IVAN'S CHILDHOOD is a masterful black and white work in which Andrei Tarkovsky demonstrates a complete command of stylistic improvisation, visual experimentation and complex use of symbolism. It is no less than astonishing that this is his first film. The story is a fairly simple tale of a young boy who wants to continue as a dangerous scout on the Russian front during the last days of WWII much to the dismay of the Soviet staff. The director employs an elliptical narrative which oscillates between an inner, dream-like vision, and actual events. Segments of the film are often introduced with extreme closeups which, at first, are difficult to recognize or understand. However, each scene is composed with the utmost attention to detail, and I don't think many paintings are created with this degree of clinical precision. Compositions begin stark and finely etched, and then seem to explode with meaning after the introduction of light and shadow. Although the film is set within the War Genre, the movie examines how war destroys the innocence of childhood. This masterwork contrasts the difference between an idyllic past where childhood should exist, and the brutal, warlike landscape of the front-lines. IVAN'S CHILDHOOD is a triumph of complex mood and nuanced style, and is truly one of the greats.
Review of Ivan's Childhood
