Tarkovsky belongs in the pantheon of European art cinema that influenced Woody Allen. The blatant narcissism in this film is explicit in many of Allen's films. But unlike Allen who is a comedian, Tarkovsky had no interest in helping the audience follow the story.
“We have had everything taken away from us, and yet we have all learned how to survive. That is why, in the ballroom circuit, it is so obvious that if you have captured the great white way of living, or looking, or dressing, or speaking - you is a marvel.”