Andrei Rublev - Which version?

[Dagada]

Which is the best version? And is the AI UK release the same as the Ruscico one?

[Michael Brooke]

As far as I’ve established without doing a direct comparison myself, the Artificial Eye and Ruscico discs are indeed identical.

Unfortunately, though, I can’t give you a definitive “which is best?” answer, as they both have good points and bad points. There’s no question the transfer is far superior on the AE/Ruscico disc – not only is it anamorphic, but the source print is in noticeably better condition – so if you had to buy just one, I’d say go for that one.

On the other hand, though, the Criterion disc contains a longer cut of the film, and reputedly one closer to Tarkovsky’s original intentions (the AE/Ruscico cut was signed off by him, but may have been prepared under some duress) – and I also found the Criterion extras to be rather more substantial, most notably the critical commentary by Russian film historian Vlada Petric.
So I bought both, and I’m afraid hardcore Tarkovsky fans have little choice but to do the same!

[Dagada]

I seem to remember that the UK version suffered cuts.... The BBFC site says nothing about this, though. Anyone help?

[Michael Brooke]

I was wondering about this, but it seems that the Artificial Eye discs effectively are the Ruscico discs (they have the same catalogue numbers printed on the discs themselves), and I doubt they’ve undergone any censorship, as there’s no reason for them to have done.

That said, there are some fairly significant differences between the two versions – as far as I can establish, the Criterion disc contains Tarkovsky’s first cut, and the AE/Ruscico disc contains the cut he prepared after extensive consultation with the powers that be – and the contentious horse shot is one of the sequences that’s been shortened.