Artistic Association of\nWriters and Cinema Workers
DONATAS BANlONlS
YURl YARVET
VLADlSLAV DVORZHETSKY
NlKOLAl GRlNKO
ANATOLY SOLONlTSYN
in
SOLARlS
Based on the science-fiction novel\nby Stanislaw Lem
Screenplay by\nF.GORENSHTElN A.TARKOVSKY
Directed by\nAndrei TARKOVSKY
Director of Photography\nVadim YUSOV
Production Designer\nMikhail ROMADlN
Music by\nEduard ARTEMYEV
Sound by\nSemyon LlTVlNOV
Ripped by
SOUTHSiDE Ripping Crew
SOLARlS\nPart One
Chris! Come here!\nYou're just in time.
He takes a walk every morning\nfor at least an hour.
He has been working too hard\nall night sometimes.
This science of solaristics of his!
He reminds me of a bookkeeper\nmaking up his accounts.
We expected you yesterday.
He wanted to run away\nwhen he saw me.
Hello!
How do you do?
l guess l shouldn't have bothered\nyou today.
How old we have grown!\nl'm only now beginning to realize it.
Everything will depend on his\ninitial report from the station.
Every message we receive\nis confusing or incomprehensible.
lf he confirms for us that\nthe study shouldn't continue
the station can be taken out\nof Solaris's orbit.
l understand.
You promised to talk to him.\nl've brought the film.
Yes of course.
Would you mind keeping\nthe boy for a few days?
Anna'll be pleased to have him.\nShe'll have more free time now.
When does he leave?
By this time tomorrow he'll already\nbe gone.
lt's very pleasant here.
This house looks like my grand-\nfather's house. l liked it very much.
And so we built this one just like it.
l don't care much for new things.
Well l better get going.\nl've an awful lot to do.
Don't you want to see this?
l've already seen it many times.
Twenty-one days after the launch\nof our expedition
radio biologist Vishnyakov\nand physicist Fechner
went on an exploration mission over\nthe Solaris ocean in an air vehicle.
When they failed to return\nwe ordered a search.
The fog was too dense\nand we had to call the search off.
All ofthe rescue craft\nreturned to the station
except the helicopter\npiloted by Burton.
He came back\nonly after the dark had set in.
He immediately ran to his quarters\nobviously in a state of shock.
lt was so unusual\nfor a man
who had been flying for 1 1 years.
He had recovered in a couple of days\nbut he would never leave the station.
And he refused to approach\nthe window overlooking the ocean.
While under medical care in a clinic\nhe offered to make a statement
of great importance
one which he felt could affect\nthe whole future of Project Solaris.
Very well let's hear his story.
Now is the time\nto let Burton talk.
The first time l descended\nbelow a thousand feet
l had trouble maintaining altitude
because the wind had come up.
All my efforts were required\nin operating the ship.
l wasn't watching outside.
As a result l entered the fog bank.
Was that an ordinary fog?
lt was like nothing l'd ever seen\nbefore.
lt seemed to be a colloidal substance\na gluey mass.
All the windows were coated.
Because ofthe fog's resistance\nl began to lose altitude.
Where l supposed the sun would be\nthe fog glowed like fire.
Half an hour later l emerged\ninto a large open space.
The patch was round\nabout a few hundred meters across.
At that moment l observed\ngreat changes in the ocean.
The water became still\nand the surface looked transparent.
A sort ofyellow mucus started\nto congeal under it.
When it rose up\nit glistened like glass.
Then it began to boil\nand a frothy crust appeared on top.
The surface was brown\nlike burned sugar syrup.
This substance solidified into big\nlumps
giving shape to\nall sorts offigures.
l was being drawn to\nthe fog bank
so l had to struggle\nagainst this force for some time.
When l looked down again
l saw a sort of garden.
A garden?
Quiet please.
l could see vegetation hedges\nacacia trees narrow paths.
All ofthis same substance.
And all these trees and plants\ndid they have leaves?
Those bushes acacias?
They looked like they were made of\nplastic but in real-life proportions.
All of a sudden cracks started\nto appear.
The boiling began again\nall was in froth.
You'll be able to see it\nfor yourselves.
Everything l saw\nwill be on the film.
Then l suggest\nwe interrupt the hearing
and look at it\nwith our own eyes.
Yes show us the film.\nlt's very interesting.
- ls that all?\n- Yes that's all there is.
But we don't understand.
Your film is nothing but clouds!
That must be the fog\nl was talking about.
l'm as surprised\nas you are.
