Talk:Stalker (film)

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From the article: "The film is loosely based on the novel Roadside Picnic by Boris and Arkady Strugatsky who later wrote a novel Stalker, loosely based on the movie."

It is not quite true. The novel "Stalker" never existed (but it could be another title for the "Roadside Picnic"). Strugatskys wrote the screenplay "Stalker" based (although very loosely) on their novel "Roadside Picnic". Tarkovsky made this screenplay into a film. Strugatskys never wrote novels based on any films. Dart evader 19:19, 28 December 2005 (UTC)

Yet I have read it. Altough it's perhaps better described as a long short story as it's quite short (96 pages). It was published by Lundwall Fakta & fantasi in 1987. Translated by Kjell Rehnström and Sam Lundwall. ISBN 91-86222-27-9 // Liftarn

But have you read the "Roadside Picnic"? I guess these are just two different publishing titles for one novel. Dart evader 20:38, 4 January 2006 (UTC)

Yes, (in Swedish under the title "Picknick vid vägkanten"). They are two very different novels. It's not difficult to tell them apart just by holding them. "Picknick vid vägkanten" is 176 pages long and was published in 1978, also translated by Kjell Rehnström, but without Sam Lundwall. ISBN 91-7228-181-2 Oh, and the original title for the Stalker novel is stated as Masina zelanij. I googled for it and all I found was [1] ISBN 5-87106-065-x 380 pages, printed in 1993. // Liftarn

So it is "Masina zelanij"? I understand now. "Masina zelanij" (The machine of desires) was not based on the Tarkovsky's film. It was the first Strugatsky brothers' attempt to make a screenplay out of the "Roadside Picnic". There are two versions of "The machine of desires". Both versions were written like a usual prose, so it is quite possible to read them as a short novels. The very first version had a nuclear explosion in the end, and characters were named Victor, Anton and 'the Professor'. The second version of "The machine of desires" was more similar to what we have seen in the movie. The third version, titled "Stalker", was the screenplay itself. Dart evader 17:49, 5 January 2006 (UTC)

Ah, you are correct. I remember now. It was a draft for the screenplay so it was indeed written befor the movie. // Liftarn

Contents 1 Homage fix 2 What does Сталкер mean? 3 Needs a Story section 4 Chernobyl plant 5 Copyright 6 Game 7 The Zone 8 Lost

[edit] Homage fix

It is said, that Bjork sings a poem from Stalker in her last album. I think, you should mention, that the author of poem is Fyodor Tyutchev —Preceding unsigned comment added by 194.44.18.71 (talk) 19:17, 8 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] What does Сталкер mean?

The article says:

The English title is a misleading translation of a Russian word lacking the sinister connotations of the English word "stalker".

I changed 'translation' to 'transliteration' as nothing is being translated. Is it a Russian word as well as being the name of the character? - Moogsi 19:45, 22 April 2006 (UTC)

There was no such word in Russian before Strugatskys wrote the novel "Roadside Picnick". In the novel the 'stalkers' were men who smuggled alien artifacts from the Zone, taking serious risks to their lives and health. It is not clear why Strugatskys borrowed exactly that English word, 'stalker', to designate members of the invented illegal trade. Dart evader 11:11, 23 April 2006 (UTC)

Ah right, I assumed it was already a Russian word before, and it was coincidental (if you are as unfamiliar with Russian as I am, you might think that from reading the article). 'Stalk' can mean just 'to track stealthily', as a method of hunting, which isn't necessarily sinister, although the other meanings have some degree of menace, like the article says. Moogsi 01:00, 25 April 2006 (UTC)

So it isn't actually a Russian word ? Then our article needs to be amended. (An IMDb discussions indicates that the Stugastskies got it from Kipling's Stalky + Co.) -- Beardo 16:41, 22 July 2006 (UTC)

It's an English word all right. I've changed the article accordingly.--Rallette 19:21, 10 February 2007 (UTC)

Just a note: the current article says that the word "should not be understood in the contemporary, sinister sense, but rather in the older sense of a tracker of game." According to OED, the oldest sense is "one who stalks game illegally, a poacher", so the sinister sense is there all along. Matthew Miller (talk) 20:07, 14 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Needs a Story section

Most film articles have a length section about what happens in the movie. Stalker could do with one of these too. Unconscious 12:55, 4 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Chernobyl plant

IMDb claims that the Chernobyl power plant is shown in the film (I presume they mean the power plant seen in the last shot, in the background) but this is certainly not so? Judging from photos, the Chernobyl plant looks rather different from the one seen in the last shot of the film. 82.181.17.213 15:13, 21 May 2006 (UTC)

The film was taken close to Tallinn (Estonia). The views of Chernobyl power plant are very unlikely.

The structure is a chemical plant, not a power station. Incidentally, several people who worked on the movie reported getting sick from the fumes of chemical plant.

[edit] Copyright

What is the copyright status of this movie? I understand that it is different when dealing with things from the Soviet Union.

[edit] Game

Anyone wanna add anything about the STALKER game that just came out? It is loosely based on this movie.

only that the game has only minor connections to the book "Roadside Picnic" and the movie. The game director revealed that only the names are similar (stalker and the zone) and the plot and elements in the game are totally unique. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 69.77.165.36 (talk) 20:59, 9 May 2007 (UTC).

I would say the elements are not unique, the anomalys are the same, and the mutations, the cause and other things are different. OktoberSunset (talk) 17:45, 6 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] The Zone

Would it be worth creating a sub-section dealing with the concept of "The Zone"? 87.112.89.74 19:10, 26 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Lost

Lost features the exact same concept of the room that contains what you wish for, is a hommage to Stalker?