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The Sacrifice
Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky
NEW 4K RESTORATION! Famed Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky's final masterpiece, The Sacrifice is a haunting vision of a world threatened with nuclear annihilation that inspired Andrew Sarris (The Village Voice) to proclaim, "You may find yourself moved as you have never been moved before."
As a wealthy Swedish family celebrates the birthday of their patriarch Alexander (Erland Josephson, Cries and Whispers), news of the outbreak of World War III reaches their remote Baltic island — and the happy mood turns to horror. The family descends into a state of psychological devastation, brilliantly evoked by Tarkovsky's arresting palette of luminous greys washing over the bleak landscape around their home. (The film's masterful cinematography is by Sven Nykvist, Ingmar Bergman's longtime collaborator).
For Alexander, a philosopher troubled about man's lack of spirituality, the prospect of certain extinction compels the ultimate sacrifice, and he enters into a Faustian bargain with God to save his loved ones from the fear which grips them. The director's last film, made as he was dying of cancer, The Sacrifice is Tarkovsky's personal statement, a profoundly moving, redemptive tragedy steeped in unforgettable imagery and heart-wrenching emotion.
Reviews More Reviews
"A stunningly beautiful film..."
"An epic vision... Spiritual mastery... A work of genius."
"Andrei Tarkovsky’s final film, among his closest to perfection, is a traversal of agonies, exploring the savage compromises and bargaining that make up life and death."
"Andrei Tarkovsky’s last film is a grand, unworldly, even antiworldly religious vision."
“The first and penultimate shots—ten-minute takes that are, in very different ways, remarkable and complex achievements—manage to say more than most films do over their entire length.”
"Hang on to the very end and you may find yourself moved as you have never been moved before."
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Press & Exhibitors
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Technical Info
- Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
- Color: Color
Press & Promotion:
playdates
| Venue | City | State | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Cinematheque | Los Angeles | CA | 1730001600October 27, 2024 |
| Austin Film Society | Austin | TX | 1730433600November 1 - November 7, 2024 |
| Belcourt Theatre | Nashville | TN | 1732424400November 24 - November 27, 2024 |
| Carolina Theatre | Durham | NC | 1739077200February 9, 2025 |
| Center For Contemporary Arts | Santa Fe | NM | 1730433600November 1 - November 7, 2024 |
| Digital Gym Cinema | San Diego | CA | 1731387600November 12, 2024 |
| Film Forum | New York | NY | 1729828800October 25 - November 14, 2024 |
| Gateway Film Center | Columbus | OH | 1735880400January 3 - January 5, 2025 |
| Hollywood Theatre | Portland | OR | 1730174400October 29, 2024 |
| Laemmle Glendale | Glendale | CA | 1732251600November 22 - November 28, 2024 |
| Lake Worth Playhouse | Lake Worth | FL | 1731646800November 15 - November 21, 2024 |
| Oklahoma City Museum of Art | Oklahoma City | OK | 1731042000November 8 - November 10, 2024 |
| Playhouse Cinema | Hamilton | ON | 1730955600November 7, 2024 |
| Revue Cinema | Toronto | ON | 1730433600November 1 - November 3, 2024 |
| Roxie Theater | San Francisco | CA | 1731128400November 9 - November 17, 2024 |
| SIFF Film Center | Seattle | WA | 1734066000December 13 - December 19, 2024 |
| Texas Theatre | Dallas | TX | 1731646800November 15 - November 17, 2024 |
| The Beverly Theater | Las Vegas | NV | 1732251600November 22 - November 28, 2024 |
| TIFF Lightbox | Toronto | ON | 1730955600November 7 - November 9, 2024 |
| Time & Space Limited | Hudson | NY | 1730433600November 1 - November 7, 2024 |
| Webster University Film Series | St. Louis | MO | 1730433600November 1 - November 3, 2024 |