All this might be the result of\nthe bio-magnetic current of
the Solaris ocean acting on Burton's\nconscience.
We know these currents to be not\nonly a gigantic cerebral system
but also to be capable\nof generating thought.
That is a hypothesis\nthat has not been confirmed.
Weren't you ill on that particular\nday?
Oh this next part is pointless.
We'll pick up here.
...l saw something floating.
l thought that it looked like\nFechner's space suit.
l kept circling the spot to make sure\nl wouldn't lose sight of it.
Suddenly l could see the form\nrise slightly
as iftreading the waters.
l could see the man he wasn't\nwearing a space suit and he moved.
You mean it was human?
Yes human.
You saw his face?
Yes.
What man?
Who was he?
lt was an infant.
- Did you recognize it?\n- l'd never seen it before.
When l circled nearer
what l saw was monstrous.
What do you mean?
At first l couldn't make it out
but then it became clear\nthat it was incredibly huge.
lt was twelve feet tall.
lts eyes were blue\nits hair was dark.
lfyou're not feeling well
we can recess the hearing.
l will continue.
lt was absolutely naked\nas if new born.
And it was moist or rather slippery.
lts skin was glistening.
lt rose and fell\nwith the waves
but it was moving by itself.
The whole thing was repugnant.
Wait a minute
there isn't very much more.
...Burton's statements\nwould appear to be
the expression\nof a hallucinatory complex
induced by atmospheric\ninfluences ofthe planet
plus obscure symptoms to which\nthe brain's cortical substance
contributed in some measure through\nthe excitation of associated zones.
This report in no way reflects\nthe actual facts.
Or almost in no way.
There's a different opinion\noffered by Professor Messenger
who believes\nthat the information
supplied by Burton\ncould be true
and needs to be\nthoroughly studied.
l saw everything l described\nwith my own eyes!
l would dare to venture\nanother opinion.
We are on the verge\nof an immense discovery
and it would be unwise to be\ninfluenced by the fact that we base
our decision upon the observations\nof an unqualified layman.
Every explorer may well envy\nthis pilot
his presence of mind\nhis talents of observation.
Moreover given\nthe recent information
we are bound morally\nto press forward with our probes.
l can understand\nhow Professor Messenger feels
however let's look back\nat the long road we've traveled.
For all our work the Solaris probes\nare back where we began.
Years of effort\nhave proven useless.
All we know about Solaris
reminds me of a mountain\nof separate facts
which we are unable to squeeze\ninto the framework of any conception.
Well we're even worse offtoday\nas regards the essential.
Solaristics is degenerating.
The essential question is far more\nserious than just Solaristics.
We're probing the very frontier\nof human knowledge.
By artificially establishing\na knowledge frontier
we limit our concept of\nthe infinity of man's knowledge.
And if our movement is not forward\ndo we not risk moving backward?
What do you mean by saying\nthat the information supplied by me
is in no way reflects the actual\nfacts?
l saw all this with my own eyes.
lt means\nthat some real phenomena
could have triggered\nyour hallucinating.
ln windy weather\nit's very easy
to mistake a swinging bush\nfor a living creature.
To say nothing of a strange planet!
There's nothing offending in it\nfor you.
What action are you going to take\nin view of Prof.Messenger's opinion?
Practically none at all.
Our research in this area\nwill be discontinued.
l have a statement to make.
lt's not my reputation but the spirit\nofthe expedition that you offend...
Well et cetera...
lt's considered to be good manners\nnow
to laugh whenever Burton's report\nis mentioned.
We've known you a long time\nbut still l know so little about you.
You were very handsome then.
You don't mean that but thanks\nanyway.
Well Chris what do you think\nabout all this?
l would like to speak to your son\nalone.
l hate to look like an idiot\nbefore you once more.
l'll wait for you outside\nby the swing.
He looks ridiculous your Burton.
Don't say that.\nHe's obviously ill at ease.
He feels he's intruding on us.
lf he decided to come it's because\nhe considers the matter so important.
l didn't want to see outsiders\ntoday any more than you did.
We don't talk to each other often\nenough.
lt's good to hear you say that.
Even on the last day.
The last day...
When the farewells are overdone
you feel awful afterwards.
Let's meet after dinner.\nWe need to talk.
And still why did you invite this\nBurton fellow today of all days?
Where are the guests going to sleep?
Upstairs l guess.
Well l'll be down by the swing.
- But perhaps...\n- Just a second.
