History Film / STALKER

''Stalker'', or ''СТАЛКЕР'' in the original Russian, is a 1979 AndreiTarkovsky ScienceFiction film shot in Estonia. It is an adaptation (albeit a very loose one) by the Creator/StrugatskyBrothers of their earlier science-fiction story ''Literature/RoadsidePicnic''.

Loosely related to [[{{Stalker}} the video game of the same name]]. Very loosely.

-> A film about three men walking through the wooded territory, two of which are mostly calm, and the third is constantly afraid of something.

* TroubledProduction: The original print of the movie was destroyed in a fire, forcing Andrei to shoot the whole thing all over again. [[NoBudget That's the reason]] why he had to abandon a more lavish production (like the one he did earlier while adapting Lem's ''{{Solaris}}'') and retool the film into a more cerebral and looser adaptation of the novel.

The film takes in and around a devastated partially-industrialised landscape called The Zone. At the centre of The Zone we are told, lies a location called The Room, which is said to grant the deepest desires of those strong enough to make it there, avoiding the numerous hazards for which the Zone enjoys a fearsome and lethal reputation.

* TheQuest

''Stalker'', or ''СТАЛКЕР'' in the original Russian, is a 1979 AndreiTarkovsky ScienceFiction film shot in Estonia. It is an adaptation (albeit a very loose one) by the StrugatskyBrothers of their earlier science-fiction story ''Literature/RoadsidePicnic''.

* TroubledProduction: The original print of the movie was destroyed in a fire, forcing Andrei to shoot the whole thing all over again.
* TrueArtIsIncomprehensible: The utter lack of exposition makes the entire film open to a wide variety of interpretations

''Stalker'', or ''СТАЛКЕР'' in the original Russian, is a 1979 AndreiTarkovsky ScienceFiction film shot in Estonia. It is an adaptation by the StrugatskyBrothers of their earlier science-fiction story ''Literature/RoadsidePicnic''.

''Stalker'', or ''СТАЛКЕР'' in the original Russian, is a 1979 AndreiTarkovsky ScienceFiction film shot in Estonia. It is an adaptation by the StrugatskyBrothers of their earlier science-fiction story ''RoadsidePicnic''.

* WonderChild: [[spoiler: Monkey]] appears to have telekinetic powers.

''Stalker'', or ''СТАЛКЕР'' in the original Russian, is a 1979 AndreiTarkovsky ScienceFiction film shot in Estonia. It is an adaptation by the StrugatskyBrothers of their earlier science-fiction story ''Roadside Picnic''.

''Stalker'', or ''СТАЛКЕР'' in the original Russian, is a 1979 AndreiTarkovsky ScienceFiction film shot in Estonia. It is an adaptation by the StrugatskyBrothers of their earlier science-fi story ''Roadside Picnic''.

Our three main characters meet in a bar outside the Zone. They are only named by their professions; Stalker, Writer, and Professor. Stalker is both the protagonist and also the name of a class of semi-professional guides, skilled at infiltrating the security cordon surrounding the Zone, and avoiding the many hazards within it. He regards the Zone with something close to religious awe, and treats it as a tempermental Deity to be appeased and wondered at. Writer is an urbane, fashionable, cynical author with a drink problem. He complains that he has lost his inspiration, and wishes to regain it via the power of The Room. Professor is a taciturn physicist, who appears to have no particular reason to visit the Zone, and a small backpack [[spoiler: containing a small nuclear bomb]] that he is very attached to.

* TheAlcoholic Writer is the first to the bar, is refused spirits and so buys beer as if that doesn't count. Stalker later tips away Writer's booze stash (hidden under Writer's decidedly non-BadAssLongcoat)
* TheStoic Professor is not upset by the challenge to modern science that the Zone presents. He even lands a few rhetorical punches on Writer following his little speech about truth.
* TheWoobie Stalker bemoans the lack of 'magic' in the modern world, gets upset when people fail to pay the Zone appropriate respect, and generally walks around halfway between panicky tears and childish stroppiness

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment Having dodged the security forces, our heroes treat us to five minute-long studies of the backs of each other's heads as they ride a motorized draisine into the Zone.
** The train sequence is also a CrowningMomentOfAwesome for some, accompanied by CrowningMusicOfAwesome.
* CoolCar The three charge the gates in a Series II 88" Land Rover
* EliteMooks Averted by The Zone security forces. They are generally more interested in television, and hosing civilian vehicles with machine gun fire

* FinalBoss The Meat Grinder
* GeniusLoci The Zone
* GeoEffects The shortest route between two points within the Zone is '''never''' in a straight line. Oh, and never attempt to retrace your steps
* HaveAGayOldTime The film's usage of "stalking" to mean "to steal past something", as it happens, is etymologically more accurate.

