--- product_id: 44680802 title: "Stalker (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]" price: "€ 53.05" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 7 url: https://www.desertcart.pt/products/44680802-stalker-the-criterion-collection-blu-ray store_origin: PT region: Portugal --- # Stalker (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] **Price:** € 53.05 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** Stalker (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] - **How much does it cost?** € 53.05 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.pt](https://www.desertcart.pt/products/44680802-stalker-the-criterion-collection-blu-ray) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description Andrei Tarkovsky s final Soviet feature is a metaphysical journey through an enigmatic postapocalyptic landscape, and a rarefied cinematic experience like no other. A hired guide the Stalker leads a writer and a scientist into the heart of the Zone, the restricted site of a long-ago disaster, where the three men eventually zero in on the Room, a place rumored to fulfill one s most deeply held desires. Adapting a science-fiction novel by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, Tarkovsky created an immersive world with a wealth of material detail and a sense of organic atmosphere. A religious allegory, a reflection of contemporaneous political anxieties, a meditation on film itself Stalker envelops the viewer by opening up a multitude of possible meanings.BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES- New 2K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack- New interview with Geoff Dyer, author of Zona: A Book About a Film About a Journey to a Room- Interview from 2002 with cinematographer Alexander Knyazhinsky- Interview from 2002 with set designer Rashit Safiullin- Interview from 2002 with composer Eduard Artemyev- New English subtitle translation- More!- PLUS: An essay by critic Mark Le Fanu Review: The Great Existentialist Science Fiction Film - It'd been many years since I had seen Stalker, Andrei Tarkovsky's excellent science fiction film, and I watched it last night. For a science fiction movie, Stalker is certainly an oddity. Released in 1979, loosely based on the short novel Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, and directed by Tarkovsky, the masterful Russian director who lived too short a life, it tells the tale of a part of Russia that has been visited by an odd event. It may have been a meteorite that fell, or it may have been an alien visitation. But the event created the Zone, a dangerous area which was cordoned off by the police, and where few could go. A Stalker - a sort of guide who takes people through the traps in the Zone - meets up with two men who want to visit the Room, a place where wishes come true. One is a Professor, a man of reason, and the other a writer, a man of inspiration. The Stalker is a man of belief. Very little happens in the movie, which lasts more than 2 1/2 hours, except for their trip to the Room, and their discovery of what they want from it. Stalker is science fiction only in its premise; there are no aliens, no magic, nothing that would be noticed as science fiction. It is a slow movie; very little happens, and some of the shots are several minutes long. It's a science fiction movie as it would have been written by Samuel Beckett. Yet it's a brilliant existential examination of the desires of men and women. At first, the film begins in sepia-toned black-and-white, but once the three characters reach the Zone, the film changes to color. Just as Oz was in color, so was the Zone. The Zone is located outside an industrialized city, and is full of the detritus of modernity. Yet Tarkovsky films these banal, cast-off items with the plastic beauty that he showed in all his films. Some of the shots are breathtakingly haunting, yet there is nothing special in them. In a prescient shot, near the end of the movie, the Stalker can be seen returning to his home with his wife and daughter, and, across the river, a nuclear power plant is seen. The Zone could be the area surrounding Chernobyl. There is no devastation, simply signs of nature taking over some human artefacts. According to an interview with the production designer, the film took two years to shoot. The first year's footage was lost, apparently because it was an experimental film stock that couldn't be developed. (Though that suggests that it was only sent for development after the entire film was shot, which seems at odds with the way movies were created at the time.) Tarkovsky then started over, reshooting the entire movie, over another year. The DVD is decently produced, though the English subtitles are a bit clunky. It contains the original mono soundtrack, and also a recent 5.1 mix, which, in my opinion, ruins the movie. It is merely the mono soundtrack with added environmental sounds, trying to create "atmosphere," yet Tarkovsky used a lot of silence in this film, and the surround mix is never quiet. I first saw Stalker in the early 1980s at a retrospective of movies by Wim Wenders in New York. Wenders had made a selection of films to be shown with his movies, and, preceding his Kings of the Road (In the Course of Time), was Stalker and John Ford's The Searchers. All three of these movies are quests, searches for people or ideas, and the very long program that day (more than 7 hours) was an extraordinary example of three different approaches to the quest movie. Since