History Film / AndreiRublev

* NoAnimalsWereHarmed: There are two main scenes of animals being injured - a cow burning alive, and a horse with a broken leg falling down some stairs. The cow was unharmed, wearing a fireproof blanket that was set alight. The horse, though, was purchased from a slaughterhouse and the fall was real. Tarkovsky maintained it was heavily tranquilized, and was immediately shot after the cut. There is also a scene where a man beats his dog to death, although we never see the dog being actually hit on camera.

''Andrei Rublev'' (or ''"The Passion According to Andrei"'') is a 1966 film by Creator/AndreiTarkovsky, co-written by Tarkovsky and Creator/AndreiKonchalovsky. It is loosely based on the life of Russia's famous icon painter of the same name. It is the movie that launched the director to international attention after its warm reception at the Cannes film festival.

The movie is notable for its troubled production and numerous issues with the Soviet Union's strict censorship board. It is Tarkovsky's longest and most violent film, and was only available in heavily cut versions until Creator/TheCriterionCollection DVD release in 1999, which restored the film to its original 205 minute run time.

As with most Tarkovsky films, it eschews a traditional narrative structure, relying on episodic vignettes that take place around the life of Rublev, with the man himself often taking a backseat to the actions on screen depicting the time. Interestingly, the film never once [[InformedAbility depicts Andrei Rublev painting,]] and is entirely in black and white until an ending montage of Rublev's work in blazing color. It is [[TrueArtIsAngsty quite depressing,]] but also considered to be a shining example of one of the 20th century's greatest creative minds at the height of his power.

* ArtShift: The otherwise black and white film finally shows color in the closing scenes when displaying the actual icon paintings of Rublev.

* MoralityPet: Andrei takes Durochka under his care after the massacre at Vladimir, as a living reminder of what he perceived to be his own moral failure (having killed a man to protect her from rape).

** Also Kirill, who spends his last days copying scripture as penance for his jealousy-driven fit of rage against his fellow monks.

** The Russian authorities are hardly more humane than the Tatars (a point lampshaded by one of the Tatar commanders). For instance, the Skoromokh (jester) has part of his tongue cut out just for cracking some harmless jokes about the Boyars.

** Also Kirill, who spends his last days copying scripture as penance for his jealousy-driven fit of rage.

* TheStoolPigeon: Kirill believes that the Skoromokh's bawdy humor is of the devil, and wastes no time in reporting his jokes at the Boyar's expense to the authorities, resulting in the poor jester being tortured and imprisoned for a decade.

* DisproportionateRetribution: Several of the artisans working on the Vladimir Cathedral for Archduke Vasily leave when he orders them to redo the paintings, saying that they'll get better treatment from his hated brother Prince Yuriy and will make his palace more beautiful than Vasily's. The archduke sends his soldiers to gouge out their eyes so that they will never work their craft again.

* KarmaHoudiniWarranty: Prince Yuriy successfully leads an assault on the city of Vladimir (which is loyal to his brother, Archduke Vasily) with the aid of a Tatar chieftan, destroying the city and murdering most of its residents. In the final chapter, we find that Vasily eventually defeated his renegade brother in a later battle and had him executed. Of course, there is little to celebrate in Vasily's victory, since the Archduke is every bit as brutal as his brother.

* ArtShift: The film finally goes colorful at the end.

** [[spoiler: Andrei, after killing a man in defense of Durochka.]]

* {{Biopic}}: Averted. While the film does fall into this genre, the movie is actually ABOUT the relationship between art and faith, not Andrei Rublev's life.

* DisproportionateRetribution: Several of the artisans working on the Vladimir Cathedral for Archduke Vasily leave when he orders them to redo the paintings, saying that they'll get better treatment from his hated brother Prince Yuriy and will make his palace more beautify than Vasily's. The archduke sends his soldiers to gouge out their eyes so that they will never work their craft again.

* EvilIsPetty: Archduke Vasily has the eyes of several architects and painters gouged out to prevent them from beautifying the palace and cathedral of his hated brother Prince Yuriy.

* KarmaHoudiniWarranty: Prince Yuriy leads an assault on the city of Vladimir (which is loyal to his brother, Archduke Vasily) with the aid of a Tatar chieftan, destroying the city and murdering most of its residents. In the final chapter, we find that Vasily eventually defeated his renegade brother in a later battle and had him executed. Of course, there is little to celebrate in Vasily's victory, since the Archduke is every bit as brutal as his brother.

* {{Gorn}}: Quite potent for a film of the period. There's a cow being set on fire, a horse falling down from a flight of stairs, and a man tortured and murdered by having molten metal poured into his mouth.

* TheDungAges: Medieval Russia, evidently, was not fun.

* TheMiddleAges: A very accurate and unflinching depiction.

** The death of [[spoiler: Rublev's young apprentice Foma]]. During the Tartar assault, he gets hit by an arrow in the back. We see him tumble in slow-mo until he finally falls over into the river and is carried away by the currents.

* ColdBloodedTorture: After the attack on the cathedral, Patrikei screams in pain while being tortured with fire to reveal the location of gold, [[TortureIsIneffective which he refuses to do so]]. Eventually, [[spoiler: he has molten metal from his cross poured into his mouth and dragged out of the cathedral with a horse.]]

* OneSceneWonder:
** Yuri Nikulin, one of the most beloved actors and clowns in the Soviet Union, in his role as Patrikei the messenger.
** Although he has a brief scene in the final act of the film, Rolan Bykov shines as the "skomorokh" (jester) in the film's first act.

* TheAtoner: [[spoiler: Andrei, after killing a man in defense of Durochka.]]

* OneSceneWonder: Yuri Nikulin, one of the most beloved actors and clowns in the Soviet Union, in his role as Patrikei the messenger.

* SceneryPorn

* HighHopesZeroTalent: Kirrill is a tragic example of this when he realizes how untalented he is, since his only ambition in life was to be a great icon painter.

* HighHopesZeroTalent: Kirrill is a tragic example of this when he realizes how untalented he is.

** Also Kirill, who spends his last days copying scriptures as penance for his jealousy-driven fit of rage.

** Also Kirill, who spends his last days copying scriptures as penance.