MOVIE - RUSSIAN ARK - Review Rating $$$$$ (OUT OF 10)
STARRING- Sergey Dreiden (The Marquis), Maria Kuznetsova (Catherine the Great), Leonid Mozgovoy (The Spy), Mikhail Piotrovsky (Himself), David Giorgobiani (Orbeli), Boris Piotrovsky (Alexander Chaban), Lev Yeliseyev (Himself) & Oleg Khmelnitsky (Himself).
DIRECTOR/CO-WRITER - Alexander Sokurov
The Russian Ark's main claim to fame is that Sokurov decided to shoot the entire film, which takes place in 33 rooms of the Hermitage of St. Petersburg and involves over 2000 extras and four orchestras, in one take using high definition digital video. The coordination required to make this work is almost beyond comprehension and Sokurov deserves credit for pulling it off.
There are limitations and tradeoffs to using this technique, however, that ultimately overwhelm the novelty of such an approach. The first limitation is the lighting of the 33 rooms of the Hermitage. As you can imagine, with the camera following the actors through the rooms the lighting apparatus had to be positioned out of the line of sight of the camera. There are numerous sequences in the film, showcasing the collection of master works of art, sculpture and intricate architectural design, that suffer as a result of the compromises this imposes on the lighting director.
The second major comprise involves the sound. Throughout the film it is often unclear who is speaking. This is partly because the extra's drown out the two main characters on occasion and partly because the the camera is more concerned with keeping up with the actors than focusing on which one of them is speaking. The resulting confusion is disconcerting to say the least.
Compounding the technical limitations, noted above, is a story that itself is confusing. One of the two central characters is a long deceased 19th century diplomat and the other is...well, its never made clear who he is...apparently in some sort of dream state. As they proceed through the Hermitage they also appear to be traveling back and forth between the past and the present which only adds to the confusion of the story line.
The story line, as best as I was able to determine, appears to suggest that as far as tyrants go the Czar's weren't that bad after all and at least they had the good sense to value culture and art unlike the Communists. There also appears to be a sub-theme that implies that glorious Mother Russia will outlast its past and present political masters.
This very well may be true but it doesn't exactly make for a compelling story. Museums (like the Hermitage) chronicle history in a remote, detached form. Films that chronicle museums that chronicle history are one further step removed from the passions and pains that forged a nation's soul and sense of self-identity. The Russian Ark completely fails to convey this spirit or inspire the viewers imagination.
At the risk of seeming unsophisticated I'll give Sokurov's acclaimed masterpiece a 5.7 for technical merit but only a 1.6 for artistic impression. Talk about your figure skating judging controversies.
Running time - 96 minutes
Check out my TOP 10 MOVIES OF 2003 & WORST MOVIES OF 2003 lists.
Alternative Reviews:
Roger Ebert's Review
Daniel C. Kasman's Review
Rotten Tomatoes Reviews
OFFICIAL RUSSIAN ARK WEB SITE
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© Copyright
2005
David Schwartz.
Last update:
2/28/05; 1:47:41 AM.
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