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Inner Strife

Watched Andrei Rublev recently. It was an intense and mesmerizing experience. Some frames were so beautifully shot that they could have been pictures at an exhibition a person could walk through. There were minor stories in the details of those frames. 

The movie and the way the story was told felt like a Rorschach test. Every viewer will likely come away with different points to ponder after they are done though they may be some overarching themes all will find. The ending of the movie was particularly poignant for me -  The Bell (Spring–Summer–Winter–Spring 1423–1424). A young man uses his wits, talent and need to survive in the world where he has lot his whole family and community. His transition from being met with insubordination from the workers who used to work for his father to becoming accepted as their leader was depicted with perfection. 

There are many such vignettes throughout the movie that makes the viewer think about faith, cruelty, tolerance, responsibility to society, love, war and more. When the protagonist is touched by the physical expression of love, the kind that is unsanctioned by organized religion he serves, he is unable to depict the Day of Judgement the way tradition demands. Time and again, we see a man at conflict with this inner compass and the the direction the world around him is headed. He has to overcome that strife to find his way in life - and that is true for anyone who has ever felt at odds with the world they live in. An amazing movie all around and highly recommended.

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