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Russian Ark is unlike anything you’ve ever seen
– in both good ways and bad. It uses some fantastic ideas
with some even more fantastic film techniques, but never uses
them as effectively as they could be.
There’s a lot to say for the good side of Russian Ark.
First of all, we never see the main character; which is actually
cool, because it means we are the main character. At least, we’re
the main character’s eyes. The camera view is, in essence,
they eyes of the narrator. We see whatever he sees, like Myst
or other first person video games.
But even better than the first person narrative is the fact that
we never blink. The film is one take. One, single 96 minute shot.
This is impressive, partly from just knowing that is a phenomenal
film feat; but is even becomes quite enthralling to watch for
its own sake. This becomes especially so in the first and last
15 minutes of the film wherein we weave up and down stairs, through
large crowds, and whirl around the final dance scene. It’s
an amazing sight to say the least.
The whole film consists of this narrator walking through the Hermitage
museum passing randomly through different time periods as he enters
different rooms. That is, different time periods, literally. We
see Catherine II, Peter the Great, Nicholas and Alexandra protecting
Anastasia, and even the modern use of the building as a museum.
The downside of the film is the middle hour, which basically consists
of not much more than a slow moving tour of the Hermitage museum.
Although the museum is a sight in itself, we are usually subject
to the ramblings a mysterious man in black (Sergei Dontsov) who
makes fun of Russian art and talks aimlessly to people around
him. There are some ideas presented about Russian history, culture
and art; but it’s just not as significant as it seems to
think it is.
Russian
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