Russian Ark

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Julian Rex M As technically dazzling as it is narratively impeccable, Russian Ark perfectly captures the pivotal and innocent moments of its titular country with attentive respect, poignant emotion, and encapsulating atmosphere. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/25 Full Review Audience Member Russian Ark is a 2002 experimental historical drama film directed by Alexander Sokurov. The plot follows an unnamed narrator, who wanders through the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg and implies that he died in some horrible accident and is a ghost drifting through. An international co-production between Russia and Germany, Russian Ark was shot entirely in the Winter Palace of the Russian State Hermitage Museum on December 23rd, 2001, using a one-take single 87-minute Steadicam sequence shot. It extensively uses the fourth wall device, but repeatedly broken and re-erected. Roger Ebert wrote, "Apart from anything else, this is one of the best-sustained ideas I have ever seen on the screen." Vision wrote, "Visually, the film is stunning, with exquisite costumes and furnishings as far as the eye can see. Or stops seeing in my case. A feast for the eyes, the likes of which we have rarely seen on film before. Though, I don't know if I would categorize this as a movie. It felt more like a tour around a museum. The background music sounded as if there was a war going on, but there wasn't. The only masterful shot was at the end. The end." Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/19/25 Full Review s r 1001 movies to see before you die. Ambitious and impressive. I have never been to St Petersburg, nor the Hermitage, but this makes me want to visit it in person. It did keep my interest with some subtle poetic mysticism and the bizarreness, but it then left you with a sudden ending that didn't leave me fulfilled. I don't plan on seeing it again. It was on youtube. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review William L A tremendous accomplishment from a logistical perspective alone, Russian Ark feels a bit as if someone is showing off their Ferrari to you, but for an hour and a half. Yes, I appreciate all that it took to pull off a film of this style and vision, but there are bound to be a couple of redundancies if you hang around for too long (in particular, how many times can they get away with acting slightly goofy in front of paintings?). However, that simple assessment really does sell this Alexander Sokurov experimental film short - the camerawork captures the Winter Palace beautifully, and despite the ease with which he could have presented Russian Ark as 'the first feature-length film to be shot in one take' and called it a day from the standpoint of artistic merit, he actually creates a discourse on Russian identity as his narrator and nameless European wander the gilded halls of old European royalty, taking in key figures in moments of intimacy and action alike. Despite the premise, the acting feels tight all around, and with very little objective backstory granted to his two main characters (one of which is never seen onscreen), the film's climax at their parting feels sincere and impactful. That's not even mentioning the resplendent scenes of formal court and a magnificent period ball to finish the 'evening'. I wonder what the actual editing budget for a feature-length film that uses no cuts looks like? (3.5/5) Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/29/21 Full Review Audience Member Impressively photographed but this paen to Russian high culture is anything but my cup of tea. So bored. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review dave s Russian Ark is a movie like no other. Hypnotic and captivating, it follows a French diplomat, accompanied by an unseen second party, as he wanders through the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, Russia. Along the way, they experience Russian history over the last 200 years, including Peter the Great and Tsar Nicholas I, among others, capped off with participation in a formal ball. What makes the film remarkable is the fact that it consists of only one take, seen through the eyes of the unseen second party. The complexity and logistics of accomplishing such a feat are remarkable and the visuals are stunning. It's a shame that some sort of plot element couldn't have been introduced to better hold the attention of the viewer, as it does come across at times like a promotional video of the museum, but it is still worth seeing for the technical brilliance. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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