Rating: 
Summary: Astounding
Review: As I sat at breakfast with a friend of mine, he informed me that lovers of Russian history, such as myself, must see the film "Russian Ark." Intriugued I implored him to share it with me. Shortly thereafter we sat down together to watch this unsung masterpiece. Simply put, I was flabbergasted. Few have made and fewer still have seen such a piece of cinema. What's more, few have seen such a work of relevance. To the non-Russian this film will be a bit of a mystery... its important to have some vague proper concept of Russian history. When I say proper, I mean it. The film begins as a man of our days -- who is never seen and acts as our eyes -- finds himself before the Winter Palace in a time not his own. As he wonders at this and follows a rowdy party apparently on their way to a ball he encounters a French diplomat also from a different era, this is the only man who can see our narrator. As our eyes and the diplomat travel from room to room of the Palace a rich and mysterious history is unraveled -- the melancholy history of Russia. At the risk of giving away parts of the film, I will say that some of the representations are rather striking. Take, for example, the man in the cold chamber boasting to our French friend about his lovely coffin, then turning on him declaring that he is trampling upon the bodies. In confusion the Frenchman turns to our eyes and seeks an explanation. A war, he is told. This is, of course, World War II. However, all this aside, one of the most important lessons portrayed in this film is the tragedy of Russia's identity crisis. Beginning primarily with Catherine, the European, Russia embarked in a devasting cultural makeover the effects of which left an invisible shrapnel on the people. In my opinion this is most clearly seen when, as the guests leave the ball, one woman says to a friend "It is as though it were a stranger's house." Russia desired to become a great European city, forgetting that they were Russians and unfortunately they still haven't determined what they are. Now, about the filming. The actor portraying our endearingly arrogant French diplomat deserves an award. I cannot possible imagine the difficulty of his task and ignoring the absence of mistakes, his acting is superb... as he enters a gallery and throws his arms open in glee and occasionally finds himself dismissed from rooms. A truly unforgettable character. The very concept of a single shot is really quite amazing. Forget lines for a moment and think of timing. The term difficult comes to mind. To make a drawn out idea simple, watch this DVD, repeatedly. All of it. Then watch it again, and again, and then learn Russian and watch it again. I'm still trying to figure everything out.
Rating: 
Summary: Visually Stunning
Review: - Most of the reviews here tell you what you need to know. I just wanted to share my impression. The film is a visual masterwork. The 90-minute shot notwishstanding, there isn't a thing on the screen that is less opulent or less pleasing to the eye than any other. "Gorgeous", as a defining term, just doesn't seem to do it justice. The camera work is so fluid, so perfect. However, there isn't much of a story here. Just some loose bones to hang the images on. It was a bit distracting at times, particularly the old man's "umming" and "ahhing" (which he does quite often). Alot of this is due to the very bad audio dub. Much of the dialog didn't match the actor's lip movements. For some those are insurmountable obstacles to enjoying this movie. If you look at it as a 300-year tour of Russian history, then you will be satisfied. The Hermitage is an incredible place. Many of the images from this film will stay with you for days. -
Rating: 
Summary: The Hermitage: A treasure; Russian Ark, a challenge
Review: The exceptional moments are not so exceptional as to blot out what immediately precedes them. Russian Ark, is, without question, a revolutionary idea with some truly inspired moments; the technical prowess and creativity required to come up with a 96 minutes uninterrupted single shot is brought across with seeming ease and on that level alone, it deserves it accolades. From a dramatic stand-point, there really isn't much meat on those bones. A concise lesson on 300 years of Russian history, with the everyday man and prominent historical figures weaving in and out of the narrative flow, with the great treasures of the Hermitage acting as glorious footnotes. Only in the end does one fully capture the scope of what Sokurov has been attempting to do all along, unfortunately, the last 1/2 hour is not enough to save this beautiful, if inherently flawed film. Russophiles and art mavens will find plenty to enjoy here but the everyday person will find it a bit of a challenge to sit through the entire effort without considerable will power.
Rating:
Summary: What's the Russian Word for 'Magnificent' ?
