Rublev
PART 1
1、Prologue: fire balloon, get out of the world. Fly across the icons on the hall. A bird view of Russian landscape. A rolling horse.
2、Ckomopox 1400: Buffoon. Moscow is full of painters. A boyar without beard. priests encounters Buffoon and peasants, like statues. Buffoon-devil.
3、1405, Theophanes the Greek. Kirril (from Andronnikov Monastery) passes by the execution ground, indifferently. Penetrate the crux of everything, truthfully. Something in Rublv’s paintings is missing: fear, faith, and simplicity without flourish. Maybe it’s better in the darkness of ignorance. Wisdom brings sorrow. What increases knowledge increases sorrow. T: I got bored very soon. K: I haven’t touched a book for three years. My path is different now. T: I’m going to die soon, without your(angel) help. K: You yourself come to me. R: I can’t do without you. K Stay up, quench the fire. (voiceover: judgment, all is vanity) R: I see the world through your (Danila) eyes, listen through your ears, your heart. K: The monastery now looks like a market place. God didn't give me talent. Beat the dog.
4、1406, the Andrei Passion. Lie (Foma), snake. Only through a pray our soul can discern what's invisible. Dead swan and insects. Where did you see all this when everybody only thinks of saving their asses. K: Moscow women gave their hair to the Tartars as ransom. T: The prefer to go bald rather to tortured (unselfishness). K: women in Russia are oppressed and unhappy. T: Ignorance—who is to blame—their stupidity. The day of judgment is coming, we all burn like candles. (Cynic theology). R: I don’ understand how you can paint, having thoughts like this. You even accept praise. T: I serve God, not People. Today they praise and tomorrow they’ll abuse what the praised only yesterday and after that they’ll forget both you and me, everything. All is vanity, all is useless. The human race has already perpetrated all stupidies and wrongs and now it’s just repeating them. (eternal return) If Jesus came back to earth again, he would be once more crucified. Jesus taught people ,but people (Judas, Peter) gathered to execute/crucify him. K: But they repent. T: That was much later. The scene of cross:
Pharisees had even learned to read and write to take advantage of His Ignorance.
They never despair but resign themselves to their fate, only praying to God to give them strength.
People should be reminded that they are human beings, that Russian people are of one blood and one Land. New and new trials are heaping on the Russian men --Tatars, famine and pestilence.
It had to arouse the hatred not of those who crucified Him, but of those who loved Him. They loved Him as a man, but He, of his own will, forsook them, showing injustice or even cruelty.
Am I not right?
Don't you always speak your mind?
I do. For I'm a layman, a free man.
5、1408, Feast. Witchery. Fire and desire. God servant needs to know everything. (vermin) Why did you curse us, threatening us with a fire. This is night and everyone should love. Is love a sin? Convert us to your faith by force. The eyes of the naked woman. A sad granny on the swing. Guards, pagans,
6、1408, The Last Judgment. Another liar (Foma turns over a new leaf). I can’t paint this. It’s against me. I don’t want to scare people. No purity in me. Foma leaves. Stones carvers work on Grand Prince’s mansion. His brother in Zvenigorod commands Stephen to gouge the eyes of the artisans. Holy fool (Durochka) cries for the scrawl. Feast—she can’t be sinful.
But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ; the head of the woman is the man; the head of Christ is God. Every man praying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. Every woman that prayeth with her head uncovered
dishonoureth her head.
PART 2
7、1408, Raid. Tartars are coming. While the Grand Prince is away in Lithuania, the Grand Prince’s brother and a group of Tatars raid Vladimir. Long for the throne. An oath before god, to live in peace and harmony. (They didn’t obey the oath, but coerce the people to believe God.) B: Vladimir is beautiful, right? What are you doing, brothers? T: did you feel sorry about the Cathedral? Who is that woman lying on? B: That’s Mary, the virgin. T: Well though. In the Russia of yours, even strangers things happen. My god, it hurts. In front of Jesus, will you forgive me? Grand Prince stepped on B. Horse. The death of Seryoga or Foma (swan, river, brush-washing) . Theophanes, you are dead, aren’t you? T: I’m dead, so what? Rublev: I’ve spent half of my life being blind. Work for people, but they are not. You were right then. T: You are wrong now, I was wrong then. (Russia should be one) TT: you’ll cut one and another’s throat even without us. R: I’ll never paint again. Nobody needs it. I killed a Russian man. T: To live between his forgiveness and your torment. R: Vow a silence. Russia, Russia, she endures everything and will continue to endure. There is nothing more frightful than snow falling in the temple.
8、1412, Silence. Famine. Kirill comes bac—there is no truth in the world. Tartars fool with the sinless fool (the God’s fool). A Russia wife.
9、1423, Bell. Boriska: Bell secret. Refuse to dig. Reinforce the mound. Flog him, like a tyrant. To R: What are you starring at? The buffoon spent ten years in the prison. Being taken off half of his tongue. They invite me to be the jester of the prince. (joke and forgiveness) Boriska during flowing: Oh, Lord, help us. Let it work.
K: Envy poison my guts. Don’t reject a God-given gift, even I felt joy in my base soul. My soul cries for eternal rest. Curse me at last, but don’t be silent. The creator hides. No secret. Speak. I’ll go to the Trinity, you and me. You’ve created such a feast, such a joy for people. The natural existence, catastrophe, serenity and sublimity in the paintings. Horse again.
The epilogue is the only part of the film in color and shows details of several of Andrei Rublev's icons. The icons are shown in the following order: Enthroned Christ, Twelve Apostles, The Annunciation, Twelve Apostles, Jesus entering Jerusalem, Birth of Christ, Enthroned Christ, Transfiguration of Jesus, Resurrection of Lazarus, The Annunciation, Resurrection of Lazarus, Birth of Christ, Trinity, Archangel Michael, Paul the Apostle, The Redeemer. The final scene crossfades from the icons and shows four horses at a river during rain.