The question ofwhere they're\ngoing to sleep can wait!
Listen Chris...
What's the matter?
What is it down there standing\nin the garage and looking at me?
lt's just a horse.
l've seen it already.
Come on!
He's very gentle.\nLook how beautiful he is!
l think that Solaristics\nis at an impasse
as a result of\nirresponsible fantasizing.
l'm only interested in truth
but you want to convince me\nofyour point of view.
l can't draw conclusions\nbased on ''reasons of heart''.
l'm not a poet.\nMy problem is simple:
either end the research\nwithdrawing the station from orbit
and legalizing the crisis in\nSolaristics
or take extreme measures
like bombarding the ocean\nwith high intensity beams.
No not that!
Didn't you want to continue\nthe research at any price?
And you want to destroy that which\nwe aren't capable of understanding?
No l don't advocate knowledge\nat any price.
Knowledge is only valid when\nit rests on a foundation of morality.
Man is the only agent\nwho renders science immoral.
Don't forget Hiroshima.
Then don't make science immoral!\nlt's strange...
There's nothing strange about it.
Even you can't be sure that
all you had seen\nweren'tjust hallucinations.
Thank you for your time. We have\nnothing more to say to each other.
- ls anything the matter?\n- l'm leaving.
Leaving?
He is a bookkeeper not a scientist.
We're friends Burton but you\nshouldn't say that about him!
We've known each other for 20 years.\nlt had to end someday l guess.
Are you leaving the child?
Why did you have to offend him?\nYou're heartless.
lt's dangerous to send\nyour kind to the cosmos.
Everything is far too fragile there!
The earth somehow manages to put up\nwith men ofyour sort
though at what cost to humanity!
Are you jealous ofthe fact that he\nwill be the one to bury me not you?
lt'd been established that the Solaris\nocean is a peculiar kind of brain.
Later even a more daring hypothesis\nwas put forward
that is the Ocean is\na thinking substance.
For years this hypothesis could not\nhave been substantiated.
This program is about Solaris.
Very few true believers\nhave remained.
First of all they are those\nwho are connected with the station.
On the station for a 85-strong crew\nonly three men are still working.
They are astrobiologist Sartorius
cyberneticist Snout
and physiologist Guibariane\nwho is dealing with the problem...
l'm calling from the city.
Burton!
Anna please we need to talk.
What l talked to Chris about was not\nimportant. l should have told him
about Messenger who had\na different opinion at that meeting.
He got very much interested in\nFechner who died in Solaris Ocean.
lt turned out that Fechner has an\norphaned son he had left his family.
Messenger and l paid a visit\nto Fechner's widow.
l saw this child with my own eyes.
You never told me about that.
- l didn't have a chance.\n- All right what about it?
He looked exactly like the child\nl'd seen on Solaris.
Except that he wasn't twelve feet\ntall.
lt wouldn't be good for him\nto think about it before the launch
but he should remember this\nwhen he's there.
There's no point in keeping these.
The only ones to be kept\nare those in my room.
All my research notes my thesis...\nl wonder why we kept all these?
Should something happens l'll find\nsomeone to take care ofthem.
Oh don't look for the film with\nthe campfire. l'm taking it with me.
Oh sure do that...
- Ready Kelvin?\n- Ready!
You have nothing to worry about.\nHave a good trip.
- When is the lift-off?\n- You're already under way!
Station Solaris!\nCan you do something?
l seem to be losing stability.
Where are you all?\nYou've got company!
Doctor Snout?
Snout?
l'm Kelvin psychologist.
lt appears you weren't expecting me.
Did you receive the radiogram?
Yes certainly.
Why are you so upset?
l'm sorry...
Where is Guibariane?\nAnd Sartorius?
Sartorius is in his quarters.\nGuibariane is dead.
Dead?
He committed suicide...
l knew Guibariane. lt's not like\nhim to...
He was in a state\nof profound depression.
Since these mysterious disorders\nbegan...
Maybe you'd better rest take a bath.\nYou may take any room.
Come here in an hour.
l'm impatient to meet with\nGuibariane... l mean Sartorius.
l doubt if he'll let you in.\nHe's up in his laboratory.
Listen l'm aware that something\nextraordinary has happened
and perhaps l...
Doctor Kelvin...
You see...\nPlease come in an hour.
Go now and rest.
Now there're only three of us on\nthe station: you me and Sartorius.
You know what we look like\nfrom our photographs.
lfyou see anything out of\nthe ordinary not me or Sartorius
try not to lose your head.
