Andrei Tarkovskys Sounding Cinema: Music and Meaning from Solaris to The Sacrifice

Andrei Tarkovskys Sounding Cinema adds a new dimension to our understanding and appreciation of the work of Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky (1932-1986) through an exploration of the presence of music and sound in his films.

The first comprehensive study in English concentrating on the soundtrack in Tarkovskys cinema, this book reveals how Tarkovskys use of electronic music, electronically manipulated sound, traditional folk songs and fragments of canonized works of Western art music plays into the philosophical, existential and ethical themes recurring throughout his work. Exploring the multilayered relationship between music, sound, film image and narrative space, Pontara provides penetrating and innovative close readings of Solaris (1972), Mirror (1975), Stalker (1979), Nostalghia (1983) and The Sacrifice (1986) and in turn deeply enriches critical understanding of Tarkovskys films and their relation to the broader traditions of European art cinema.

An excellent resource for scholars, researchers and students interested in European art cinema and the role of music in film, as well as for film aficionados interested in Tarkovskys work.