Andrey Tarkovskiy must be using the slowest filming techniques in the history of filmmaking... and that's something good actually; this way there is so much room for emotions that is being left. The movie clearly promotes profound human emotions. "Solaris" is actually more fast-paced than "Stalker", and both are outside of the boredom spectrum; most of the scenes are overwhelmingly eerie and beautiful, even if there's no dialogue. The philosophy here is outstanding! It gives a whole new purpose of the human existence on Earth. Everything is based on dialogues and symbolic imagery (typical Tarkovskiy concepts) and everything about this movie is a continuum revelation. Even after the end, the movie continues to echo into your mind. Artistic and soulful movie. An interesting observation: someone from the movie says something like this: "Don't transform this marvelous scientific phenomena into a cheap love story." Well, that's exactly what the American version is!

A lovely A Space Odyssey-esque film. Artsy and filled with quiet, comtemplative scenes. It's interesting how the film explored human personality and extraterrestrial communication through the ocean's probing of the scientists' mind and trying to understand them using "guests". The philosophical ramblings seemed out-of-place sometimes. Good cinematography too, there's a bunch of pretty shots and cool visuals. Solaris got me into Tarkovsky's other works.

Before you watch Solaris, make sure you know what you're getting yourself into. I did not find this film particularly entertaining. It wasn't fun to watch. It's more like a moving painting than a normal science-fiction film. Don't expect to be excited and dazzled by great special effects. Don't expect to be sitting on the edge of your seat at any point during this film. If you're looking for a bit of joyful escapism, you'll definitely do well to give this a miss. Forget about Star Wars.Frankly, there are long stretches of this film that are rather boring. I also found much of the acting to be unimpressive. The main character seems to have exactly the same facial expression throughout. It is very hard to actually engage with the characters. I realised towards the end that I simply didn't care about how things were going to turn out for them. I was utterly indifferent to their fate.Despite these drawbacks, there is something strangely captivating and hypnotic about Solaris. It deals with some very interesting philosophical themes such as the nature of love, consciousness, personal identity, and memory. The meaning of life itself is explored. Some of the cinematography is stunning. If you're into that kind of thing, I think this film certainly would benefit from repeated viewings. It stayed in my mind for a long time afterwards, which is always a sign of a good film.This is obviously an example of a film that many people think they 'ought' to watch and enjoy. Just put all of that baggage out of your mind and give it a go. Treat it like an exercise in meditation and contemplation. It will slow you down and put you in a different frame of mind. Don't beat yourself up if you just find it dull. We all have different tastes!

This is more than a Sci Fi film. It is intelligent, provocative, and extremely well directed. It involves a planet, Solaris, which is a puzzle to astronomers. Astronauts have been there and one, in particular, has been affected by the planet. Of course, he is initially thought to be suffering from some mental imbalance and hallucinations. But as explorations go on, there seems to be something about the oceans on the planet. They seem to be sentient. While this is an incredibly long film, it is a joy to watch. I believe that this is a film that requires a second look, especially if you think you got it. Of course, it's in Russian, and that makes certain demands on English speaking viewers, but many of the events are visual, with fairly long, almost surreal moments. I put this near the top of all the films I have ever seen.