X
- 2002
- Not Rated
- Wellspring Media
- 1 h 39 m
- 2002
- Not Rated
- Wellspring Media
- 1 h 39 m
Summary A unique panorama of the Hermitage, the most famous palace in Russia, now one of the great museums of the world.
Directed By: Aleksandr Sokurov
- 2002
- Not Rated
- Wellspring Media
- 1 h 39 m
- 2002
- Not Rated
- Wellspring Media
- 1 h 39 m
Russian Ark
5.5
Where to Watch
Summary A unique panorama of the Hermitage, the most famous palace in Russia, now one of the great museums of the world.
Directed By: Aleksandr Sokurov
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 32 Critic Reviews
87
97% Positive
31 Reviews
31 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
3% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
Based on 32 Critic Reviews
87
97% Positive
31 Reviews
31 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
3% Negative
1 Review
1 Review
The best style has a purpose to it, and Russian Ark, in its hypnotic, endless swirl, gets at a deep truth of the post-Soviet psyche, haunted by its legacy of czarist rule and Stalin-era sacrifice. The film is a sad home for ghosts.
The result is a magnificent feast for the eyes and brain.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 53 User Ratings
5.5
58% Positive
31 Ratings
31 Ratings
8% Mixed
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
34% Negative
18 Ratings
18 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 53 User Ratings
5.5
58% Positive
31 Ratings
31 Ratings
8% Mixed
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
34% Negative
18 Ratings
18 Ratings
A beautiful feat that has become on of the most acclaimed experimental films of all time. The film takes the viewer on a tour of Russian history through the eyes **** figure. The entire film was shot in one, long continuous take, so you should probably give the filmmakers some credit, even if you don't personally like the film.
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Russian Ark is a film where the camerawork has to be established before discussing the film in depth. Russian Ark is 90 minutes long, and consists of a single camera shot. One shot lasting 90 minutes, completed in 3 attempts, gliding through hundreds of rooms in the Russian State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, with over 2000 intensely decorated and choreographed extras completing their parts and not missing a single beat. So much preparation, so much grueling design work, and so much passionate effort went into this film -- how could I not honor the cinematography for not only achieving something nearly impossible, and achieving it with such a gracefully gliding steadicam, but also making this masterpiece of a film stand out to the public, and get its message heard? The film is also shot from the point of view of an invisible man, visible only to a wandering figure who guides him through the museum. They step seamlessly in between time periods, indicated by radical changes of decor and costume, as well as appearances of Catherine the Great, Peter the Great, and other famous Russians. It's like a tour of Russian History (which is essentially the purpose of the Hermitage Museum itself), only instead of viewing it all in basic moving pictures, you float through the fabric of time like a celestial feather. That's right, Art House films. Deal with it.
Every set piece is so immaculate, gorgeous, and convincing that it feels like stepping into a time machine. The imagery and the cinematography are woven to make you feel like what happens on screen is not only real, but that you were there when it happened. No film has ever felt so liberating to me. This is an experience like no other. Everyone should get a chance to feel the magic of Russian Ark before the day they die.
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The film is a glorious experience to witness, not least because, knowing the technique and understanding how much depends on every moment, we almost hold our breath.
A magnificent conjuring act, an eerie historical mirage.
Dazzling dance to the music of time.
By turns intriguing, boring, frustrating, amazing and stirring, this is a tour de force that, necessarily, lacks dramatic force, but one that creates a dream state of seemingly limitless dimensions.
Little more than a travelogue designed to show off the grandeur of the Hermitage, with the silly actors in fancy costumes getting in the way of the paintings and sculptures on display.
"Is this a dream?"
"Maybe, maybe. But I'm wide awake."
Director Aleksandr Sokurov takes the idea of admiring St. Petersburg's Hermitage through the eye of a camera, and creates a vast, sprawling dream sequence that feels just like dipping your brain in a vat of icy-hot. As the camera drifts through corridor after corridor, the setting constantly shifts - in one room you will encounter the director's friends admiring a painting, while in the next room Catherine II is teaching children how to properly curtsy (not to mention a carpenter in a closet making coffins for WWII cavalry). At the helm of this mad tour is the strange guide, who appears out of thin air and constantly judges every detail, from the art to the museum guests. It's hard to know for sure whether he is a figment of our imagination, a phantom, or, as the narrator suggests, a symbol for Europe's constant patronization for Russian art and culture; whatever he represents, Sergei Donstov gives an eccentric performance well worth remembering. However, if classical art isn't your thing, and you won't be won over by decadence or ethereal camerawork, 'Russian Ark' probably doesn't have much to offer you. But then my question is why are you watching movies?
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From a technique of filming rarely seen on screen to the brilliant idea of wandering in history of a country, in this case Russia. This film is an achievement that should be more recognized. Wonderful acting by a lead character, who is a wandering ghost, who is at the end of the film so overwhelmed by everything that he refuses to leave with the narrator, who is also a ghost. Even with all the mistakes made in the film, it's a marvelous experience. A very, very beautiful movie with one of the best endings ever in film history. There is just something about leaving the Hermitage with the crowd and then fading back to the sea, to continue sailing forever.
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Russian Ark is simply unforgettable. Thats a bold word to use for a post-modern experimental art film about Russia, but man is it an apt word. The technological achievements of a 90 minute one shot take are breathtaking to behold. The imagery is powerful and somehow manages to capture the soul of a nation through its death and rebirth. The acting is a little off at times, but everything else more than makes up for it. If you like experimental movies, this is a must-see. If you've never seen an experimental international film before, this is a great place to start.
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This film is interesting to say the least. And to say the most. This films has left me satisfied, yet I want more. Okay, let me explain. I thought this film was going to be so cool. A movie about two amnesiacs wandering the halls of an art museum? In one take?! I thought this was going to be awesome. But, it's literally that. Two guys wandering around an art museum. In one take. This film had so much potential, but it was just boring. But I still watch it, hoping that someday, maybe I'll like it. Because I really, really want to like it.
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Right. So 10/10 on the costumes, and for the dedication and planning of that camera shot, but for me the most important thing in a movie is its story and characters. And in that sense, it was not so much a movie, as an overly long commercial for the Winter Palace. Unless someone is a dramatically passionate fan of Russian history, I can not possibly imagine how this could have been engaging in any way. Yes, beautiful art, beautiful costumes, and I'm sure the Museum is a fantastic experience to visit in real life, but this effort, as interesting as a concept as it was, neither immerses the viewer in the Museum, nor follows an engaging narrative, albeit some attempt at a story was made.
Perhaps I am rating it too harshly, but to me, the definition of a movie is not something abstract and malleable.
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Production Company
The State Hermitage Museum,
The Hermitage Bridge Studio,
Egoli Tossell Pictures,
Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation,
Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung (MDM),
Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien (BKM),
Filmbüro NW,
WDR/Arte,
Fora Film,
Koppmedia,
NHK,
Seville Pictures,
YLE TV1,
Danmarks Radio (DR),
AST Studio,
Mariinsky Theatre,
Filmboard Berlin-Brandenburg (FBB),
Filmförderung Hamburg,
Kulturelle Filmförderung Sachsen
Release Date Nov 29, 2002
Duration 1 h 39 m
Rating Not Rated
Tagline 2000 cast members, 3 orchestras, 33 rooms, 300 years, ALL IN ONE TAKE
Awards
Nika Awards
• 2 Wins & 4 Nominations
Málaga International Week of Fantastic Cinema
• 3 Wins & 3 Nominations
Village Voice Film Poll
• 3 Nominations
