Nostalgia (1983)

Directed by: Andrei Tarkovsky | 125 minutes | drama | Actors: Oleg Yankovskiy, Erland Josephson, Domiziana Giordano, Patrizia Terreno, Laura De Marchi, Delia Boccardo, Milena Vukotic, Raffaele Di Mario, Rate Furlan, Livio Galassi, Elena Magoia, Piero Vida

Since the seventeenth century, when the term was coined, nostalgia has been seen as a double-sided sword. On the one hand, memories of the past can give a feeling of warmth and security. At the same time, they are capable of actual physical pain. But above all, the past that is retrieved is a false construct of the brain, made to make life more beautiful than it is. When someone lingers in nostalgia for too long, reality gets sidetracked. Warmth and safety turn into a fiery suffocation. Finding a way out is difficult.

Andrei Tarkovsky’s ‘Nostalghia’ presents the Russian writer Andrei Gorchakov (Oleg Yankovskiy). Together with his guide Eugenia (Domiziana Giordano), he crosses Italy in a search for inspiration and meaning. However, it doesn’t really want to run smoothly. The memories and nostalgia for his homeland make it difficult for him to work. In order not to get completely lost in emotional distractions, he keeps everything to do with Russia at a distance. Much to the dismay of Eugenia, who does not hide her love for everything that has to do with their shared home. When the two track down the eccentric Domenico (Erland Josephson), their beliefs are completely shattered.

The nostalgic desperation of the characters is beautifully and effectively portrayed. The opening shot of the poetic ‘Nostalghia’ shows an almost still black-and-white image of a rural country retreat. The scene looks as if time has stood still. In the following scenes, some color slowly comes into the picture. As if the past is gradually making way for the present. However, the film does not want to be really colorful, history cannot be erased just like that.

That feeling is also enhanced by the many mists and precipitation that descends over the sets. The lack of focus that results from this gives a dreamy effect that once again puts reality at a distance. The subtle lighting, a main character is reminiscent of the autumn afternoons in Moscow, also contributes to this. The tempo is extremely slow, the camera work is just as slow. Time is a necessary evil that, despite all the nostalgic resistance, slowly swallows the past.

The fact that the characters do not surrender to time without a struggle is apparent from the many symbolism in ‘Nostalghia’. For example, doors and gates can be seen regularly, in which the lonely characters try to make their metaphorical journey in time. The passageways are almost always portrayed in the center of the image, as a perfect image of symmetry. But if you look closely, you will see countless deliberate irregularities. The perfection perception of the past is at the same time a tainted perception. From the illusionary dream of the past arises a place of blissful captivity.