Some films become legends, while others leave a trail of mystery and tragedy. Stalker, Andrei Tarkovsky’s 1979 masterpiece, belongs in the latter category. It holds a rare 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, yet some believe it came at a deadly cost.
🛑 A Haunting Plot
Stalker follows a guide, known only as the ‘Stalker’ (played by Alexander Kaidanovsky). He leads two clients through a dangerous, post-apocalyptic wasteland called the ‘Zone’. Their goal is to find a mythical room that supposedly grants one’s deepest desires.
This bleak, industrial setting feels almost radioactive – a chilling coincidence, given the fate of those who made it.
☢️ Toxic Filming Locations
Tarkovsky chose an abandoned industrial area in Estonia, near the river Jägala, as one of the main filming locations. According to sound recordist Vladimir Sharun, this site wasn’t just visually unsettling – it was contaminated.
In a 2001 interview, Sharun said:
“We were shooting near Tallinn, where a chemical plant poured out poisonous liquids into the river. There’s a shot in Stalker where snow falls in summer, with white foam floating down the river. In fact, it was some horrible poison.”
He added that many crew members developed skin allergies during the shoot.
🕵️ A Chilling Coincidence
Tragically, Tarkovsky, his wife Larisa, and lead actor Anatoly Solonitsyn all died from similar forms of cancer within a few years of each other. Sharun believes their deaths were linked to the toxic environment.
“Tarkovsky died from cancer of the right bronchial tube. Solonitsyn too. It became clear to me when Larisa Tarkovskaya died from the same illness in Paris,” he said.
While this theory remains unproven, the tragic timing has fuelled decades of speculation.
🎬 A Lasting Legacy
Despite the controversy, Stalker remains a cornerstone of Soviet cinema. Its hypnotic pacing, philosophical themes, and unsettling visuals have cemented its place among the greatest films of all time.
Stalker is available to rent on Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video, for those brave enough to step into the Zone.
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