Review: Digitally shot by a single high-definition steadicam, 'Russian Ark' is a 96-minute journey through 300 years of Russian art and history filmed in one unedited take. One might call back Mike Figgis' 'Timecode' (2000) that made it with four cameras, each shooting one take/story in real time and simultaneously displaying all takes on a quadruple-split screen. The finale comprised the climatic moment of all stories circumstantially coming together. Figgis utilized a cast of dozens. 'Russian Ark,' in contrast, features a masterfully orchestrated cast of 2,000 actors, dancers, and musicians all geared up to the full. To boot, Sokurov had only one day to get his shooting job done. We find us/him/them (all or none) in the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, among dramatic historical figures acting out startling fits in the Tsarist Empire, aggrandized by phenomenal sets and costumes, all drawn up by camerawork and choreography of surpassing excellence, and a mysterious man (out of place and time) introducing the feature with an appetizing "Where am I? I don't remember much. But there was an accident." As the camera transports that man from one situation to another, the film's power point begins to break through. And what a point it is. 'Russian Ark' is not a visit to the Hermitage. Rather, it is a tap on time's door; an unbroken train of thought that only our creative consciousness can make sense of and appreciate. I believe the film was a challenge on all imaginable levels. Director of 'Empire,' 'Elegy of a Voyage,' 'The Dialogues with Solzhenitsyn' and other resplendent documentaries and feature films, Alexander Sokurov gives rise this time to a defining moment in cinema history.
Rating: 
Summary: Russian Aarf
Review: Tedious, pretentious, Blair Witch Project meets Revisionist Russian Pseudo Avant Garde....only thing worth watching is the Ernest Theisiger look alike we get to follow (at least for the first hour...I started getting motion sickness after that). Maybe Soviet censorship wasn't such a bad thing after all....
Rating:
Summary: Living Room Passport
Review: Because the likelihood of me ever making it to the Hermitage is slim, I feel as if I've managed the next closest thing - viewing the Russian Ark. The art direction in this film provides the viewer with a feeling of eavesdropping which creates a surreal voyage guided by the Marquis. The one drawback however is that do to the constant dialogue, you spend more time with the subtitles than taking in the scenery. However, because much of the dialogue is secondary, you could easily skip much of the subtitles.
Rating:
Summary: Great entertainment amongst group enlightenment circles
Review: I watched this movie with a group of five other peers, who under the influence of alochol and other like thought iducement supplements, were completely astounded by the visual effects in this film.
Rating: 
Summary: PRETENTIOUS AND SLOW
Review: This film is one long, uninterrupted take. It will give you a newfound appreciation for the art of editing, because _Russian Ark_ certainly needed it. I can admire the technical virtuousity and daring required to pull off this film, but the finished product is mostly dull, listless, and affected. This is the sort of movie that gives art-house films a bad name.
Rating:
Summary: EXCEPTIONAL ! WHAT A FLIM! DO NOT MISS THIS ONE
Review: If you appreciate quality this film was beyond my expectations. The SPECTACULAR costume design, set design, casting, an ALL AROUND BETTER THAN 5 STARS, THIS FILM HAS IT ALL. IT EVEN MAKES HISTORY, TODAY!!!! This film is awesome, interesting and captivating from the start to end. Although, it was filmed from a POV, what really amazed and impressed me was IT WAS ALL DONE IN ONE SINGLE TAKE!!! I just couldn't believe it. My utmost respect! I went to 2 video stores for this. I'm very glad I did, it was worth it. Waiting for more!!!
Rating:
Summary: I Hate The Word Boring
Review: Whenever I hear someone review a film as 'boring' I cringe. It's just not a very sophisticated word to use when talking about art. It's too dismissive, simplistic; a word I often hear teenagers using after leaving any movie that happens to be black and white. With Russian Ark, however, I've plumbed the depths of my vocabulary for a better word to describe it and I'm having a difficult time. The experience is little more than a endless waddle through an art museum with the world's most affected and tedious guide. I admit, the idea sounded great in print but the actual film experience comes off as esoteric, gimmicky, pretentious, dramatically barren, unnervingly hammy, high school amatuerish and, well, boring. It appears the filmmaker just wanted an excuse to get a bunch of friends together for dress-up in a lavish dollhouse and the idea eventually got way out of hand. With Russian Ark he finally gets his chance, documenting the creepy event in excruciating detail and making sure not a single precious frame isn't pushed into our face.
| 
