Review of Russian Ark (2002) by Nathan W — 26 Dec 2011

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.