Tarkovsky's walls...

There comes a time in every creative person's life when they need to seek out the pendulous and oneiric Russian soul of Andrei Tarkovsky. Last night's double bill of Zerkalo (Mirror) and Nostalghia at LACMA provided just such an opportunity for a surprisingly large crowd. The big screen is a must for his films, not only for the scope and color, but for the experience of passing through these alternate universes together with a room full of willing strangers.

There are countless cinematic details in his films that cling to your mind like burrs from a country hike. You might not even notice them stuck to your gray matter until a few days later. For me, it's his walls. Every structure in every Tarkovsky film has the most fantastic textured walls. They are full blown characters, as craggy, nuanced, and expressive as the faces of his heroes and heroines. Look out for them when you make your pilgrimage into his work.

(Sorry not too many walls in this clip, but still nice to see, no?)