Hey folks, Harry here... I'll be seeing this film at Sitges in October and I can't wait. I'm fascinated to see if this actually works... Some people are absolutely stunned by it technically and I'm dying to see it. There are very few bold step movies and a one shot film with a cast of thousands just boggles the mind. Here ya go...
Hey Harry
Godfather back again, noticed someone asking for a review of Russian Ark (Russian Title: Russkij kovcheg), Caught it around the same time I saw Dark Water.
It's sad that the film is most well known for the fact that it is a 90 minute single take - which in itself is a major technical achievement. I believe the film was shot on DV, then probably blown up to film. There are several digitally manipulated zooms which make for 'digitally induced vertigo effects' - they're very subtle, but noticeable. In this film however, you can forgive the filmmakers for ever relying on digital effects occasionally – they did manage to co-ordinate thousands of extras in one single take for 90 minutes.
The sheer scale of it makes it a wonder for the eye, a cast of literally thousands are choreographed as a disembodied voice drifts through the Hermitage museum in Russia. I say disembodied, because although the voice is occasionally recognised by patrons of the museum, more often than not it goes through undetected. Along the way, a mysterious stranger (played by Sergei Donstov) is met who acts as a sort of guide through the museum. But there are several temporal shifts, and consequently, as viewers (in first person) we literally get to witness several historical figures from Russian history, including Catherine the Great, Nicholas Ist, several of his wives, and an incredible amount of historic paintings, sculptures and ornaments- all culminating in one exquisitely choreographed ballroom sequence.
The sense this film leaves is a beautiful soliloquy to Russian history - its beauty, the history, the sheer scale of it all - and in that respect, the film never compromises in size. What is particularly intriguing is that this is not simply a tour through the museum – the stranger actually has an opinion about certain great periods and periods that he thinks aren’t worth looking at – making for a more personal journey – it may be annoying for some viewers, but I actually enjoyed a more “influenced” tour rather than comprehensive. After walking out, I was for some reason reminded of Orson Welles film ‘Verites et Mesonges’ (F For Fake – American title) – not that in any technical or thematic way are these two films linked, but the fact that Russian Ark, plays more like an essay, rather than documentary or narrative film. The director Aleksandr Sokurov actually has a kind of dissertation in mind when taking us through the museum – and it all comes together in the final moments, when we look outside the walls of the museum to see it floating across the ocean, as a kind of (yes literal) ark carrying the history of Russia through the ages. The other film that comes to mind is Chris Markers Sans Soliel – a kind of disembodied travel diary across the world. If there was a genre for these types of films it would be called ‘the essay film’ – and reading up a little bit, I’m told it was very short lived and usually categorized under experimental (although I really hate that name – because frankly, “experimental” doesn’t really have any relation to what’s on screen). There are a bunch of these films floating around (Wim Winders made one called Tokyo-Ga, and a couple of Peter Greenaway’s films could sort of be associated with it – Prospero’s Books and The Pillow Book)
Okay, that said, Russian Ark is not for everyone, its non-narrative, non-documentary, - so story is not a focus here, which is probably an irritation for a lot of viewers, but if you have the patience to sit through it, it’s a really touching look at Russian history, and if anything, really makes you want to visit the Hermitage as soon as possible – and once again, the sheer scope of it is enormous, and makes you wonder ‘How did they do that?’
Godfather Out.
