anything resembling reason or motivation on the planet's part.
CZ

That's the point. Solaris is incomprehensible, it cannot be understood, codified, or destroyed by any human system [and it strongly suggests that the reverse doesn't hold true].

Its ultimately about limits of human knowledge; from knowledge of an individual [say, a doctor's suicidal wife], to the knowledge of God, the Universe, and Everything [in the form of a sentient, pastel ocean-planet-metaphor].

 

[CarlZog]

Since starting this thread, I went back and looked at a couple other reviews and assessments of Tarkovsky's Solaris. At least one indicated that the ending forced us to question the reality of the scenes from earth in the beginning....