Solaris

[BioMechanic]

I rented this over the weekend and enjoyed it a lot. Steven Soderbergh does some beautiful camera work, Cliff Martinez' score is purchase-worthy, & the acting was great.

But I think I missed something regarding the plot. Anyone care to fill me in on what actually happened? I sense there's something quite profound that happened, unless it's just being vague for the sake of it. Should I just go track down the Stanislaw Lem novel and check that out? It presents some extremely interesting ideas which I'm sure are better described in the book...or are they?

In any case, very thought-provoking, to the point of being haunting. My wife & I discussed it for an hour after it was over and couldn't come to any definite conclusions.

[Sqoon]

Naturally, the book does delve much deeper since it has the liberty and time to go in much depth and the medium allows it (Soderbergh focuses a lot on the love story, and adds a bunch of rhetorical questions and endless staring).

I'd also suggest watching the 1972 film version, which also takes a lot of liberties. Stainslaw Lem even called Tarkovsky (the director) an idiot for what he was doing.

All of them are different (not necessarily a bad thing) but the Soderbergh one is probably the least edifying.

[Despair]

Bio, you definately should check out the book, since as Sqoon said both movie adaptations did take liberties with books main idea.

I havent seen Sodebergs version, but from what I read and Sqoon pointed out, it more concentrated on love aspects of the story. Tarkovsky took more philosophical approach and made the theme of the film is to be of home and lonelyness (sp?).

Original Lem's novel was more of the discovery and exploration of the unknown. The alien world of Solaris and first human contacts with alien way of thinking.

[BioMechanic]

Thanks guys, I'll look into both.

[Kinopio]

I hightly suggest checking out the Criterion of Solaris. Awesome movie, awesome DVD.