- What would l see?\n- That depends on you.
- Hallucinations?\n- No... but don't forget.
- Forget what?\n- That we're not on earth.
Why don't we have our talk tonight?
No let's make it tomorrow morning!
A. GUlBARlANE
HUMAN BElNG
TO C. KELVlN
Hello Chris.
l still have a little time left.
There're certain things l must tell\nyou
that l must warn you about.
l suppose you've been told\nwhat happened to me.
lf not Snout or Sartorius\ncan tell you the details.
What happened to me
it matters little.
The trouble is that no one can really\nexplain it.
l'm afraid that what's happened to me\nis only a beginning.
l wouldn't wish it of course
but it may happen to all ofyou.
Here it may happen to anyone\nfor sure.
But don't think that l've gone mad.
You know me well.
lf l have enough time l'll tell you\nwhy l did this.
lf it does happen to you\nyou will know it's not madness.
That's the main thing.
As for continuing\nour program of research
l'm ofthe same opinion\nas Sartorius.
Bombard the plasma ofthe ocean\nby high-powered X-rays.
lt's prohibited\nbut there's no other choice.
We - or rather you - will be drawn in.
lt may offer a way\nto break this deadlock.
lt's your only chance to establish\ncontact with this monster.
There's no other solution left.
lfyou...
Doctor Sartorius my name is Kelvin.\nl arrived two hours ago.
Look l'm in a ridiculous\nsituation here.
Either you open up\nor l'll break the door!
All right l'll open the door but\ndon't come in. l'll come out.
My name is Kelvin.
You must have heard of me.\nl worked with Guibariane.
Dr. Snout told me about Guibariane...\nl can't believe it.
So you know the story.
Yes it's horrible. l have no details\nl only know he's dead.
All of us may die.
But he insisted upon being buried\non the earth.
Guibariane wanted to be in\nthe earth with the worms.
Have you ever heard of Burton?
Yes he was on the search party\nfor Fechner.
Fechner died a magnificent death\nand Guibariane was a coward.
Please... He's dead!\nWhyjudge him?
Duty to the truth is the only concern\nthat should count.
You are misguided in your search.\nLook...
This courage you pretend to\nis only inhumanity.
Go away.\nYou're obviously overemotional.
You must adapt yourself.\nGood health to you.
l saw Sartorius and we spoke.
l don't find him very likable.
He's a very talented scientist.
l'm afraid\nl don't feel so well.
There's nothing wrong with you\nbut you won't listen to advice.
Aside from the three of us is there\nanyone else on the station?
Did you see anything?
What were you warning me against?
What did you see?
A human being? Was she real?
Can she be touched or felt\nor wounded hurt?
When did you see her the last time\ntoday?
And you how do l know\nwho you are?
Shhh...
- Where did she come from?\n- Leave me alone!
You're afraid...
Don't worry l'm not going\nto think you're insane.
Me insane? Oh God\nyou know so little...
Madness would be a blessing!
Snout listen...
lt's all so absurd.
They don't understand anything.
They're sure that l've gone mad.
Though it's something like insanity\nl've got to do this.
l'm afraid that Snout and Sartorius\nwill try to force their way in.
They don't understand what they're\ndoing. l'm frightened Chris...
l can't...
No one will ever understand...
Guibariane open the door!\nDon't be a fool!
That's us Snout and Sartorius!
We want to help you!
They say they want to help me.
All right quit knocking.
l'm my own judge.
Have you seen her?
Try to understand Chris l'm not mad.
lt has to do with my conscience.
l really hoped\nyou'd get here in time.
How did you...
lt's so good!
But you can't possibly... How did\nyou find out where l was?
What do you mean ''find out''?
Don't Chris that tickles.
Where are my shoes?
No... they're not there.
Who's this?
Chris this is me...
You know...
l have a feeling
as if l've forgotten something.
What's the matter with me?..
Do you love me?
Why do you have to ask Hari\nas ifyou didn't know.
l've got to go out.\nl won't be long wait here.
- Can't l come with you?\n- No. l'll be back soon.
No!
Why?
l don't know...\nl can't...
You can't what?
l feel like l've got to be with you...\nall the time to see you...
Why are you being so childish?\nl've work to do Hari.
You're right l'm acting childish.
As for you you're as nervous\nas Snout.
- As who?\n- As Doctor Snout.
How do you know...
l've got to go.\nlfyou want you can come with me.
But you won't be able to get\ninto a suit with your dress on.
