Stalker

Stalker

Year: 1979

Runtime: 162 mins

Language: Russian

Director: Andrei Tarkovsky

DramaScience FictionHumanity and the world around usMonsters aliens sci-fi and the apocalypseSurreal and thought-provoking visions of life and death

Silence is required; you must concentrate and recall every memory of your past life, for reflection softens a man. Outside a bleak, nameless city lies the Zone, a barbed‑wire‑guarded area where physics bends and anomalies erupt. A stalker leads two men into the Zone, seeking the Room where the deepest wishes are fulfilled.

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Timeline & Setting – Stalker (1979)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Stalker (1979). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

The Zone

A quarantined landscape where the laws of physics bend and ruins scatter the horizon. Within its borders, reality feels unstable and danger lurks in every shadow. At the heart lies the Room, a mythical chamber said to grant wishes but guarded by lethal anomalies. The Zone is officially forbidden by the government, and entry carries severe penalties.

🗺️ Zone 🧭 Post-apocalyptic ⚠️ Supernatural hazards

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:58

Main Characters – Stalker (1979)

Meet the key characters of Stalker (1979), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Stalker (Aleksandr Kaydanovskiy)

A cautious, world-weary guide who has survived prison and now ferries others through the Zone. He speaks in practical, hard-earned truths and treats the Zone with a wary respect. His moral burden includes the fate of his clients and the impact on his own family.

🧭 Guide 🗝️ Responsibility 🛡️ Protector

Writer (Anatoliy Solonitsyn)

An anxious, introspective seeker of inspiration who doubts the Zone’s dangers yet is drawn to the Room’s rumored power. He debates risk and meaning, hoping the journey will rekindle his creative spark. His perspective shifts as the moral dimensions of desire unfold before him.

🖋️ Writer 🧠 Intellectual 🎭 Dramatic

Professor (Nikolay Grinko)

A scientist intent on proving something profound through the Zone, hungry for a Nobel Prize. He is methodical and ambitious, carrying a backpack as a symbol of preparedness. In the end, his plan to destroy the Room gives way to a deeper, more guarded understanding of desire and consequence.

🔬 Scientist 🎯 Ambitious ⚖️ Ethical conflict

Stalker's Wife (Alisa Freyndlikh)

Protective and wary of the Zone’s hazards, she anchors the family amid hardship. Her quiet resilience and longing for meaning color the story’s emotional core. She prefers a life of challenge over convenience, highlighting the human cost of the Zone’s temptations.

❤️ Family 🗨️ Witness 🌿 Resilient

Marta (Natalya Abramova)

The Stalker’s daughter, a quiet presence who appears to carry Zone-mutant potential. She seems to demonstrate telekinetic ability, moving glasses with a just-perceived gesture. Her presence embodies a fragile hope for the Zone’s unseen possibilities and the fragility of family life within it.

🌟 Mutant 🧪 Telekinesis 👨‍👩‍👧 Family

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:58

Major Themes – Stalker (1979)

Explore the central themes of Stalker (1979), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🙏 Faith

The Zone tests the characters' beliefs as rigorously as their courage. The Room acts as a mirror, reflecting what each person truly values. The Stalker argues that faith is necessary to traverse the Zone and to live a morally coherent life. The ending suggests that belief shapes action more than the mere desire to change one's fate.

💰 Desire and Consequences

Each traveler pursues a personal longing—from artistic inspiration to scientific glory—through the Room. The Writer fears losing his muse; the Professor pursues conquest through science; their motives clash with the Stalker's ethic. The Room reveals the true priorities of each seeker, exposing the cost of selfish wishes. Ultimately, the pursuit of power or fame is weighed against moral restraint.

🌌 Zone as Character

The Zone is depicted almost as a living force that shapes choices and fates. Its hazards—both physical and moral—test loyalty, courage, and faith. The Meat Grinder anomaly and other dangers function as tests of character as much as obstacles. Even after leaving the Zone, its influence continues to ripple through the family and their beliefs.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:58

Unlock the Full Story of Stalker

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Stalker Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Stalker, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Stalker Summary

Stalker Timeline

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Stalker Timeline

More About Stalker

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Stalker (1979) Plot Summary & Movie Recap

Stalker (1979) Scene-by-Scene Movie Timeline

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