* OnlyOneName Stalker implies it is safer for everyone in case they are arrested that no-one knows anyone else's name, although the trend encompasses almost the entire cast: Stalker, Writer, Professor, Luger, Monkey, Teacher (or Porcupine)
* OhCrap Writer decides to go off on his own until a disembodied voice [[spoiler: actually it's The Zone]] shouts at him to "Stop right where you are!"
* RealIsBrown The world outside the Zone is (mostly) filmed in washed-out sepia tones
* SceneryGorn Anywhere outside The Zone. Overlaps with CrapsackWorld.
* SceneryPorn Almost anywhere inside The Zone, the [[spoiler: exploded tanks, artillery, and incinerated corpses of the armies sent to surround the Zone]] notwithstanding
* ScienceIsWrong Writer's snarkalicious speech to Professor about finding truth in science and art
* TrueArtIsIncomprehensible The utter lack of exposition makes the entire film open to a wide variety of interpretations
* WhatDoyoumeanItsNotSymbolic: According to WordOfGod, a black hound is just a black hound.
* WonderChild [[spoiler: Monkey]] appears to have telekinetic powers
* YouAllMeetInAnInn Stalker, Writer, and Professor start off in a bar

* SceneryPorn Almost anywhere inside The Zone, the [[spoiler: exploded tanks, artillery, and incinerated corpses of the armies sent to surround the Zone]] notwithstanding
* SceneryGorn Anywhere outside The Zone. Overlaps with CrapsackWorld.

* CoolCar The three charge the gates in a Series II 88" Land Rover
* OhCrap Writer decides to go off on his own until a disembodied voice [[spoiler: actually it's The Zone]] shouts at him to "Stop right where you are!"
* GeoEffects The shortest route between two points within the Zone is '''never''' in a straight line. Oh, and never attempt to retrace your steps

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment Having dodged the security forces, our heroes treat us to five minute-long studies of the backs of each other's heads as they ride a motorized draisine into the Zone.
** The train sequence is also a CrowningMomentOfAwesome for some, accompanied by CrowningMusicOfAwesome.

* ScienceIsWrong Writer's snarkalicious speech to Professor about finding truth in science and art

* RealIsBrown The world outside the Zone is (mostly) filmed in washed-out sepia tones
* LeaveTheCameraRunning: Director's trademark.
* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: Stalker, Writer, and Professor.

''Stalker'', or ''СТАЛКЕР'' in the original Russian, is a 1979 AndreiTarkovsky ScienceFiction film shot in Estonia. It is an adaptation by the Strugatsky brothers of their earlier science-fi story ''Roadside Picnic''.

** TheAlcoholic Writer is the first to the bar, is refused spirits and so buys beer as if that doesn't count. Stalker later tips away Writer's booze stash (hidden under Writer's decidedly non-BadAssLongcoat)
** TheStoic Professor is not upset by the challenge to modern science that the Zone presents. He even lands a few rhetorical punches on Writer following his little speech about truth.
** TheWoobie Stalker bemoans the lack of 'magic' in the modern world, gets upset when people fail to pay the Zone appropriate respect, and generally walks around halfway between panicky tears and childish stroppiness
** SceneryPorn Almost anywhere inside The Zone, the [[spoiler: exploded tanks, artillery, and incinerated corpses of the armies sent to surround the Zone]] notwithstanding
** SceneryGorn Anywhere outside The Zone. Overlaps with CrapsackWorld.
** EliteMooks Averted by The Zone security forces. They are generally more interested in television, and hosing civilian vehicles with machine gun fire
** CoolCar The three charge the gates in a Series II 88" Land Rover
** OhCrap Writer decides to go off on his own until a disembodied voice [[spoiler: actually it's The Zone]] shouts at him to "Stop right where you are!"
** GeoEffects The shortest route between two points within the Zone is '''never''' in a straight line. Oh, and never attempt to retrace your steps
** FinalBoss The Meat Grinder
** GeniusLoci The Zone
** OnlyOneName Stalker implies it is safer for everyone in case they are arrested that no-one knows anyone else's name, although the trend encompasses almost the entire cast: Stalker, Writer, Professor, Luger, Monkey, Teacher (or Porcupine)
** TrueArtIsIncomprehensible The utter lack of exposition makes the entire film open to a wide variety of interpretations
** BigLippedAlligatorMoment Having dodged the security forces, our heroes treat us to five minute-long studies of the backs of each other's heads as they ride a motorized draisine into the Zone.
** WonderChild [[spoiler: Monkey]] appears to have telekinetic powers
** ScienceIsWrong Writer's snarkalicious speech to Professor about finding truth in science and art
** YouAllMeetInAnInn Stalker, Writer, and Professor start off in a bar
** RealIsBrown The world outside the Zone is (mostly) filmed in washed-out sepia tones

Andrei Tarkovsky's ''Stalker'', or ''СТАЛКЕР'' in the original Russian, is a 1979 science fiction film made in Estonia. It is an adaptation by the Strugatsky brothers of their earlier science-fi story ''Roadside Picnic''.