Andrei Rublev and Fear of Flying

I've been slowly captivated over the years by the films of Andrei Tarkovsky - the last scene of his 'Solaris' may be the closest the cinema has come to re-producing a mystical experience on screen.  His films pose questions that each of us is asking, all the time; they take some work and patience, but are ultimately deeply rewarding experiences.  I'm excited to be seeing his 'Andrei Rublev' in a cinema for the first time this Sunday at the Belcourt in Nashville.  My co-host on The Film Talk considers this the best film ever made; and asserts that it 'feels as if it were made in the Middle Ages'.  It's about the greatest painter of religious icons of the period; which either attracts you or makes you want to run a mile away from this film - but, trust me, watch this opening sequence and maybe I'll see you Sunday.  The opening minutes of 'Andrei Rublev' declare its intent: this is a film, like all of Tarkovsky's films, about the search for God, the desire to be met, and sometimes the confusion between the desire to meet God and the desire to be God.  In other words, it's about fear of flying.  Check out the clip below and you'll see what I mean.  I'd be glad to have a conversation on the blog about the film with people who've seen it.  (The whole thing's available online in pretty decent quality.)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-R_P8qEwwQ]