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Andrei Rublev is set against the background of 15th century Russia. Although the film is only loosely based on the life of Andrei Rublev, its depiction of medieval Russia is realistic. Tarkovsky created a film that shows the artist as "a world-historic figure" and "Christianity as an axiom of Russias historical identity"[1] during a turbulent period of Russian history, that ultimately resulted in the Tsardom of Russia. The film is about the essence of art and the importance of faith and shows an artist who tries to find the appropriate response to the tragedies of his time. The film is also about artistic freedom and the possibility and necessity of making art for, and in the face of, a repressive authority and its hypocrisy, technology and empiricism, by which knowledge is acquired on one's own without reliance on authority, and the role of the individual, communnity, and government in the making of both spiritual and epic art. Because of the films's religious themes and political ambiguity, it was unreleased in the atheistic and authoritarian Soviet Union for years after it was completed, except for a single screening in Moscow. A cut version of the film was shown at the Cannes Film Festival in 1969, where it won the FIPRESCI prize. In 1971 a censored version of the film released in the Soviet Union. The film was further cut for commercial reasons upon release in the US in 1973. Because of this several versions of the film exist. Today Andrei Rublev is widely regarded as a masterpiece and one of Tarkovsky's best works. By opinion poll of the members of the European Academy of Film and Television (1995), this motion picture was recognized one of the worlds ten best films (8th place).
Awards * Special Jury Prize FIPRESCI for off-competition films at the Cannes IFF, 1969 * Honorary Diploma of the Belgrade IFF, 1973 * Grand Prize at the Azolo International Festival of Films about Art and Artists, 1973 * One of the worlds ten best films by opinion poll of the members of the European Academy of Film and Television, 1995 * Prix Special de la FIPRESCI attribue aux films hors-concours au Festival de Cannes 1969 * Diplome dhonneur du Festival de Belgrade 1973 * Grand Prix du Festival dAzolo 1973, attribue aux films traitant de lart et des personnages historiques * Classe huitieme des dix meilleurs films du cinema mondial par les membres de lAcademie europeenne du Cinema et de la Television, 1995 © MOSFILM, 1966.
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