since the original post was answered a long time ago, i figure it won't hurt to get a little further off track -

what is the significance of Russian Ark?

It is the longest, single, continuous film shot/take ever made. Outstanding camera work (scope). Very unique film!

For more info look here:

http://www.iofilm.co.uk/fm/r/russian_ark_2002.shtml

another:
http://www.plume-noire.com/movies/re...ussianark.html

more:
http://ofcs.rottentomatoes.com/movie...46/reviews.php

Finally the film will be released on DVD this Fall by Wellspring.

But the average movie goer hasn't heard of it and it doesn't look to effect future films of the genre or any other. Where is the significance?

I agree 100%. I like it that many are blind to this film....makes it sweeter for the rest of us. I went 3 times to the theater to see this....the atmosphere was addicting. for my friends and myself....it hit cult status upon the second veiwing. guess you just need to hang with the right crowd. Harrison Ford himself and everyone else can tear it up all they want. HF got to big for his own head years ago anyway..

btw, I cant wait to see Russian Ark. I've heard alot about it....my tastebuds are ready...

All this negativity....?

That's it! Send out the skinjobs!!!

I'm about gutwrencher's age, I think (I was a Freshman in HS in '82), and I distinctly remember that audiences went into this expecting Indiana Solo and reacted badly en masse when they didn't get it.

I've always liked it and found it worthy or repeated viewings and serious thought and contemplation. In that, it's very much like 2001. It's one of those movies that act as a template for many subsequent ones (as pro-basoonist wrote.)

For the record, I love them both.

That is a rather conservative statement. How could you deem that the film has no effect....will not impact future films? It has been less than 12 months since it was shown in North America.

How long did it take for other movies to start copying the camera work from the original Matrix? When you first saw the Matrix did you tell yourself...."O, yeah...I KNOW that 3 years from now the "bullet-time" framing will be widely used by many? I hardly think so! Sometimes "significance" in the film industry could come early sometimes it could take awhile for others to see the advanced vision a film director had.

And AGAIN....why judge the merit of a film (more so when discussing such a term as "significance") by the average crowd's response. Nowadays, the average crowd is mostly teenagers...are you trying to tell me that "significance" should be determined by what the average crowd deems "worthy"? Looking at the box office this week..Bruce Almighty should be a rather "significant" film experience. IT IS NOT.

Furthermore....many of the average filmgoers have not seen Citizen Kane, The Godfather, Casablanca, The Deer Hunter, The Last Emperor, Amadeus, Platoon.....does that mean that these films are not worthy......without any cultural significance?

that was a huge part of it....you are correct. so much so that many didnt give it a chance because they wanted something else. trust me...it's importance will only grow over time. and close Buck...I graduated in'82. I remember the best theater times for me was from about 1977 to 1984...and no other time period even comes close. Bladerunner, Escape From New York, The Thing, 1941, Empire Strikes Back, Alien.....so many classic films...many sci-fi and horror related...that just had to be seen as a teenager or there abouts, on the big screen...to truley be adored.

I go '80 to '89. I saw films before that, but those are the Golden Years for me.