Russian Ark
The premise of Russian Ark is two-fold: national pride and technical triumph. The film certainly succeeds on the latter point. Making a 96-minute, one-take film on this scale is a remarkable accomplishment. The scenes drift from room to room, from present day to 300 years in the past and back again, chronicling the long, extravagant rule of the Romanov family and the communist oppression that followed. As the Marquis de Custine walks from exhibit to exhibit, criticizing Russia's lack of artistic achievement, the voice behind the camera (director Aleksandr Sokurov) defends his country's tenuous station as a European outcast and the importance of this incredible palace as a vessel of Russian history. It's not much of a story, but that's not really the point of this exercise anyway. An extraordinary amount of detail went into creating this dream-like tour of the Hermitage, and it's simply a marvel that they were able to pass through so many rooms and exhibit halls, past so many actors and extras, without a single cut. By the finale, a recreation of the Winter Palace's last great ball under Nicholas II, you're hit with a realization of just how ridiculous a feat of coordination this project really was. Avid film buffs may find themselves much more impressed with Russian Ark than the casual moviegoer, but if anything it'll save you a trip to St. Petersburg.
- July 1, 2007
DVD Details/Extras
Anamorphic widescreen 1.78:1; Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround; a "making-of" documentary with interviews of the director, producer, cinematographer and Hertimage curator that reallly helps put the logistics of the film in perspective; Mon Paradis, a dull documentary of interviews with some odd employees of the museum, as well as some normal patrons; audio commentary track with the director and producer; original trailer.