Classic Review: The Steamroller and the Violin.

Katok i skripka
The Steamroller and the Violin
(1960)

Director: Andrei Tarkovsky

Andrei Tarkovsky is a not a well known filmmaker in the U.S., outside of those with a keen interest in cinema. His most famous feature is probably Solaris (1972), due to the fact that it was recently remade by Steven Soderberg and George Clooney.
On the international scene, however, Tarkovsky is a legend. His films are provocative, deeply spiritual, and beautiful. They are also notorious for being slow moving, occasionally inert, and challenging in their intellectualism.
I have struggled my way through much of Tarkovsky's Andrei Rublev and Stalker before, mostly unsuccessfully, and so I have decided to watch his films in chronological order to try and find a new way to appreciate them.
I've begun with Steamroller and the Violin, a mosfilm production that Tarkovsky made in 1960 as his diploma film. It is a student film, and this is often evident from the level of production. However, it is a wonderful film, and very indicative of where Tarkovsky would go in the future.

Steamroller and the Violin details one day in the life of Sasha, a seven year old musician. Sasha plays the violin, and it is his goal in life (pushed by his mother) to become a professional violinist. It is clear, however, that Sasha has other aspirations, and these include daydreaming and wandering (a beautiful kaleidoscopic early in the film shows us his imagination in full blossom). When leaving the house one morning, he is harassed by several of the local boys who spitefully call him 'musician.' He is saved by Sergei, a local worker who operates the steamroller that is doing construction outside the block of flats where Sasha lives. From this early interaction, the two strike up a friendship which the film details in simple, lyrical, and wistful ways.
Tarkovsky's work is often comprised of long, colorful, and dreamily shots heavy with atmosphere and symbolism. Steamroller and the violin is no exception. It is beautifully and meaningfully composed, and many seemingly mundane objects completely steal your attention throughout. He uses his simple story as a springboard for a deeper exploration of the things we are lacking in our lives, and the strangeness of our daily existence.
Of course, being a student film, there are aspects of the production that feel amateurish. There are editing guffaws and odd sound problems, but the film doesn't feel dated, and, at 43 minutes, is not one of Tarkovsky's more challenging efforts.
Tarkovsky was a great filmmaker; his films feel like a dream, and Steamroller and the Violin showed him off to a great start. Highly recommended. The film is available on Netflix.

4/5


Next up: Ivan's Childhood.