Help me l can't do it by myself.
Why do you keep staring at me?
Yes come quickly.
You might at least knock.
l thought\nl heard you talking to someone.
All the more reason.
So you've had visitors?\nYou handle that very cleanly.
Well you won't die from it.
l hope you used moderation\nin the beginning.
Narcotics poisons barbiturates eh?
lfyou came here to clown\nyou might as well leave.
You're not going to tell me\nyou haven't tried the rope or hammer?
l don't suppose you threw an inkwell\nas Luther did?
You just locked her in\npressed the button and that's it!
Next time you mustn't panic.
Try to launch it from the corridor.
- Do you know what it was?\n- No.
But we've been able to establish\na theory at least.
- Who was it?\n- She died ten years ago.
You've just seen the materialization\nofthe person you think you knew.
- What was her name?\n- Hari.
This began after we experimented\nwith X-rays.
We wanted to test the ocean
so we initiated a concentrated surface\nsweep using high intensity rays.
Yes but this is...
You're fortunate. This woman is\nonly part ofyour past.
lmagine ifyou had seen something else
something unknown in your experience\nout ofthe recesses ofyour soul.
l don't see what you mean...
Apparently the ocean somehow\nprobed our brain centers
from which it extracted\nisolated bits of memory.
- You think she'll come back?\n- She will and she won't.
- Hari the second...\n- There may be many of her.
- Why didn't you warn me?\n- You wouldn't have believed me.
l got scared and acted not very...
Don't berate yourself.
The point is to liquidate the station.
This is my mission.
lf l make out the report\nwill you sign it?
What if she were the contact\nwe've been waiting for for so long?
The night is a blessed time here.
Somehow it reminds me ofthe earth.
You can also tie strips of paper\nto the air vents.
At night you'll think you're hearing\nleaves rustle in the dark.
Guibariane's invention. Like all\nstrokes of genius it's so simple.
Sartorius said we were sentimental\nfools
but he has something like that\nhidden in his closet.
Try and get some rest.\nWe'll meet in the library later.
l've prepared a list of books for you.
Snout is that you?
Chris where are you?
Come here.
lt's so dark...
Come here don't be afraid!
The door opens the other way!
Don't be afraid. l'll be right back.
When l saw that you weren't there\nl was afraid...
Hi Chris!
l can hardly hear you.\nWhat are you doing right now?
Nothing.
Sartorius wants to see us\nin the laboratory.
Yes l'll be right with you.
Chris what's wrong with me?
ls it epilepsy?
This is my wife.
How do you do?
Hi.
We've been waiting for you.
l couldn't get away sooner.
- Are these yours?\n- No they're Snout's.
As far as l'm able to observe\nthey are structured...
Let's call them ''The Visitors''.
While our structure is atomical\ntheirs is based on neutrinos.
But any neutrino system\nwould lack stability.
There must be a magnetic field out of\nSolaris stabilizing them.
You've got an excellent specimen.
She is my wife!
My congratulations. l'm delighted.
Take a blood sample\nfrom your ''wife''.
- Why should l?\n- You'll see things a lot clearer.
What do you think Snout?
l'm fed up with the lot ofyou!
l used acid to burn the blood\nbut it regenerates itself.
Self-regeneration?\nlmmortality! Faust's problem.
There's no need of absorbent cotton.
Are you qualified to perform\nan autopsy?
She's my wife.\nDon't you understand?
lt's more humane to experiment on\nthem than on the earth rabbits.
lt would be like cutting off\nmy own leg.
Did you feel pain\nwhen you broke through the door?
Pain? Of course!
So if l ever catch you\nattempting anything on her...
You're very lucky to have established\nan emotional contact with them.
lt may feel pleasant but...
- What? Are you envious?\n- Perhaps.
No you can't feel any guilt\nthe guilt is mine.
When you have turned yourself\ninto a hopeless cripple
you can call on us.\nWe will empty your chamber pot.
- Toward whom are you guilty?\n- Toward you among others.
My father shot most ofthe film.\nl shot bits of it.
Do you know...
l don't even know my own self.\nWho am l?
As soon as l close my eyes l can't\nrecall what my face is like.
Do you know who you are?
Yes all humans do.
That woman in the white fur coat\nshe hated me.
That woman died long ago\nbefore we ever met.
Stop fooling me.
l do remember that l came over\nfor tea
and she told me to leave the house.
So l left at once.\nl remember it very well.
What happened after that?
After that l went away. That was\nthe last time we ever saw each other.
