Review of Russian Ark (2002) by Benjamin V — 23 Aug 2007
Russian Ark is everything that can be beautiful in a movie. I rarely, if ever, use that word to describe any medium of art, but through the entirety of the film, I sat in a reflective, awe-filled silence, soaking in the characters, colors, and imaginative cinematography.
One of the things that makes this movie especially brilliant is the fact that it was filmed in a continuous shot for the entirety of the movie. There were some subtle digital enhancements with music and so forth, but everything else, including the various musical performances in the movie, was filmed live and totally naturally.
The ending of the movie was mysteriously emotional, though I still find myself unable to place my finger on exactly what happens in the movie that brings the viewer to that point. There were a few difficulties in the movie, with a few of the characters mumbling and speaking idiomatically, but if I were to ever learn Russian, these discrepancies wouldn't be noticeable.
Brilliant, beautiful movie. One of my favorites.
This review of Russian Ark (2002) was written by Benjamin V on 23 Aug 2007.
Russian Ark has generally received very positive reviews.
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