Andrei Rublev (1966)

93% of critics liked it
(15 reviews)
94% of users liked it
(8,917 ratings)

Widely recognized as a masterpiece, Andrei Tarkovsky's 205-minute medieval epic, based on the life of the Russian monk and icon painter, was not seen as the director intended it until its re-release over twenty years after its completion. The film was not screened publicly in its own country (and… More Widely recognized as a masterpiece, Andrei Tarkovsky's 205-minute medieval epic, based on the life of the Russian monk and icon painter, was not seen as the director intended it until its re-release over twenty years after its completion. The film was not screened publicly in its own country (and then only in an abridged form) until 1972, three years after winning the International Critics Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Calling the film frightening, obscure, and unhistorical, Soviet authorities edited the picture on several occasions, removing as much as an entire hour from the original. Presented as a tableaux of seven sections in black and white, with a final montage of Rublev's painted icons in color, the film takes an unflinching gaze at medieval Russia during the first quarter of the 15th century, a period of Mongol-Tartar invasion and growing Christian influence. Commissioned to paint the interior of the Vladimir cathedral, Andrei Rublev (Anatoli Solonitsyn) leaves the Andronnikov monastery with an entourage of monks and assistants, witnessing in his travels the degradations befalling his fellow Russians, including pillage, oppression from tyrants and Mongols, torture, rape, and plague. Faced with the brutalities of the world outside the religious enclave, Rublev's faith is shaken, prompting him to question the uses or even possibility of art in a degraded world. After Mongols sack the city of Vladimir, burning the very cathedral that he has been commissioned to paint, Rublev takes a vow of silence and withdraws completely, removing himself to the hermetic confines of the monastery. Rising quickly out of this mire, the film's final section (a short story in its own right) concerns a boy named Boriska (Nikolai Burlyayev) who convinces a group of travelling bell-makers that his father passed on to him the secret of bell-making. The men take Boriska along, mostly because they pity and are amused by him, but they are quickly enthralled by the boy's ambition, determination, and confidence that he alone knows how to build the perfect bell. Boriska is soon commanding an army of assistants and peasant workers, and, indeed, his fierce temperament and refusal to accept anything but the best possible work and materials from the men fools the viewer -- possibly Boriska himself is fooled -- into thinking that he does in fact possess the secret, and that on the appointed day when the silver bell is lifted from the ground and its mallet set in place, it will ring. Amid this maelstrom of activity and confusion, Rublev appears; at first standoffish and mistrustful of the boy, he finds himself drawn to Boriska's courage and unselfconscious desire to create. Moved to put aside his vow of silence, Rublev serves finally as the boy's confessor, and he finds that, through Boriska, his faith, and art, have been renewed. ~ Anthony Reed, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 3 hr. 5 min.
Directed By: Andrei Tarkovsky
Written By: Andrey Konchalovskiy, Andrei Tarkovsky
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1973 Limited
On DVD: Feb 2, 1999

Critic Reviews

Vincent Canby, New York Times
Since there always seems to be more going on in the head of the film's director than in the head of the man playing Andrei, the system did not work for me.
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
Stuns with the sort of unexpected poetic explosions we've come to expect from Tarkovsky.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
A difficult, long, sometimes brutal work that truly justifies the term 'epic' -- not in the overused sense that has come to mean big and loud -- in both vision and execution.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Restored to its original cut (180 minutes), Tarkovsky's glorious masterpiec, an epic yet personal tale about the conflict between artists and society, is justly considered as one of the most important Russian films ever made; on par with Eisenstien's best
Jay Antani, Cinema Writer
A strange and most challenging film
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
One of the best films about an artist, if not the best.
Dan Jardine, Cinemania
A virulent assault on all that is wrong with Mother Russia, both past and present. One of the most significant movies of its (and all) time.
Steven D. Greydanus, Decent Films Guide
The notion of art as a 'religious experience' is sometimes bandied about too freely. Tarkovsky is one of a handful of filmmakers for whom this ideal was no cheap metaphor.
, Empire Magazine
It's Tarkovsky's lighter touches, coupled with his majestic vision, that makes Andrei Rublev such compulsive viewing some 25 years after its original release.
Jamie Russell, BBC
Perfection lingers in each frame as Tarkovsky crafts one of the finest films ever made, an ecstatic story about art that has little interest in the artist himself, but in the power of art to transcend the age that produces it.
Nick Davis, Nick's Flick Picks
One of cinema's stunning achievements. If God ever watched a movie, he might well pick this one.
Keith H. Brown, Eye for Film
While the pacing of the film is deliberate and the presentation frequently abtruse, the stunning compositions, elaborate camera movements, compelling performances -- provide ample reward, if you are willing to make the effort.
Bryant Frazer, Bryant Frazer's Deep Focus
Tarkovsky's keen sense of spatial dynamics make Andrei Rublev a film of unerring beauty, one that would be remembered as some kind of masterwork on the strength of its photography alone.

Read all 13 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Carlos M

Tarkovsky's art is pure poetry, and it carefully lingers for over three hours through the dominions of faith, brutality and mainly the role of the artist in the world. A true masterpiece that should be seen and revisited many times by those who appreciate works of art.
Thomas B

Tough going but definitely worth it with a slew of indelible images and scenes. Full review later.
Ken S

I can't say I understood it, but I found it enthralling. I'll be able to write a more in depth review after a few more viewings...maybe
Stella D

masterful russian epic about the trials of a medieval icon painter. at 3 1/2 hours it's an investment in time but well worth it. mesmerizing!
Dimitris S

I may not be religious but just as with Dies Irae,Rublev comes like a shocking rocket in its stillness and illuminates the cinematic horizon.Provoking and a tremendous onslaught to the social turmoils against it,a film with skepticism and serenity.
Linda K

This film may be 3 hours long but it is filled with very interesting cinematography and, incredible representation of Russians struggling for their survival. Considering that the story takes place in the 15th century, we see how the religion has an major impact on the people. A film… More
This film may be 3 hours long but it is filled with very interesting cinematography and, incredible representation of Russians struggling for their survival. Considering that the story takes place in the 15th century, we see how the religion has an major impact on the people. A film to see but only if you're able to appreciate great art and religion blend in one film.