Jazzbutcher

And it was one of the most bizarre movie-going experience of my life. It was exhausting to watch, since there are no edits. The restaurant shot of Goodfellas is chicken feed! Not for every taste, but highly recommended.

From Rotten Tomatoes:
"The making of RUSSIAN ARK is the story of records and firsts-the first entirely unedited, single screen, single take, full-length feature film; the longest-ever steadicam sequence, the first ever uncompressed HD movie, recorded onto a portable harddisk system, rather than 35mm or tape."

"A visually hypnotizing cinematic feat, RUSSIAN ARK is Alexsandr Sokurov's spellbinding ode to St. Petersburg's State Hermitage Museum. Shot in one fluid take using High Definition video cameras, the photography floats and careens through the lavish corridors of the museum, examining its architectural details while following a dreamlike plot. A cast of 867 actors supply the action of the film, whether dancing the mazurka in a lively ballroom, performing a military salute, or watching a theater performance. The Marquis (Sergey Dreiden), an aged but limber European dressed in solid black, is the film's charismatic guide, leading the narrator--who is the unidentified voice behind the camera--through each doorway and into each gallery in a sweeping tour of the Hermitage."

marty888

Definitely intrigued by this ever since I saw the trailer, but not sure I want to necessarily experience it in a theater - DVD might be the way I'll go on this one.

sundog

I think the optimum condition to see Russian Ark is digital projection. Because there are no cuts, the two reel changes are a bit jarring. It's really obvious when it happens. But that was my only complaint when I saw this wonderful work.

Pointyskull

I am really looking forward to seeing this one, though I imagine I'll wait until it hits DVD.

Aside from the technical aspects, how is the story/narrative?
Interesting? Dull?

Jazzbutcher

Let me put it this way...the guy in front of me was snoring. I kicked his chair to wake him up. If you are looking for great dialogue, this ain't the place to look for it. It would help if you are an art lover or even have a passing interest in Russian culture/history. There were many Russian speakers in the audience and they laughed at a few things that went right over my head.

The visuals were simply amazing. Costumes, too.

Pants

I supose it is, since the opening shot of Goodfellas is a 15 second shot of 3 guys riding in a car.

Also, wasn't mike Figgis' movie Timecode done in one take, and with 4 simultanious cameras no less!

sundog

Sure, Timecode predates Russian Ark. I guess a distinction may be made that Figgis uses hand-held digital cameras where Sokurov uses a much more high-end HD steadicam.

What I wonder is, how long are the shots of both films, from the first frames to the final fade-out? (sans the credits since those affect the official running time) They're pretty close in run time as is.

But then there's Warhol's Empire . . . if we want to get really technical.

MrN

Well, its certainly the fastest paced Sokurov film I've seen. Don't mean to intend that as a backhanded compliment, but its true.

I think the digital one-take that everyone mentions is apt, in this case, as we wander the Hermitage - history and art flowing without interruption. And the story is interesting, dealing with interpretation of art and its survival over time. By no means a commercial film, I still found it to be fascinating. Of course, by contrast, the couple sitting next to me were Russian, and the woman actually groaned in boredom.

I heard the narrator is Sokurov himself.

8/10

Sathlin

Well i just saw this film this past saturday.
Still not really sure what to think of it.
The scenery and the costumes were amazing.

But story wise, i'm really not sure, were the two main characters ghosts who could interact with others..?
What was their purpose? seeing this museam again after all these years and discussing the changes?

greatjedi

I'm very interested in this film. I won't be seeing it in the theater, but I'm definitely getting the DVD. Sounds intriguing.

tor_greg

Maybe there was a popcorn trick being performed over there.

hgar78

just realized this was playing near me! will definitely be checking this one out. thanks for the viewpoint.

i was intrigued about the film being done in 1 continuous shot but thought it might be a little boring. (i had no idea what it was about, just that it was filmed in the museum) plus after seeing the trailer i wasn't any more interested since they praise the technical achievments rather than tell you what it's about. however, my degree is in art history so this is one i'll definitely have to see!

sundog

Then prepare to be delighted. There are some fine works of art shown, and Sokurov lets the camera soak in the pieces. However, only one part takes place in museum style painting/sculpture exhibits.

As to what the story is, just look at the title, Russian Ark. That's a perfectly succinct description.

hgar78

terrific! probably the closest i'll get to the hermitage for a while, too

Giles

there was only one shot that almost could have been indication of a cut, but obviousily wasn't. When the camera zeros in on the man wringing his gloved hands the camera pull up to the next room wasn't vividly conveyed as a continuous shot, the camera should have backed up slightly to see the door behind him and proceed forward (small quibble). What I thought was amazing, alongside the cinematography, was the audio mix: the intermixing of bodiless voices, the hum of an airplane outside the museum, omnipresent music all led to expansive 'phantom' world where time, characters, and stories all combined together as one.