Review of Russian Ark (2002) by Philip E — 19 Jan 2010
Peter the Great slapping around one of his subordinates; Pushkin (or a man who looks suspiciously like him) desperately apologizing to his wife; the Romanovs (Nicky's brood, that is) enjoying a quiet dinner in their private dining room.
The setting is the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, the story is told with one ninety-minute shot that seamlessly weaves through three hundred years of Russian history. The spectacle is witnessed through the eyes of an unnamed narrator freshly perished in some type of accident.
He is accompanied by a garrulous French diplomat who is able to shatter and reconstruct the fourth wall at will. This is the first film that actually seems to transport the audience into the past, for it does an exemplary job of portraying the mundane.
This review of Russian Ark (2002) was written by Philip E on 19 Jan 2010.
Russian Ark has generally received very positive reviews.
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