Russian Ark

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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 Audience Member Una maravilla. Una toma, 2000 o más actores y un gran escenario, el museo Hermitage. Recomendable totalmente Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Audience Member Full review on my blog max4movies: Russkiy kovcheg (international title: Russian Ark) is a period drama about an unknown man who finds himself roaming the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia, in the late 19th century, while being invisible to others. The movie is an impressive work of art and, as of 2020, still one of the longest movies shot in one continuous take. The scenery of the Hermitage in St. Petersburg is hauntingly beautiful and the well-choreographed moments with hundreds of actors are simply stunning to watch. In its best moments, Russkiy kovcheg is very much like a beautiful dream come to live. However, the movie nearly completely lacks narrative structure and the camera work has its flaws in the more somber moments (e.g., distracting zooms, low lighting). Ultimately, while still being a technical achievement, viewers looking for a plot and without knowledge of Russian history will be left in the dark. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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