Review of Solaris (2002) by Seamus S — 28 Mar 2010

Steven Soderbergh's Solaris is a painful journey into the less popular aspect of human love. It just happens to explore this in a sci-fi setting. The cast deliver career-best performances - particularly Clooney, who in the film plays a terribly broken man, unable to move on from the aftermath of a tragic romance.

The visual style is stunning, and experimental - as is to be expected from Soderbergh - playing as important a role as any of the characters in delivering the story and themes of this film.

The film focuses very strongly on the nature of human romantic love, with a narrative designed perfectly to deliver maximum emotional connection. Both the space station and Earth city settings are highly un-natural and depressing, adding to the tone of the film. There is nothing natural, safe or warm in this film other than aspects of the characters, giving a very narrow focus and delivering this well.

Comparisons to Tarkovsky's older version of Solaris are inevitable. However, both are very different films that happen to use the same novel as their foundation. Tarkovsky's much longer film explores human love fully - not just romantic love - and our wider humanity. In doing so, it contrasts the artificial station (and cities) with natural landscapes, resulting in an altogether different film.

In short, both versions of Solaris are excellent films in their own right, with different emphases.