then, it has been one of my favorite films. It's an odd movie, more like a Beckett play than science fiction, yet it is unforgettable. If you've never seen Stalker, you should by all means watch it. It is a truly unforgettable movie by one of the great directors of the 20th century. His life and career were too short, but his films are all masterpieces. Review: 'The Wizard of Oz' crossed with 'The X-Files' - This is my updated review -- for the Criterion Blu-ray edition: The Blu-ray is crystal clear and a huge improvement on the DVD that I bought years ago (by KINO). The sound is also vastly better. It is like seeing the film for the 1st time again. Criterion did an awesome job on this, Thank-You! If you like journeys into abandoned places and landscapes, and also philosophical 'meaning of Life' tales, and a sprinkle of lovely spoken poetry... not to mention fantastic, mesmerizing scenery that lingers in your mind - then this is a film experience that you should enjoy. But it is a slow-paced film (but that is its charm as well, for me). When I watch this, it gives me a 'mind-break vacation' from the daily world of our often crazy reality... 'Stalker' was adapted from the Strugatsky brothers novel ' Roadside Picnic', and is that rare film that takes time to watch and understand the story, but it is well worth the effort. It is a surreal road trip... like 'The Wizard of Oz' crossed with an extended episode of 'The X-Files'! (but in Russian - with English subtitles). And it has humor too. Basically, this is about a 'stalker' - a guide that illegally takes people into a forbidden place called 'The Zone', where it is suggested that something unusual landed years ago, changing the area forever. The Zone is very dangerous and mysterious, and many that go in there never return, but will vanish or die without the stalker. Stalker (a nickname) has an almost spiritual relationship with the Zone. It is like a holy and sacred place for him, even with all its known and hidden dangers. Much of the dialog between him and the two people he guides (Professor and Writer) is a big part of the enjoyment of the story, and all of the visuals and cinematography in many scenes make for some very magical and breathtaking film watching! After 2 viewings I was hooked. This is now one of my favorite films (next to '2001' and 'Blade Runner'). I also read the book this was adapted from, and though there are differences, both are satisfying adventures that should not be missed! Along with 'Solaris' (1972), this is one of my favorite films by Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky. He was a real poet of filmmaking , and this might be his masterpiece - a real 'mind trip' of a movie! Thank-You for reading... but go watch 'Stalker' today! ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | ASIN | B06ZY641YQ | | Actors | Aleksandr Kaydanovskiy, Alisa Freyndlikh, Anatoliy Solonitsyn | | Best Sellers Rank | #4,534 in Movies & TV ( See Top 100 in Movies & TV ) #119 in Science Fiction Blu-ray Discs #320 in Horror (Movies & TV) #587 in Drama Blu-ray Discs | | Customer Reviews | 4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars (2,013) | | Director | Andrei Tarkovsky | | Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No | | MPAA rating | NR (Not Rated) | | Media Format | Subtitled, Widescreen | | Number of discs | 1 | | Product Dimensions | 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 3.2 ounces | | Release date | July 18, 2017 | | Run time | 2 hours and 41 minutes | | Studio | Criterion Collection | | Subtitles: | English | ## Product Details - **Contributor:** Aleksandr Kaydanovskiy, Alisa Freyndlikh, Anatoliy Solonitsyn, Andrei Tarkovsky - **Format:** Subtitled, Widescreen - **Genre:** Horror - **Language:** English - **Runtime:** 2 hours and 41 minutes ## Images ![Stalker (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81GYq5xC3HL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Great Existentialist Science Fiction Film *by K***N on September 8, 2012* It'd been many years since I had seen Stalker, Andrei Tarkovsky's excellent science fiction film, and I watched it last night. For a science fiction movie, Stalker is certainly an oddity. Released in 1979, loosely based on the short novel Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, and directed by Tarkovsky, the masterful Russian director who lived too short a life, it tells the tale of a part of Russia that has been visited by an odd event. It may have been a meteorite that fell, or it may have been an alien visitation. But the event created the Zone, a dangerous area which was cordoned off by the police, and where few could go. A Stalker - a sort of guide who takes people through the traps in the Zone - meets up with two men who want to visit the Room, a place where wishes come true. One is a Professor, a man of reason, and the other a writer, a man of inspiration. The Stalker is a man of belief. Very little happens in the movie, which lasts more than 2 1/2 hours, except for their trip to the Room, and their discovery of what they want from it. Stalker is science fiction only in its premise; there are no aliens, no magic, nothing that would be noticed as science fiction. It is a slow movie; very little happens, and some of the shots are several minutes long. It's a science fiction movie as it would have been written by Samuel Beckett. Yet it's a brilliant existential examination of the desires of men and women. At first, the film begins in sepia-toned black-and-white, but once