Review of Russian Ark (2002) by Amelia G — 15 Sep 2007
Don't watch The Russian Ark for the plot (there isn?t a plot), or for the costumes (may have been stolen from tourist-photo-op-actors on Nevsky Prospect). But Aleksandr Sokurov?s single shot is pleasantly dizzying, and marks an important innovation in the cinematic portrayal of time and space.
The entire film can be boiled down to the following: a whispering narrator with an unidentifiable accent guides the viewer in an hour-and-a-half-long polonaise through various chapters of Russian history.
By setting the entire film in St. Petersburg?s splendid Hermitage, Sokurov likens his contemporary audience?s distant perception of history to a tourist?s first picturesque walk through a well-funded museum.
This review of Russian Ark (2002) was written by Amelia G on 15 Sep 2007.
Russian Ark has generally received very positive reviews.
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