Capable Quote by Ingmar Bergman
“When film is not a document, it is dream. That is why Tarkovsky is the greatest of them all. He moves with such naturalness in the room of dreams. He doesn't explain. What should he explain anyhow? He is a spectator, capable of staging his visions in the most unwieldy but, in a way, the most willing of media. All my life I have hammered on the doors of the rooms in which he moves so naturally. Only a few times have I managed to creep inside. Most of my conscious efforts have ended in embarrassing failure - THE SERPENT'S EGG, THE TOUCH, FACE TO FACE and so on”
About This Quote
Source Film Critique: Essay on Andrei Tarkovsky, 1975
Tarkovsky’s cinema transcends documentary, entering a dreamlike realm where visual poetry replaces exposition.
In simple terms: Tarkovsky creates dreamlike films without explaining.
Key Takeaway
Embrace visual storytelling that evokes feeling over facts.
Themes
cinema
art
dreams
Mood
contemplative
artistic
Type
critical
philosophical
When to use this quote
- film analysis
- creative writing
- art education
Key Concepts
visual poetry
subjectivity
aesthetic experience
Questions to Reflect On
- What emotions do Tarkovsky’s images evoke?
- Can dreamlike visuals convey concrete ideas?
A Different Perspective
Such abstract cinema may alienate audiences seeking clear narratives.
![“Tarkovsky for me is the greatest [director], the one who invented a new language, true to the nature of film, as it captures life as a reflection, life as a dream.” quote by Ingmar Bergman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/cb2/ingmar-bergman-4973_capture_tarkovsky-for-me-is-the-greatest-directo_1919502.jpg)
![“I remember, the first time I saw a [Andrei] Tarkovsky film, I was shocked by it. I didn't know what to do. I was fascinated, because suddenly I realized that film could have so many more layers to it than what I had imagined before. Then others, like Kurosawa and Fellini, were like a new discovery…” quote by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/942/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu-12_country_i-remember-the-first-time-i-saw-a-andrei_1790638.jpg)
![“I shall remember this moment: the silence, the twilight, the bowl of strawberries, the bowl of milk. Your faces in the evening light.[...] I shall carry this memory carefully in my hands as if it were a bowl brimful of fresh milk. It will be a sign to me, and a great sufficiency.” quote by Ingmar Bergman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/3e6/ingmar-bergman-4973_evening-light_i-shall-remember-this-moment-the-silence_20642.jpg)
![“[The Community's] crosses and trials give me confidence. But I derive my hope above all, and most especially, from our utter incapacity, for it is always upon nothingness that God is pleased to rear His works. If at any day we accomplish some good here, the glory will certainly be His alone, since…” quote by Theodore Guerin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2b8/theodore-guerin-54729_accomplish_the-community-s-crosses-and-trials-give_7176.jpg)
