Andrei Rublev is a beautiful study of an artist's relationship with his/her social circumstances. With patient camera movement and long takes, Tarkovsky presents Rublev, the 15th-century Russian icon painter, as someone who is internally split between a desire to paint in ignorance of social turmoil and a curiosity to get as close as he can … Continue reading #34. Andrei Rublev. Dir., Andrei Tarkovsky
#1. Seven Samurai. Dir., Akira Kurosawa
Seven Samurai was not the first criterion in my collection, but it probably should have been. When I first watched this film--a loan from my library--I started to see my ignorance of cinema history clearly, without bias or defensiveness. If it had taken me this long to see Seven Samurai, there must be so many … Continue reading #1. Seven Samurai. Dir., Akira Kurosawa


