I must admit my embarrassment at not having heard of this. Being a huge fan of the game series, I was surprised to find that its inspiration was a wonderful Russian curio directed by maverick auteur Andrei Tarkovsky.
The film is a haunting masterpiece that depicts the journey of three men through 'the zone' a supposedly miraculous place that has appeared next to a nameless city. As the men traverse the psychological perils of the zone, they question life in the modern world, discussing the relevance of science art and fantasy and questioning their own existence.
The zone itself is the films central character, a place of hope and almost overwhelming despair. Evidence of grand battles that are never explained, natural phenomena exhibiting strange behaviour and long decayed corpses littering the countryside. The zone is one of the most convincing apocalyptic environments in cinema and it is achieved without a single computer. What is most impressive about the film is its minimalist approach, intricate sound design and cramped mise en scene work together to create massive amounts of dread and foreboding. Tarkovsky shoots in long, laborious takes that drain the strength of the viewer, much like the mysterious intentions of the zone slowly drain the life from the three companions.
Its surprising how far the influence of Stalker has spread. The aforementioned games take the films main plot and shape a convincing narrative from the events within the zone. Meanwhile, TV series Lost (you may have heard of it) its mysterious island and the idea that the survivors of flight 180 are candidates 'chosen' to protect it, is lifted wholesale from Stalker. Much like Lost, Stalker offers no easy answers. The mystery of the zone and it's wish granting abilities is never solved, nor is the fate of the Stalkers, strange benefactors of the zone's secrets. The film offers a bold conclusion that may frustrate some, but sits well with the unpredictable nature of the film as a whole.
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