Where did you go?
To another city.
- Why?\n- l was transferred.
Why didn't you take me with you?
Because you refused to come.
Yes l remember that.
Sorry l thought\nyou were awake.
What's up?
The rate of regeneration has slowed.
For two or three hours we can be rid\nof our visitors.
And you've come in the middle of\nthe night to tell me that?
l'll tell you exactly\nwhy l came.
We thought that since the ocean
extracts our visitors from us\nduring our sleep
it might be in our interest to\ncommunicate to it our waking thoughts.
- Yes but how?\n- By X-rays.
Perhaps it will get the message and\nspare us all these apparitions.
Again your idiotic X-ray theories\nabout the greatness of science?
We'll modulate the beam\nwith the brain waves of one of us.
One of us means me of course?\nA transcription of my thoughts?
What if l want her to die\nto disappear?
Give everything back to that...\nmass ofjelly?
lt's already invaded my soul.
Chris we're losing time.\nSartorius has another project.
The annihilator. To destroy\nonly neutrino systems.
Blackmail?
l convinced him that we should\nstart with the encephalogram.
And one more thing...\nFor now forget all about it.
Tomorrow's my birthday.\nYou're invited.
- You're trying to patch it up?\n- Yes l am.
Not so loud she's sleeping.
So she knows how to sleep already?\nThis is going to end badly.
What do you propose then?
Nothing. So you'll come?\nTo the library tomorrow?
We'll set up the table.\nAt least there are no windows there.
ln the meantime let's go\nand see Sartorius.
She's sleeping.\nSuppose that she follows us?
Try leaving the door unlocked\nthis time.
What door?\nlt's just a mirage.
l'll be right back.
Where are you going?
Forgive me!
Why aren't you sleeping?
You don't love me.
Stop it.
- We have to talk.\n- About what?
l don't know where l came from.\nDo you know?
What are you talking about?
lfyou do know and you can't\ntell me for some reason
perhaps one day you will Chris?
What are you talking about?\nl don't understand anything.
You won't tell you're afraid to.
So l'll have to tell you.
l'm not Hari.\nHari is dead...
She took poison.
And l'm someone else.
- Who've you been talking to?\n- Sartorius told me.
When? Last night?
lt would've been less painful\nifyou'd told me yourself.
Oh my God! What's the difference?
How did you live all that time?
Were you in love with someone?
Did you ever think of me?
Sometimes yes not always.
Whenever l felt unhappy.
l think someone is playing a kind\nof game with us
And the more they play
the worse it will be for you.
l wish l knew how to help you.
The girl the other one\nwhat happened to her?
We'd quarreled. Toward the end\nwe used to quarrel a lot.
l packed my things and left her.
She made me understand...\nShe didn't say it in so many words...
When you've lived with a person long\nenough words aren't necessary.
l didn't think it was so serious
but then l remembered that l'd\nleft the laboratory preparations
in the fridge having explained\nto her their effect.
l got scared and wanted to go to her
but then l thought she'd understand\nthat l took her words seriously.
On the third day l did go to her\nafter all.
She was already dead. There was\nan injection mark on her arm.
Like this?
Why do you think she did that?
l believe she felt\nthat l didn't love her anymore.
But l love you.
Chris! l love you so much.
Go to sleep.
l don't know how to sleep.
lt seems like sleep but it's not.\nlt's like a sleep within a sleep.
lt doesn't come from inside me.\nlt's from far away.
lt's still a kind of sleep.
l guess our hero\nis not going to show up.
- Why?\n- Perhaps he's having guests.
Oh everybody's here!
You're one and a half hour late.
What is that you're reading?
This is all rubbish!
Where did l put it...
Where the devil... Here!
They come at night
but a man needs his nights\nfor sleeping.
That's our problem.\nMan has lost the gift of sleep.
You'd better read it. l'm a bit\noverexcited.
''Senor l know only one thing.\nWhen l...
When l sleep\nl know no fear
no hope\nno work no blessing...
Blessings on him who invented sleep\nthat balance and weight that
equals the shepherd with the king\nand the simple with the wise.
Sound sleep has but one defect -\nit smacks too much of death.
Never before Sancho have you\npronounced such a gracious speech.''
That's great. Now perhaps you'll\nlet me inject a few words of my own?
l propose a toast to Snout
to his courage\nand his devotion to duty.
Here's to science and to Snout!
To science? lt's a fraud!
No one will ever resolve this\nproblem neither genius nor idiot!
