Reflections of Kierkegaard's existentialism in Tarkovsky's cinema: The Sacrifice

This study explores the reflections of Søren Kierkegaard's existential philosophy in the cinema of Andrei Tarkovsky, with particular reference to his film The Sacrifice. In Fear and Trembling, Kierkegaard interprets Abraham's willingness to sacrifice Isaac as an expression of the metaphysics of faith and seeks to demonstrate why Abraham is considered a knight of faith. Through his unwavering belief in God and the power of the absurd, Abraham is redeemed from becoming a murderer and is instead transformed into a knight of faith. Similarly, in The Sacrifice, Tarkovsky tells the story of Alexander, who, on the brink of a nuclear war, prays to God and vows to sacrifice his home if the catastrophe is averted. Although Alexander is not a man of faith in the same sense as Abraham, he nevertheless exhibits an Abrahamic submission in the face of an impending disaster, entrusting himself to the transcendent. Keywords: Sacrifice, Kierkegaard, Tarkovsky, knight of faith, philosphy of cinema