On his birthday, Alexander plants a dead tree with his young son. Then news of a likely nuclear war arrives, and Alexander makes a desperate promise to God. Tarkovsky's last film is slow and spare, and its climax is a house burning in one long shot.
At a glance
The Sacrifice is a 1986 drama film directed by Andrei Tarkovsky. This breakdown covers 4 techniques (2 narrative, 1 sound and 1 cinematography), each with the scene where you can see it. If you like how it is made, Stalker uses several of the same techniques.
Moving the film at the slow, deliberate pace of a ritual, with long takes, few cuts and unhurried camera moves. The patience builds dread and gives each step the weight of a ceremony.
How this film uses it
The film moves with long takes and few cuts, as slowly as a ritual. The party and the news broadcast feel like parts of a ceremony. The patience gives each action weight.
Where to see it
The birthday party. The guests gather, and the mood changes when a jet noise interrupts.
Returning to the same physical object again and again until it means more than what it is. It moves the plot and also stands for the film's main ideas.
How this film uses it
The dead tree that Alexander plants with his son at the start returns at the end. It stands for faith, patience and the hope that something might grow. The film keeps coming back to it.
Where to see it
The tree planting. Alexander plants the tree with Little Man at the start of the film.
Making a sound, voice or call drive the story itself. A phone line, a mimicked noise or a spliced recording changes what characters do or believe.
How this film uses it
The jet noise and the news broadcast start the crisis. After that, Alexander's whole plot is built on what he heard. A sound changes what he believes and what he does.
Where to see it
The broadcast. A news report suggests a world war, and Alexander promises God he will give up everything.
Staging the film's biggest moment in a single long continuous shot so the action plays out in real time without cuts.
How this film uses it
Alexander sets his house on fire while his family is away, and the scene plays in a long take. The first attempt was ruined when the single camera jammed, so the crew rebuilt the house in about two weeks and shot again with two cameras. You watch the fire grow with no cut to ease the moment.
Where to see it
The burning house. Alexander sets fire to his house, while his family is away.
Questions
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