ABSTRACT
Holy foolishness is a recurring theme in the films of Andrei Tarkovsky. The chapter examines the characters typically labeled as holy fools by critics, with the aim of outlining the development of the theme in Tarkovsky's cinematic imagination. It deals with the critical force and modernity that the holy fool acquires under Tarkovsky's directorial treatment. The first film of Tarkovsky's offers a powerful characterization of holy foolishness was Andrei Rublev, his second feature film, released in 1966. The film, shot mainly in black and white, is based loosely on the life of the eponymous fifteenth-century Russian icon painter and presents with a complex situation. Tarkovsky focused the film on the spiritual and artistic growth of Andrei Rublev in a world that challenged his ideals in many ways. Tarkovsky illustrates the flaws of modern rationality by using his holy fools to expose its limitations.
