Professor & Writer: resolutions

[The Ferret]

Stalkers,

Let's put it straight. What has really changed?
Professor and Writer did *NOT* enter in the Room. However, they explored a portion of the Zone...
... have they gained something in return?

Resolutions.

I don't think the Writer did really change as human being by any stretch of imagination... he just became aware of the psychological barriers which tainted his soul and almost turned him into an "empty" version of his former self.
He was fighting with the Serpent because he was afraid that the Room could be a real danger to humankind, while materializing all the "undesidered" wishes (see the Porcupine episode) that Humans keep "stored" inside themselves.
Since the Writer realized to be full of undesidered wishes on his own, from his twisted perspective the Room was no longer a miracle but a calamity (but should we really blame him for it?)

I don't see any evolution in his character... as much as I can see nothing on Professor's side, except sadness and disappointment about life.

If we have to argue... at least, Writer began to believe into the Zone, but only as far as concerning the negative aspects of it.

In the end, both Writer and Professor stay adamant in their faults ---- The exploration of the Zone just freed the inner demons, thus making them realizing for the very first time in their life.


Isn't it?

You can also copy and paste the comments about Writer that you did on the 'Theory of What-you-can-feel", deleting the replies on the same threat (which went off-topic, by the way).

[MaKS]

admin said:

He was fighting with the Serpent because he was afraid that the Room could be a real danger to humankind, while materializing all the "undesidered" wishes (see the Porcupine episode) that Humans keep "stored" inside themselves.

First of all, i still do not think this was Writer's true motivation to interfere. He wanted to stop the fight, not to blast the Zone. Maybe it looks like that in the script - first he grumbles about Zone, then stands for Professor - but does he ever look like he believes himself? Tarkovskiy and Solonitsyn both created a completely different character, someone in deep dischord with his own nature, thoughts, acts.

I think we can agree that Writer is one important character. The general intrigue of the film seems to happen between Stalker and Writer.

In the beginning Stalker is a stalker, in the end he's a nit. When he complains that "noone of them believes anything", I can't help but doubt. Stalker is not perfect, and Writer is one who lighted it out. In the beginning Writer's a nit, in the end he made Professor stop. Sure he sort of crushed Stalker's belief, but was it a good type of belief? Stalker believes in Zone, he serves Zone and makes use of its protection. To put it simple, all and all he's a pagan... And he sticks with it, while Writer has a good chance to find something more.

Professor's unlike them both. He was believed to carry scientific equipment, but it turned out he doesn't. He's not even a scientist in the film, rather he represents a natural social antagonism towards the Zone mistery. At first he thinks it's mysterious and (therefor!) dangerous; later Writer assures him there's no Zone mystery, and he simply loses interest. Not a scientist at all. This one sure doesn't believe, and never will.

[The Ferret]

I possibly agree about the Professor being a two dimensional man unable to paste his errors and evolve himself like an human being. He suspects that there's something strange going with the Zone (otherwise, why should he worry about its destruction?), but his conscious mind is too closed to embrace the truth.
In the very end, he chooses to not detonate the bomb. Why? Because he's in crisis. And that's enough. He realizes to be a man moved only by revenge and sadness. In a way or in another, the Zone shaked him.

But I also have to argue that:

The Writer in the end is more open to life because he has freed himself from the "inner" demons, so he did a sort of tabula rasa and had finally the chance to re-start.

Anyway, the Stalker is not complaining about this... with the assumption "No-one of them believe in anything" he's implying that they do *NOT* believe in themselves and in their potentialities because they are afraid to enter in the Room and achieve their deepest desires...

Do not forget that it's Serpent's job to bring the Trespassers them and make them happy.

[MaKS]

admin said:

But I also have to argue that:

The Writer in the end is more open to life because he has freed himself from the "inner" demons, so he did a sort of tabula rasa and had finally the chance to re-start.

Anyway, the Stalker is not complaining about this... with the assumption "No-one of them believe in anything" he's implying that they do *NOT* believe in themselves and in their potentialities because they are afraid to enter in the Room and achieve their deepest desires...

Do not forget that it's Serpent's job to bring the Trespassers them and make them happy.

His mission indeed.

