Russian Ark (2002)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Alexander D

  
  Strangely captivating Russian fantasy-drama begins with an unknown man regaining consciousness without knowledge of his location. It is revealed that nobody can see him except a man dressed in black, who in turn doesn't know where he is, either. It's not long before the… More
  Strangely captivating Russian fantasy-drama begins with an unknown man regaining consciousness without knowledge of his location. It is revealed that nobody can see him except a man dressed in black, who in turn doesn't know where he is, either. It's not long before the two men learn they are in the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia, through which the former man must move and regain his knowledge of present day Europe and Russia. The film, intially released at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival, is made up of one continuous, 90-minute shot. Aside from its taste of pure originality and concentration, RUSSIAN ARK has to offer some of the most beautiful moments ever. The combination of gracious cinematography, glorious classical music, and colorful costume designs will dazzle without a doubt. Even if you don't know a word of Russian, you'd get the same experience from watching without enabling subtitles. RUSSIAN ARK may certainly have a plot, but after the first ten minutes or so, it is barely propelled by its story, and rather by its avant-garde style for capturing art, beauty, history, and music. It's possible to grow intermittently bored with such an unusual film, but it's captivating from the very start, and therefore hard to permanently give up on. RUSSIAN ARK was an endlessly interesting film, in its plot and style. The fact that a cinematic project of such ingenuity was actually accomplished is unbelievable, and any true film fanatic would love it from beginning to end. Looking from both sides, it was not enough otherwise, making it useless for everyone else.

• moon r

  
  The ark here is the famous Hermitage of St.Petersburg, mysteriously afloat on the sea of time and of Russian history. The camera glidingly takes us through the opulent splendour of the great halls, lingering ever so over the detail in the architecture or some exquisite furniture, and… More
  The ark here is the famous Hermitage of St.Petersburg, mysteriously afloat on the sea of time and of Russian history. The camera glidingly takes us through the opulent splendour of the great halls, lingering ever so over the detail in the architecture or some exquisite furniture, and we see those walkways and rooms peopled with the souls that must have tarried there before (as in a dream ... for they neither see nor hear us). And so a history lesson, a memorial if you will, a toast to what was Mother Russia (and not that whole Soviet business, what was that?), with a eye to what more may come.

• Jeremy S

  
  One of the most extraordinary films I have ever seen. Shot I one breath as they say with 2,000 actors, 3 orchestras, 300 years of Russian History.

• Curtis L

  
  Neat idea...the whole continuous shot thing, but it failed to keep my attention

• William S

  
  A truly astonishing piece of cinerama that can only ever be described in over-enthusiastic superlatives and even then I would fear of doing it a disservice. It's (literal) sweeping majesty and glorious conceit makes me weep sweet tears of cinephiliac joy

• Stella D

  
  this must have been amazing on a big screen :( a 90 minute one shot trip through the hermitage museum with a cast of thousands from various historical periods; it's surreal at first but soon won me over. it's completely gorgeous and ends like a dream with the last imperial… More
  this must have been amazing on a big screen :( a 90 minute one shot trip through the hermitage museum with a cast of thousands from various historical periods; it's surreal at first but soon won me over. it's completely gorgeous and ends like a dream with the last imperial ball at the winter palace, 1913. i'm sure it's not for everyone but it's a feast for art lovers and history buffs as well as being a full-length feature film accomplished in a single take, on the 4th try i believe

• Drew S

  
  I feel terrible about giving the movie this rating, considering it's an unbelievable technical accomplishment, but unless you're a history buff or a cinematographer there's really not much to offer here. It really is amazing how much effort went into this film,… More
  I feel terrible about giving the movie this rating, considering it's an unbelievable technical accomplishment, but unless you're a history buff or a cinematographer there's really not much to offer here. It really is amazing how much effort went into this film, though. It's a mystery to me how they managed to get all this right in one take. I only wish Russian Ark was as engaging as it was superbly-crafted.

• Rico Z

  
  This movie is a marvel to watch. Touted as being shot in one take, this film travels across hundreds of years of Russian history in the Hermitage. It's an amazing spectacle, what with carefully choreographed sequences and dazzling set and costume design. Definitely a must-see!… More
  This movie is a marvel to watch. Touted as being shot in one take, this film travels across hundreds of years of Russian history in the Hermitage. It's an amazing spectacle, what with carefully choreographed sequences and dazzling set and costume design. Definitely a must-see! The movie is in Russian with English subtitles.

