Solaris 1972: in search of a soul

Andrei Tarkovsky’s films are always full of spiritual meaning. The film Solaris was no exception. The creation of the director is as mysterious as the icons of Andrei Rublev. To understand the creativity of these people, you need to consider it thoughtfully and carefully.

What is the movie Solaris about?

People work on the Solaris space station. But something strange is happening to them. Ghosts are born from a strange mist. They are sent by the mysterious ocean. The crew of the Solaris consists of Dr. Snout, the psychologist Kelvin, and the physicist Sartorius. Each inhabitant of the station has his own visions. Psychologist Chris Kelvin arrives on the Solaris. He finds the scientists depressed. Gibaryan committed suicide.

Phantoms haunt scientists, they are material, they look like living people. Ghosts have driven scientists to insanity. Moreover, the visions themselves are sure that they are living people. Chris conducts an experiment, and Hari, who committed suicide a long time ago, appears to him. Kelvin tries to get rid of his phantom, but he comes back again and again.

Scientists continue the experiment. The ocean studies people, people study the ocean. The strange substance did not want to harm the scientists. The ocean simply materializes the thoughts and memories of a person. He extracts from the very depths of the subconscious, what a person wants to hide from himself.

Scientists managed to find a way to destroy phantoms. Sartorius developed a device by which ghosts disappear, leaving only a faint flash and a puff of wind. After using the device, phantoms no longer return. The only one left is Hari, whom Chris wants to keep. But the girl voluntarily agrees to annihilation, that is, to death. Hari is dead. She’s gone forever.

Chris Kelvin is staying at the station, he wants to continue his research. He sits on the shore of the ocean and thinks about new miracles that are worth waiting for. Chris will not return to Earth.

Meaning of Solaris

Tarkovsky’s film is filled with philosophical, moral, spiritual and prophetic meaning.

stay human

One of the main thoughts of the film is that even in space, when the native planet is far away, when conflicting feelings overcome, a person must remain a person.

He must maintain his self-respect. Nothing should break the firm spirit of man. Most importantly, he does not have the right to afford to exchange the spiritual for the material.

The problem of conscience

The mysterious ocean takes out from human souls those creatures in front of which the main characters in the secrets of the heart hide a sense of guilt. The conscience of scientists did not know peace, she slept. And the ocean awakened what the conscience was hiding in itself. It is harder for the one who most painfully experienced his drama. The problem of conscience cannot be solved, it can only be experienced. This is how the ocean checks a person, tests him.

Relationship with nature

Through all the events of the film, a red distinct line runs the theme of the relationship between nature and man. A stunted green bush that miraculously grew at the station shows the importance of unity with nature.

The film shows that progress can lead to a negative outcome.

If a person continues his activities, then in the future we will be able to lose the opportunity to contemplate the beautiful places that are in abundance on planet Earth. A person will not be able to free himself from ordinary trees.

Encounter with the unknown

The meaning of the philosophical film also lies in the fact that one cannot prepare for what awaits a person in the unexplored depths of space. To try to unravel the mystery of extraterrestrial intelligence, it is necessary to completely abandon the stereotypes of thinking. In this case, the ability to think and reflect is also important. Our thinking is fragile. Therefore, before the unknown, you need to try to save yourself, develop an iron moral discipline. At the same time, it is necessary not to hurt the unknown, if only in order to save yourself. Relations with the extraterrestrial world are a conflict within the person himself.

Spiritual world

The film makes a person think about the fact that the spiritual world should prevail over material activities. The spiritual part must begin to play a major role in the heart and mind, in relationships between people. It is important to keep the spiritual and material in balance, to make them move in parallel.

A person needs to turn to his heart more often, to spiritual secrets. Otherwise, the knowledge of the unknown can lead to spiritual breakdowns.

The meaning of the final

The creators tried to show at the end of the film a completely new moral level that a person stepped on. Hope remained in his soul, and there is nothing more important than this feeling in the world. But not only the creators wanted to tell their viewers. They have not forgotten about the dream.

About the dream of returning to your own home, to your home planet. It is important to look from the depths of the cosmos to the very beginning, and then overcome in your soul a new frontier in moral and spiritual expression.

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