The Figure of Trickster in the Work of Andrei Tarkovsky from the Perspective of William J. Hynes’s Theory

Abstract

This paper is dedicated to an analysis of the figure of the trickster in the work of Andrei Tarkovsky from the perspective of William J. Hynes’s theory. The paper discusses three films directed by Andrei Tarkovsky: Nostalghia (1983), The Sacrifice (1986) and Stalker (1979). The trickster is one of the oldest and most widespread mythical figures. It is characterized by a paradoxicality which serves to manifest the trickster’s liminality and transformative powers resulting from the absence of divisions. Examining the selected protagonists from Tarkovsky’s films, it may be seen that many of the features of the trickster are also constitutive for them. The paper works to understand why Tarkovsky chose to use the trickster figures to promote his own ideas, as well as how changes in the contemporary culture and society influence how the trickster archetype is presented in his movies.