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RUSSIAN ARK Send This Review to a Friend
In the wake of its having been showcased at the 2002 New York Film Festival, "Russian Ark" has picked up its partisans. Here's a dissent on the occasion of its commercial release.
The distinguishing factor about the film is that director Alexander Sokurov has scored a filmmaking coup by doing the entire film in one long take and with a huge cast to boot. It's a stunt that took nerve, and the director pulled it off. But what he achieved apart from the technical triumph is another matter.
We are led through a tour of the magnificent Hermitage Museum in Russia's St. Petersburg and in the process Russian history unfolds through narration and visuals, culminating in a huge ball with an enormous cast representing aspects of history parading before the camera. That's a tall order.
But the problem is that the film becomes heavy and soporific. The ballroom scene, technical feat aside, goes on and on. Instead of being mesmerizing "Russian Ark" becomes an exercise in tedium. Yes, it is beautiful to look at but the content is ponderous and the actors drip mannerisms.
The Hermitage is a gorgeous, masterpiece-studded museum, which I have visited twice, and during the film at times I longed for a simple tour, no matter how many takes were required, that would concentrate on the art and the surroundings without the baggage of having to demonstrate a filmmaking possibility and straining to encapsulate Russian history at the same time. Judge for yourself, if you like. A Wellspring release.
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