the three characters reach the Zone, the film changes to color. Just as Oz was in color, so was the Zone. The Zone is located outside an industrialized city, and is full of the detritus of modernity. Yet Tarkovsky films these banal, cast-off items with the plastic beauty that he showed in all his films. Some of the shots are breathtakingly haunting, yet there is nothing special in them. In a prescient shot, near the end of the movie, the Stalker can be seen returning to his home with his wife and daughter, and, across the river, a nuclear power plant is seen. The Zone could be the area surrounding Chernobyl. There is no devastation, simply signs of nature taking over some human artefacts. According to an interview with the production designer, the film took two years to shoot. The first year's footage was lost, apparently because it was an experimental film stock that couldn't be developed. (Though that suggests that it was only sent for development after the entire film was shot, which seems at odds with the way movies were created at the time.) Tarkovsky then started over, reshooting the entire movie, over another year. The DVD is decently produced, though the English subtitles are a bit clunky. It contains the original mono soundtrack, and also a recent 5.1 mix, which, in my opinion, ruins the movie. It is merely the mono soundtrack with added environmental sounds, trying to create "atmosphere," yet Tarkovsky used a lot of silence in this film, and the surround mix is never quiet. I first saw Stalker in the early 1980s at a retrospective of movies by Wim Wenders in New York. Wenders had made a selection of films to be shown with his movies, and, preceding his Kings of the Road (In the Course of Time), was Stalker and John Ford's The Searchers. All three of these movies are quests, searches for people or ideas, and the very long program that day (more than 7 hours) was an extraordinary example of three different approaches to the quest movie. Since then, it has been one of my favorite films. It's an odd movie, more like a Beckett play than science fiction, yet it is unforgettable. If you've never seen Stalker, you should by all means watch it. It is a truly unforgettable movie by one of the great directors of the 20th century. His life and career were too short, but his films are all masterpieces. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'The Wizard of Oz' crossed with 'The X-Files' *by A***G on July 19, 2015* This is my updated review -- for the Criterion Blu-ray edition: The Blu-ray is crystal clear and a huge improvement on the DVD that I bought years ago (by KINO). The sound is also vastly better. It is like seeing the film for the 1st time again. Criterion did an awesome job on this, Thank-You! If you like journeys into abandoned places and landscapes, and also philosophical 'meaning of Life' tales, and a sprinkle of lovely spoken poetry... not to mention fantastic, mesmerizing scenery that lingers in your mind - then this is a film experience that you should enjoy. But it is a slow-paced film (but that is its charm as well, for me). When I watch this, it gives me a 'mind-break vacation' from the daily world of our often crazy reality... 'Stalker' was adapted from the Strugatsky brothers novel ' Roadside Picnic', and is that rare film that takes time to watch and understand the story, but it is well worth the effort. It is a surreal road trip... like 'The Wizard of Oz' crossed with an extended episode of 'The X-Files'! (but in Russian - with English subtitles). And it has humor too. Basically, this is about a 'stalker' - a guide that illegally takes people into a forbidden place called 'The Zone', where it is suggested that something unusual landed years ago, changing the area forever. The Zone is very dangerous and mysterious, and many that go in there never return, but will vanish or die without the stalker. Stalker (a nickname) has an almost spiritual relationship with the Zone. It is like a holy and sacred place for him, even with all its known and hidden dangers. Much of the dialog between him and the two people he guides (Professor and Writer) is a big part of the enjoyment of the story, and all of the visuals and cinematography in many scenes make for some very magical and breathtaking film watching! After 2 viewings I was hooked. This is now one of my favorite films (next to '2001' and 'Blade Runner'). I also read the book this was adapted from, and though there are differences, both are satisfying adventures that should not be missed! Along with 'Solaris' (1972), this is one of my favorite films by Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky. He was a real poet of filmmaking , and this might be his masterpiece - a real 'mind trip' of a movie! Thank-You for reading... but go watch 'Stalker' today! ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review *by J***E on January 11, 2024* A slightly odd film. Cold, paced, mystical, odd, slightly fearful. Searching for answers, it arrives back with none but the experience. Not to everyone's taste. ## Frequently Bought Together - Stalker (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] - Mirror (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] - Andrei Rublev (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.pt/products/44680802-stalker-the-criterion-collection-blu-ray](https://www.desertcart.pt/products/44680802-stalker-the-criterion-collection-blu-ray) --- *Product available on Desertcart Portugal* *Store origin: PT* *Last updated: 2026-04-25*