We have no ambition\nto conquer any cosmos.
We just want to extend Earth\nup to the Cosmos's borders.
We don't want any more worlds.
Only a mirror to see our own in.
We try so hard to make contact\nbut we're doomed to failure.
We look ridiculous\npursuing a goal we fear
and that we really don't need.
Man needs man!
Let's drink to Guibariane.\nln memory of a man.
Though what he did was out offear.
No Guibariane was not afraid.
There are worse things than\nbeing afraid.
He died because he saw no way out.
He thought that what was happening\nwas happening only to him.
All that heart-breaking moaning\nis just second-rate Dostoyevsky.
Who do you think you are\nto judge us?
At least l know why l'm here.
Nature created man\nso that he might gain knowledge.
ln his march toward the truth\nman is condemned to knowledge.
The rest is of no consequence.
lfyou will permit me to inquire\nwhat exactly are you doing on Solaris?
What a question!
Except for your tryst with your ex\nnothing here seems to interest you.
Your time is spent\nlolling in bed day after day.
ls that how you understand\nyour duty?
You've lost contact with reality.\nlfyou ask me you're plain lazy.
Stop it!
- Let's drink to Guibariane.\n- No to Man!
Are you suggesting\nhe was not a man?
Stop it Chris!\nWe'd better not quarrel.
After all today is my birthday.
l think Chris is more logical\nthan both ofyou.
ln these inhuman conditions\nhe alone acted human.
While you two pretend\nthat it doesn't concern you
and that your visitors\nare just an exterior enemy.
But your visitors are part ofyou\nthey are your conscience.
l believe Chris loves me
but perhaps he doesn't really\nperhaps he just defends himself.
By me who is alive he wants...
No that's not the point.\nlt doesn't matter why a human loves.
No it isn't Chris
it's you... l hate you all!
Don't interrupt me.\nl'm a woman after all!
Woman? You're not even a human being.
Try to understand that ifyou're\ncapable of understanding anything!
Hari doesn't exist! She's dead!
You're only a reproduction
a mechanical repetition ofthe form!\nA copy from a matrix!
Yes perhaps.
But l...l'm becoming a human being!
l can feel just as deeply as any\nofyou.
l can live without Chris already.
l... l'm in love with him.
l'm a human being!
You why are you so cruel...
Get up on your feet!
My dear man!
Nothing is more easy.
lt's wrong of us to quarrel like this.
We lose our humanity\nour dignity as humans.
No you're very human\nbut each one in his own way.
That's why you're quarrelling.
l hope l'm not bothering you?
You're really a good fellow.\nOnly you look awful!
Actually l'm worn out.\nCould you help me?
Doesn't a man who'd give up\nhis life
for some silly damned contact\nfor knowing the truth about it
doesn't he have a right to get drunk\nonce in a while?
Certainly he has absolutely.
Tell me do you believe in our\nmission?
l'll stay up a while yet.\nlt's important we don't sleep.
l'm going to see Faust in his\nlaboratory.
Our Faust Sartorius is still seeking\nhis remedy against immortality.
While we...
Suppose we opened all the windows\nand yelled down as loud as we could?
Do you think it would hear?
Only who shall we call to?
Maybe we should whip him\nwith birch leaves?
Or we could even pray to it...
What's the matter?
l think l closed the door...\nShe's alone there.
Go on. l feel a lot better.\nThe station changes its orbit.
At 17 hours there'll be\nthirty seconds ofweightlessness.
So don't forget.
Hari!
Forgive me darling l was lost\nin my thoughts.
ls anything wrong?
No. No nothing's wrong.\nEverything's all right.
She drank liquid oxygen...
She did it out of desperation.
lt is going to get worse.
The more she's with you\nthe more human she becomes.
- What are you going to do?\n- Wait until she comes back.
And then what?\nLeave the station?
Chris she can live only here\non the station.
What else can l do?\nl love her.
Love whom? Her?\nOr the girl on the rocket?
She will return. She can\nreturn a hundred times over.
Don't convert the scientific problem\nto an insignificant love story.
l had a foreboding\nthat this would end badly.
You should help her.
lt's horrifying isn't it?
l'll never get used\nto these constant resurrections!
ls it me?
What?.. What?..
Why? Why?
No... l'm not...
Not her... Not Hari...
And you... What ifyou aren't either...
- Don't talk Hari.\n- l'm not Hari!
Maybe your appearance
is supposed to be a torment\nmaybe the ocean sent you.