• Eric B

  
  My reaction to "Russian Ark" reminded me of my reaction to another Russian film I saw a few months ago, "The Color of Pomegranates." Both are stylistically radical works where I enjoyed the splendid imagery, but felt like I was missing the nuances of its historical… More
  My reaction to "Russian Ark" reminded me of my reaction to another Russian film I saw a few months ago, "The Color of Pomegranates." Both are stylistically radical works where I enjoyed the splendid imagery, but felt like I was missing the nuances of its historical references. In the case of "Russian Ark," its visual pleasures come in two flavors: the architecture and art treasures of the Hermitage museum, and the film's remarkable feat of being shot in a single, extended Steadicam shot. It's mind-boggling to even imagine the planning which went into the choreography between the camera's winding path, the enormous cast (including three orchestras) and the synchronization of all the various events and conversations. Apparently, the action required four takes to come out right. After one assimilates the miracle of the film's construction, its intricate content becomes the next hurdle. Essentially, the surreal "plot" involves an apparent ghost (and muttering narrator) weaving through the rooms and halls of the Hermitage, usually following a single character who represents the Marquis de Custine, a 19th-century Frenchman known for his travel writing. The camera's perspective is entirely through the eyes of the narrator as he kibbutzes with the Marquis. So the pair wanders through the museum, surveying the displayed masterpieces while encountering each room's contrasting sets of people (mostly aristocrats and soldiers snatched from varying periods of history). Appearances of Catherine the Great, Peter the Great, Nicholas II and his notorious daughter Anastasia are readily absorbed, but many other characters (some portrayed by the actual living persons) will require a trip to Google. The film does not have an introductory tone, and instead presumes the viewer has pre-existing familiarity with the material. "Russian Ark" is a heady challenge, and I couldn't help but wish the Marquis hadn't been so irritating and socially awkward. He is not attractive, and is clad in a drab, black outfit which usually comes off underdressed compared with the settings he "crashes." A more charming guide would have made the film much easier to swallow.

• Mike N

  
  Guess what Bill Murray & Scarlett Johanssen movie I just bought today? :cool: Some things to remember in the whackiness (or the extreme lack thereof) with everyday life: Hate paralyzes life; Love releases it. Hate confuses life; Love harmonizes it. Hate darkens life; Love… More
  Guess what Bill Murray & Scarlett Johanssen movie I just bought today? :cool: Some things to remember in the whackiness (or the extreme lack thereof) with everyday life: Hate paralyzes life; Love releases it. Hate confuses life; Love harmonizes it. Hate darkens life; Love illuminates it. Choose love over anger. Choose compassion over condemnation. Choose action over inaction. Time is not our enemy. Our choices are. Make your choices lead to who you will become. [size=1]I swear, there was something else I was gonna write (a good one too), but I'm drawing many blanks right now. And I just said it to myself not 5 minutes ago!! Cursed memory![/size] So um...how's everybody doin'? Good, I imagine. Now, for a small dose of fun, how 'bout I list off all the beverages I've had in the last 24 hours? -Water (exciting) -OJ (Minute Maid; not that canned crap) -Milk (the leftover after my bowls of Waffle Crisp, Grape Nuts or Frosted Mini-Wheats) -Chai Latte (from Starbucks - OK, it's my first trip to the place this year; cut me some slack) -Corona (for my hour of boob-tubing last night) -Water (I didn't list this one already, did I?) -Orange Juice (just trying to fill up slots now) -Water (I swear I just wrote this) Since this is such an exciting topic, what about you guys? What sorts of beverages have you guzzled down in the last 24 hours?

• Burger S

  
  "shot in a single take" Amazing!

• Gevvy S

  
  The entirety of it was filmed on one-shot and that is very interesting to watch. However, I found it true that I wasn't interested in what was actually being filmed all the time. Sometimes I was just confused, like the part with the two young sailors. I guess if I was more… More
  The entirety of it was filmed on one-shot and that is very interesting to watch. However, I found it true that I wasn't interested in what was actually being filmed all the time. Sometimes I was just confused, like the part with the two young sailors. I guess if I was more knowledgeable about paintings and sculptors, I might've been more into certain parts. But mostly I was engaged and kept wanting to see more aspects of Russian history through this film's perspective. I found dialogue like the jokes about Pushkin and the bickering about Peter the Great added necessary emotion into the film. Hearing information about specific paintings and artifacts, while interesting at first, got tiresome when it went on too long for an single item and when it was done too often. That may have been the purpose of the film, in terms of plot, but it would've been better if the script matched the greatness of the aesthetics. All that being said, the film must be applauded for it's production values, experimentation with story-telling, and the director's vision. I feel some background research into Russian history, paintings, and the hermitage itself would enrich the second viewing of this film. It's a majestic triumph aesthetically.

