<DIV><DIV><DIV>The masters of Russian arts and letters are a prestigious fraternity that includes such renowned artists as Tolstoy, Rachmaninoff, and Shostakovich. But alongside these luminaries stands a lesser-known but equally revered figure, filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky. Robert Bird offers in <I>Andrei Tarkovsky</I> an unprecedented investigation of Tarkovsky&#8217;s oeuvre and its far-reaching influence on world cinema.<DIV><BR>Bird brings a novel approach to his dissection of Tarkovsky&#8217;s wholly original techniques and sensibilities, arranging the films into elemental categories of Water, Fire, Earth, and Air. <I>Solaris</I>, <I>Ivan&#8217;s Childhood</I>, <I>Mirror</I>, <I>Nostalgia</I>, <I>Andrei Rublev</I>, and <I>Sacrifice </I>all get their due here; through them, Bird explores how the filmmaker probed the elusive correlation between cinematic representation and a more primeval perception of the world. Though the book also considers Tarkovsky&#8217;s work in radio, theatre, and opera&#8212;as well as his work as an actor, screenwriter, and film theorist&#8212;Bird throughout keeps his focus firmly on Tarkovsky as a consummate filmmaker.<DIV>&nbsp;<DIV>Anchored by a wealth of film stills and photographs, <I>Andrei Tarkovsky</I> is a must-read for all film buffs and admirers of European cinema.</DIV>