Sacrifício de Tarkovski hoje na Cinemateca às 19h00
22 November 1983, San Gregorio [...] The Sacrifice.
Think about the rhythm. Do not allow the scenes already shot to mislead. Build the film's rhythm in advance. It is rhythm that sets the dramaturgy in film, in contradistinction to literature and drama.
23 November, San Gregorio We stayed in England for almost two months. The rehearsals took one month. My work with Claudio Abbado went well and we parted as friends. The cast members were very good. The characters of the drama fit the actors perfectly. The production manager Jeff Phillips did a wonderful job.
Stephen Lawless ? the assistant ? and Irina Brown were very good. It was not so good with Dvigubsky. He spent a lot of money quite unnecessarily but couldn't provide what was most important. He had promised to polish up the production and all the elements that still needed it and had been telling the theatre staff the work was almost finished. [...]
In London I became closely acquainted with André Engel to whom I spoke rather coolly in Cannes. It turns out he is a very nice man. When I asked him why he distributed my films, as they were not very profitable, he responded that I was his "holy cow." This was very nice.
England is quiet, majestic, and homely. We didn't feel like leaving at all. New acquaintances, friends, new opportunities. [...]
In London I saw Anna-Lena who is very enthusiastic and although she has faith in Hamlet, she proposes to start working on The Sacrifice. She said she would be in Rome on the 28th. [...]
24 November, Thursday, San Gregorio I began The Sacrifice yesterday. I worked on it a bit but the result is rather mediocre. I'm overexcited. Not much has cleared up. Eternal Return as the title? I cannot at all find the story with the dwarf in Thus Spake Zarathustra. Found it.
What is artistic creation? Conviction. And if it is conviction it means it is accompanied by errors. If errors then ? does this indicate falseness? No, firstly, errors do not always indicate falseness, and secondly, why avoid errors if art utilises not truth, not essence, but an image of truth, an image of essence. [...]
5 December, San Gregorio [...] Anna-Lena Wibom was in Rome, we talked about directing. We agreed the screenplay would be ready by the end of January and I'd begin shooting in June. I told her about Sven Nykvist and Erland Josephson. [...]
9 December, San Gregorio Larissa telephoned Moscow yesterday and is very upset: Andryusha cries after every call. God, those bastards!
Franco told us yesterday it might be worthwhile to speak with Berlinguer. The risk is small. After all, regardless of the conflict between us and Moscow, they meet all the time, they depend on each other so to speak.
I'm tired. Difficult days!!!
If Yermash does not show up in the next few days with an offer to discuss things I shall have to inform the embassy that I'm requesting political asylum, and prepare everything.
7 January 1984, Tuesday, San Gregorio The Sacrifice.
For the dream sequence (which may be entirely rewritten). The last shot from a close-up of Alexander bundled up in something (a coat?) to a long shot: the field, the grass, an extraordinary pearly light. The far reaches of the horizon and the sky dissolving into the mist. It turns out Alexander is on a cart on which a woman is sitting (with her back turned) dressed in white and driving him away toward the horizon. Crane. A long shot. Perhaps the only colour shot in the film. First a close-up of Alexander then a pan across the ruins where objects he knew have burnt, or their remnants to be exact, then the cart, etc.
The sound of a motorcycle passing nearby (the family is sitting at the table).
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