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Russian Ark 2002 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Aleksandr Sokurov
NR, 96 min. |
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Starring: Sergei Dontsov, Mariya Kuznetsova, Leonid Mozgovoy, David Giorgobiani, Aleksandr Chaban
Producers: Andrei Deryabin, Jens Meuer, Jens Meurer
Screenplay: Aleksandr Sokurov, Anatoly Nikiforov
Cinematography: Tilman Büttner
Distributor: Wellspring Cinema
Released: 10.18.02 (Limited) |
Rating:
  (out of ) |
It's true, as many film critics have pointed out, that Russian Ark is a great achievement more for its groundbreaking cinematic
technique than for anything in its well-executed script; yet there is something rather transcendent about the way the film is
communicated to the viewer - we sense its power growing even as the slow-moving historical journey through the corridors
and grand rooms of the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia proceeds. This elaborate non-stop skit of Russia's last three
centuries of volatile history is enchanting because of the way director Aleksandr Sokurov mesmerizes the viewer with one
96-minute long take. That's right - just one shot that extends for the picture's entire running length. This stunning achievement
in cinema is bolstered by a wonderful montage of royalty and art transposed with an impending doom that befalls Russia by
the mid-twentieth century.
Even more impressive is the fact that Sokurov had only one day to shoot his film in the Hermitage, meaning that he would only
get a few chances to succeed. After two failed attempts, the final sequence was a make-or-break event for everyone involved,
which included over 2,000 extras and crew. Incredibly, Russian Ark is almost perfectly executed - not even one noticeable
mistake occurs over the entire tour of Russia's history. This effect alone is worth the film's existence, but there's much more
than just one long shot that elevates Russian Ark to the sublime level that it occupies.
The film is shot through the eyes of a ghostlike figure that is recognized only by his companion, Marquis (Sergey Dreiden),
a French nobleman, who leads the grand tour of the magical reenactment of the Hermitage's greatest moments. He carries
on a conversation with the figure (quietly voiced by Sokurov) while both admiring and snickering at Russia's finest art and
turbulent monarchy. We travel through long corridors of priceless paintings and staged moments in the country's history,
while amazed at the bold stroke of cinematic history that is transpiring before us. We meet Catherine the Great, Peter the
Great, Nicholas I, and even some real life figures such as the current director of the Hermitage, Mikhail Piotrovsky. The
journey concludes with an awe-inspiring grand ball set in the early 1900s, which sees Russia at its height moments before
the Revolution. And a final frame proves the film as both ironic and poetic.
The pageantry and skill of Russian Ark is remarkable in an age of fast-cutting scenes and countless special effects that currently
dominate Hollywood. Here's a director that knows exactly what he wants to achieve and then does it, without the crutch
of effects or multiple scenes shot countless times. I wonder if Spielberg or Lucas would attempt such a feat. Admittedly,
some will invariably be bored to tears with a slow-moving amusement park-like ride showcasing a nation's more poignant
moments, but to see Russian Ark is to experience it, an enthralling piece of cinematic history that's hard to ignore.
© 2003 Jonathan Cornwell
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 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
| Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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