Solaris (2002 film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Solaris (2002) | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover |
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| Directed by | Steven Soderbergh |
| Produced by | James Cameron Jon Landau Rae Sanchini |
| Written by | Stanisław Lem (novel) Steven Soderbergh |
| Starring | George Clooney Natascha McElhone Viola Davis Jeremy Davies Ulrich Tukur |
| Release date(s) | November 29, 2002 U.S. release |
| Running time | 99 min |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $47,000,000 (estimated) |
| IMDb profile | |
Solaris is a 2002 film directed by Steven Soderbergh. It is based on the science-fiction novel by Stanisław Lem. The same book inspired the critically-acclaimed Soviet film Solaris, directed by Andrei Tarkovsky.
Kris Kelvin is played by George Clooney and Harey (Rheya in the English version) by Natascha McElhone. Similar to the Tarkovsky film, this version of Solaris is a meditative psychodrama set almost entirely on a space station; a notable divergence from the novel and the Tarkovsky version is the fact that Kelvin never journeys to the surface of Solaris (in fact, the planet appears to be gaseous, rather than an ocean world).
The movie's trailer depicted a science fiction love story and may have raised expectations among potential filmgoers that were not met, and many viewers were reportedly left confused and disappointed by the film.[citation needed] In addition, the burden of being compared to the highly regarded 1972 adaptation made it difficult to get positive critical appraisal. In spite of this, the Time Out Film Guide describes this version as superior to the Tarkovsky version. Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a 65% fresh approval rating which is a positive score but not as positive as the first, which earned a 97% fresh approval rating.
This film appears to be influenced by both Lem's novel and Tarkovsky's film. There are also visual references to Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and The Shining (1980), and to Tarkovsky's Zerkalo (The Mirror).
The film was also selected to be "launched into space" in 2003 by Team Encounter.
[edit] Trivia
- The initial test screening ran 30 minutes longer, but was cut down due to negative feedback. Soderbergh has hinted that an Extended Edition might be released someday, depending on interest.
- James Cameron initially considered writing and directing, with Daniel Day-Lewis in the lead.
[edit] External links
- Solaris (2002) at the Internet Movie Database
- Solaris (2002) official site
- In-depth analysis of the film at the Galilean Library
- Lem's comment on the 2002 version
- Rick Sternbach's graphic designs for Solaris
- Time Out Film Review of Solaris
| Films by Steven Soderbergh |
|---|
| sex, lies, and videotape (1989) | Kafka (1991) | King of the Hill (1993) | Underneath (1995) | Gray's Anatomy (1996) | Schizopolis (1996) | Out of Sight (1998) | The Limey (1999) | Erin Brockovich (2000) | Traffic (2000) | Ocean's Eleven (2001) | Full Frontal (2002) | Solaris (2002) | Eros (Equilibrium) (2004) | Ocean's Twelve (2004) | Bubble (2006) | The Good German (2006) | Guerrilla (2007) | Ocean's Thirteen (2007) |
