If you throw even a cursory glance into the past, at the life which lies behind you, not even recalling its most vivid moments, you are struck every time by the singularity of the events in which you took part, the unique individuality of the characters whom you met. This singularity is like the dominant note of every moment of existence; in each moment of life, the life principle itself is unique. The artist therefore tries to grasp that principle and make it incarnate, new each time; and each time he hopes, though in vain, to achieve an exhaustive image of the Truth of human existence. The quality of beauty is in the truth of life.

About This Quote

About Andrei Tarkovsky

Andrei Tarkovsky was a 20th-century soviet filmmaker. Andrei Arsenyevich Tarkovsky was a Soviet film director and screenwriter of Russian origin. He is widely considered one of the greatest directors in cinema history. Read more on Wikipedia →

Themes

  • Art — Creativity, expression, and the role of art in society
  • Life — Reflections on the meaning, challenges, and beauty of life
  • Time — Reflections on the passage of time and how we spend it

More quotes by Andrei Tarkovsky

Related Quotes