But you're more to me than\nall that science could ever mean!
- Do l look very much like her?\n- You may have looked like her.
But now it's you who are real Hari.
Tell me...
Do l look ugly? Can you look at me?
- Do l disgust you?\n- No.
- You're lying!\n- Stop it!
l must be looking disgusting!
Don't touch me!
l love you!
Hari what can l do?
Nothing...
l won't return to earth.
We'll live here\non the station.
l'm afraid.
The ocean's activity is increasing.\nYour encephalogram may be the cause.
Whenever we show pity we empty\nour souls.
Perhaps that's true.
Suffering makes life\nseem gray and suspicious.
No l don't believe that...\nl will not accept that...
What is not indispensable to life\nis in some way harmful to it?
No that's not true either.\nltjust isn't true!
Remember Tolstoy's suffering
about the impossibility\nof loving the humankind in general?
How much time has passed since?
l can't figure it out...\nHelp me.
Let's suppose l love you.
Love is something\nwe can feel
but never explain.\nOne can only explain the idea.
You love that\nwhich you can lose.
Yourself a woman your country...
Until today humanity the world\nhad no way to reach love.
There are so few of us!
Perhaps the reason we're here
is to understand for the first time\nhuman beings as a reason to love?
He's feverish.
How did Guibariane really die?\nYou haven't told me.
l'll tell you but later.
Guibariane did not die out offear\nhe died out of shame.
The salvation of humanity is\nin its shame!
Mama l...
l'm two hours late.
l know. How was your trip?
lt was just a bit tiring.\nlt was all right.
lt's running slow again.\nl'll set it right.
You have lots oftime.
l don't know what's the matter\nwith me...
l have completely forgotten your face.
You don't look well.\nAre you happy?
Happiness is an idea that's obsolete.
l think that's too bad.
l feel so alone now.
Why are you hurting us?
What have you been waiting for?\nYou might have telephoned.
You seem to lead\nsuch a strange life.
You're sloppy you don't take\ncare ofyourself.
How did you get into this state?
What's this? Wait l'll be\nright back.
Hari...
How are you? You feel better now?
Where's Hari?
- What is it?\n- There is no more Hari.
''Chris l'm sorry l had\nto deceive you.
There wasn't any other way.
This is the only solution for us both.
l asked them myself. lt was my\ndecision.
Do not blame anyone for this. Hari.''
She did it for you.
Snout listen...
Calm down Chris.
How was it?..
The annihilator. An explosion of\nlight and a breath ofwind.
To think that we quarreled so often\nthose last days.
Snout why are we being\ntortured like this?
We have lost our sense ofthe Cosmic.
Ancient man had no such problem.\nHe'd have never asked why...
You remember the myth of Sisyphus?
Since we sent your encephalogram
not a single one ofthe visitors\nhas returned.
Something beyond our understanding\nis happening to the ocean.
lslands have begun\nto form on the surface.
First there was one\nthen others began to appear.
Are you telling me that\nwe were understood?
Just like that? ln one stroke?
At least we can hope now.
- How old are you?\n- Fifty two.
Have you been here long?
You must have read my background\npapers.
After so many years\non the station
do you still feel as clearly your\nlink with the life down below?
l suppose next you'll want to know\nwhat life's all about eh?
Please let's not be ironical.
When a man is happy\nthe meaning of life
and other themes of eternity\nrarely interest him.
These questions should be asked\nat the end of one's life.
We don't know when our life will end\nthat's why we're in a hurry.
The happiest people are those
who never bother asking\nthose cursed questions.
We question life\nto seek out some meaning.
Yet to preserve all the simple\nhuman truths we need mysteries.
The mystery of happiness death\nlove.
You may be right.\nBut try not to think about it.
To think about it is the same\nas to know the day of one's death.
Not knowing that date\nmakes us practically immortal.
Well anyway my mission is finished.
And what next?\nTo return to earth?
Little by little everything\nwill come to normal.
l'll find new interests\nnew acquaintances.
But l won't be able to devote\nall of myselfto them.
And do l have the right to turn down
even an imaginary possibility\nof contact with the ocean
to which my race is trying\nto stretch a thread of understanding?
To stay here among the things\nwe both touched
which still remember our breathing?
What for?\nJust for the hope of her return?
But l have no hope.
The only thing left for me\nis to wait.
Wait for what?\nl don't know... A new miracle.
Are you all right now?
Yes l feel fine.
ln my opinion it's time for you\nto return to earth.
ls that your opinion?
The End