• Cinema F

  
  Shot on a high-definition digital video, this film defies easy categorising. An Amazing technical feat, part-time travel fantasy and part guided tour through the vast Hermitage art museum in St Petersburg, a former Czarist palace with art holdings that celebrate over 300 years of… More
  Shot on a high-definition digital video, this film defies easy categorising. An Amazing technical feat, part-time travel fantasy and part guided tour through the vast Hermitage art museum in St Petersburg, a former Czarist palace with art holdings that celebrate over 300 years of Russian and European culture. The tour guides are an unseen narrator (Sokurov) and an imaginary French diplomat (Dontsov) in period costume. Viewers are transported back in time not as an audience but almost as active participants. The film was shot in a single, continuous take lasting ninety-five minutes with over a hundred actors wandering in and out of shot, roaming through grand ballrooms, down stairwells and along narrow corridors. Without the need for or constraints of conventional editing, we embark upon an adventure, free to take in all the wondrous sights at an easy, relaxed pace. It's a sumptuous, magnificent and remarkable film that truly won me over!

• Joey N

  
  Hmm...let's see. This is one of the most boring movies I have ever seen. So why this rating? It's impecably crafted: 95 of film in a single take while moving through 33 rooms in the world's largest museum, the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg.

• Edward S

  
  The uneven surrealism of the film's content has to accommodate for its style, which is the very admirable feat of filming a movie in one uninterrupted shot. However, as dazzling as the idea sounds in theory, in practice it's quite nauseating. To sustain the single shot the… More
  The uneven surrealism of the film's content has to accommodate for its style, which is the very admirable feat of filming a movie in one uninterrupted shot. However, as dazzling as the idea sounds in theory, in practice it's quite nauseating. To sustain the single shot the camera is forced to shakily swing from one set to the next, an action very sure to cause dizzying headaches. In addition, the film itself feels more like a play as a result of the way it was shot. But, "Russian Ark" still works as a beautifully sweeping film, one which will forever be remembered for its exceptional nature.

• Brian R

  
  One of my favourite pictures and my personal pick for best film of the decade. I'm still baffled as to wonder how the filmmakers were able to accomplish that great long tracking shot. I was journey through the palace getting to know the characters and the different rooms of the… More
  One of my favourite pictures and my personal pick for best film of the decade. I'm still baffled as to wonder how the filmmakers were able to accomplish that great long tracking shot. I was journey through the palace getting to know the characters and the different rooms of the house. The final scene is a large ball room sequence that reminded me of the big ballroom scenes "In The Age of Innocence". "Russian Ark" is a great achievement in filmmaking and it must have been a challenging mission for the director Alexander Sokurov and cinematographer Tilman Büttner.

• Emily B

  
  A breathtaking film and simply a joy to watch. A great technical achievement and a fascinating history lesson at the same time.

• Richard F

  
  One of the greatest cinematic achievements of all time. This is the only film ever made in one single take, with no cuts. Aside from this precedent, I can't say I connected with the film on the emotional level that was necessary to overlook the missing plot and hazy premise. If… More
  One of the greatest cinematic achievements of all time. This is the only film ever made in one single take, with no cuts. Aside from this precedent, I can't say I connected with the film on the emotional level that was necessary to overlook the missing plot and hazy premise. If you have fare in Russian culture or live in Russia, then this certainly can't be missed. If the director would have done more in the area of character development, or at least background story on the characters, I could have overlooked the fact that the target audience wasn't broader. Nonetheless, one has to keep in mind the intention of this film, which is to convey a sense of cultural perspective in an artful, almost documentary-like fashion. On this level, the film succeeded.

• Dimitris S

  
  One-shot and that's it....the course of the rich and wealthy empire of pre-communist Russia unfolds before us,nostalgic sequences towards the cultural landscape of the era,the museum as the pole of connection between distant seasons and timelines.And our host commenting and… More
  One-shot and that's it....the course of the rich and wealthy empire of pre-communist Russia unfolds before us,nostalgic sequences towards the cultural landscape of the era,the museum as the pole of connection between distant seasons and timelines.And our host commenting and mingling with the people around him.Aspiring.

• Alex F

  
  Impressive.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings