Suspendu

The thing with Tarkovsky is you either get him or you don't, at least that is what I believe. Simple as it sounds, the mysterious and lengthy nature of his films require, and of course deserve, full concentration to watch and ultimately this can deter people. As a result they fail to appreciate the genius that he is.
Having not watched Stalker until recently, I was pleasantly surprised as I had not expected to find such breathtaking moments. Tarkovsky has this technique of camera movement that is slow but a continuous movement that not only creates a flow and grips the viewer but is a true of his display of pure and great direction.

I could go on about the opening scene along with many others, but the scene in question really struck me. In the Zone the three stalkers are lead through different paths and before they reach 'the room' they encounter this maze of a sand dune, or rather mounds of sand. Pictured here is the scene where the he slows the frame on the rag that they have thrown to test the area is safe.
When I had first seen the shot I was fooled into thinking the rag was a frog leaping through.






An eagle flies by followed by another, but it is the way that the scene is cut and the first eagle disappears into thin air that holds me captivated.
The lighting, the direction, and the editing all make this scene magical. The lack of clarity or ambiguous aspects of his films, merely heighten the mystery for me.