I tend to understand his words as an accusation of losing ability to believe at all ("They don't believe in anything"). He doesn't see any believing in them. He's true about it, because in fact neither Writer nor Professor never showed it up. However, they never seemed to show any firm believe in themselves either.

What makes me think he could be wrong about Writer is my confidence that his (Writer's) strong refusal of entering the Room in an act of faith itself. He does believe in the Room's powers, at least at some degree (he was afraid of falling into it). A miracle could've help him; it could've tell him what he wants, but he doesn't agree to the risk of being driven by desires of his sinful nature. Maybe for him it was a test to withstand.

However, simple-minded Stalker hardly could understand the subtle and unobvious world Writer lives in. Stalker's faith is firm, stable, earthbound, simple and beautiful. It's rather in contrast with Writer's thorny (the crown?), uncertain and eluding confession.

I'm not sure if anything like that was actually meant in the film, though. it is a matter of my view on the Writer's complex and rather mysterious character.

[The Ferret]

maks said:

What makes me think he could be wrong about Writer is my confidence that his (Writer's) strong refusal of entering the Room in an act of faith itself. He does believe in the Room's powers, at least at some degree (he was afraid of falling into it). A miracle could've help him; it could've tell him what he wants, but he doesn't agree to the risk of being driven by desires of his sinful nature. Maybe for him it was a test to withstand.

However, simple-minded Stalker hardly could understand the subtle and unobvious world Writer lives in. Stalker's faith is firm, stable, earthbound, simple and beautiful. It's rather in contrast with Writer's thorny (the crown?), uncertain and eluding confession.

Your words about Writer are touching! I'm opening my eyes on this enigmatic character for the very first time, like a gentle awake. From a twisted perspective, he's an "hero" on its own way.

And yes, the "refusal" of Writer is indeed an act of faith, because actually he does believe in the "dark side" of the power of the Room, so to speak. The "uncharted" implications.

The Serpent is a one-eyed man (nothing wrong with that; he's the "minister", the "scout" and the "adventurer" of the Zone, all rolled into one being).
I agree, to a certain extent, that Writer is a multi-layered being not suffering oversimplified descriptions.

That's another point of view from IMDB, very fascinating:

"As the journey continues they go on and on with nothing happening at all, because the Stalker leads them preventing them from getting into trouble. When they finally reach this ominous room alive, none of the 2 people want to enter it - But why? Clearly something must have happend during this journey. After they return from the zone we see the Stalker walking home and we see his daughter and the shaking cup on the table.

Now what if the whole "Zone" simply doesnt exist? You may ask why the hell did the Stalker do all this stuff then? Well if we see him as a kind of priest/psycho-therapist, then it does make sense. All the things he did in the zone, he simply did to convince the 2 people that they are in extreme danger. When the journey ends all 2 of them are so relieved that they survived the zone, that they start to think again "hey if i survived this, maybe life isnt that bad afterall". There was no need to enter the room anymore, because they already found again what they were looking for - Faith in themselves."

What do you think about it?

[MaKS]

admin said:

I agree, to a certain extent, that Writer is a multi-layered being not suffering oversimplified descriptions.

Writer has this habit of saying things with a smirk on his face, sometimes it is obvious he doesn't believe himself, sometimes we simply don't know whether he does or doesn't - it's possible he doesn't know that either. Very confusing character, we cannot trust things he says, we cannot figure out his faith, we cannot even see if there is one...

admin said:

"Now what if the whole "Zone" simply doesnt exist? You may ask why the hell did the Stalker do all this stuff then? Well if we see him as a kind of priest/psycho-therapist, then it does make sense. All the things he did in the zone, he simply did to convince the 2 people that they are in extreme danger. When the journey ends all 2 of them are so relieved that they survived the zone, that they start to think again "hey if i survived this, maybe life isnt that bad afterall". There was no need to enter the room anymore, because they already found again what they were looking for - Faith in themselves."

This is another theory Writer told, which I don't really think he actually believes in... I am pretty sure Zone exists. Given those birds in the sand, given seemingly genuine Stalker's amazement when he meets Professor after the water passage... Writer's theory is rather nihilistic, and Professor easily falls for it.

On the other hand, it seems to be just a mind game for Writer and obviously wrong for Stalker. Stalker is aware of the Zone existence, and has firm right to believe into it. He witnesses its miracles and as a holy fool have no scepticism about them.