The Steamroller and the Violin (Katok i skripka)
Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky
Written by Andrei Tarkovsky and Andrey Konchalovskiy; story by S. Bakhmetyeva
1961/USSR
Mosfilm Children’s Film Unit
First viewing/Filmstruck
[box] One of the luckiest things that can happen to you in life is, I think, to have a happy childhood. Agatha Christie [/box]
Tarkovsky’s debut solo film is both sweet and accomplished.
Seven-year-old Sasha is gifted. Â He spends most of every day practicing the violin but neither his mother nor his instructor is ever satisfied. Â The kids in his apartment block tease and torment him. Â He is a very lonely child.
Sasha has his one day of happy childhood when Sergei, a steamroller driver, takes pity on him. Â He lets the boy drive the steamroller and then takes him to get food for a shared lunch. Â Sasha basks in the attention.
Tarkovsky tells the tale with great delicacy and charm. Â It was the quiet moments surrounding the more arty camera effects that completely won me over, though the latter did build to a very satisfying ending. Â Highly recommended.
Video essay on Tarkovsky and his solo debut
