Review of Russian Ark (2002) by Mitchell W — 26 Jan 2008

Countless filmmakers have dreamed of it, but nobody did it until this picture came along. No hidden cuts, no cheating with CGI tricks, this is a genuine 95-minute, single-take Steadicam shot, as pure as it gets.

It's not a complete success - a few stretches simply drag, and the ruminative commentary on Russia's history gets lost too often - but it still delivers one breathtaking sequence after another.

An early sequence navigates backstage of a musical performance, then through the orchestra and up the stairs to Catherine II. Another follows two lovers sneaking out into the cold, down a long snowy path.

Another follows a group of costumed girls twirling and dancing down the gorgeous halls of the Hermitage. But the final 15 minutes are the best, sending the camera weaving and floating over a royal ball in Nicholas Hall.

Gorgeous eye-candy.