Kirpianuscus it is a challenge. only a challenge. or a trip. pure trip. in time, in the meaning of art,in the heart of the dreams from childhood. or it is just an experience. not surprising from Sokurov. but seductive for the force of image, for character, for the atmosphere, for the dance, for the cinnamon flavor of lost times and for the delicate humor. Russian Ark could be anything - lesson of history, total show, ball of nostalgic, form of cultural propaganda. important remains the final taste. fresh. sweet-bitter. enthusiastic. because it is one of films who has the gift to rediscover yourself to you. and this the most important detail.

Jackson Booth-Millard I think I first found out about the film properly when it was mentioned in the TV documentary series The Story of Film: An Odyssey, and I saw it listed in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, I knew as a film lover it was one I had to see. Basically the whole film takes place during a winter's day inside and outside of a Winter Palace manor and museum, all seen through the point of view of an unseen Narrator (Alexander Sokurov, also directing), going through 33 rooms and courtyards, and there are no cuts whatsoever. It begins with a small party of men and women in a horse-drawn carriage arriving at the side entrance, the unseen narrator meets the European / the Stranger (The Marquis de Custine) (Sergey Dreyden). The narrator follows the stranger through numerous rooms of the palace, each room manifesting a different period, not in chronological order, or Russian history. Featured are one of the generals of Peter the Great (Maksim Sergeyev) being harassed; the era of Catherine the Great (Mariya Kuznetsova) with a spectacular presentation of operas and plays; Tsar Nicholas II (Vladimir Baranov) in front of an imperial audience being offered a formal apology for the the death of ambassador Alexander Griboedov by the Shah of Iran, also the idyllic family life of his children; the ceremonial changing of the Palace Guard; during the rule of Joseph Stalin the museum director is whispering that repairs are needed; and during the 900 day siege of the city during World War II a desperate man from Leningrad is making his own coffin. A grand ball follows with many participants being in spectacular period costume, the music of Mikhail Glinka is featured, a full orchestra being conducted by Valery Gergiev is playing, then a crowd is seen going down the grand staircase for the long final exit. The narrator then walks out of the hallway backwards to see many different people dressed in clothing from different time periods, the narrator then leaves the building through the side exit. The narrator sees an endless ocean as he leaves and does not look back or see the building, this could be interpreted as an ark preserving Russian culture as it floats in the sea of time. Also starring Leonid Mozgovoy as The Spy, David Giorgobiani as Orbeli and Aleksandr Chaban as Boris Piotrovsky. This film took four attempts to complete, the first three attempts were riddled with technical problems, but the fourth attempt of continuous single-take filming became was successful and is the final, a full hour and forty minutes of POV Steadicam uncut footage. There are some interesting things to see throughout the unedited sweep in and out of the building, including paintings and other artwork, and 2,000 actors and three orchestras in period costume, I will be honest that the draw to this film is obviously the fact that it is all one take, but it is a well executed experimental film drama. Very good!

Brian Berta This is slow moving but I really like it. It's about a ghostly narrator traveling through the Hermitage. 3 centuries of Russian history are all fit into a single uninterrupted take. It's very impressive that they were able to do it and it makes this film very ambitious. The reenactments of historical events are entertaining and surprisingly engaging. The Hermitage is known for its well done architecture and the movie helped bring its great architecture to the screen. It is gorgeous to look at and it displays several shots real well making them highly memorable. If you don't like slow paced movies then this is not for you but if you like slow movies then you'll most likely enjoy it. Little if not any action happens in this movie yet I enjoyed every bit of it. The ending is quite poignant and it is very thought provoking and a lot of thought went into it. The movie gives you ideas and concepts to think about long after viewing it and its final shot will be lingering in your head. This is a memorable movie that must be watched by all people who like the Art House genre.

SnoopyStyle The unseen narrator wakes up to find people in costume clothing. It's his POV. They move through the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. He learns that he embodies a 19th century French aristocrat. As the narrator and his avatar moves through the palace, they encounter various Russian characters.It's most notable for being one continuous take and having such an impressive place as the Hermitage to film it in. It's a magnificent feat but that doesn't make it a good movie. It's an experiment at best. The disembodied feel makes this like a backstage pass to a grand stage play. That would have been more exciting than this. This movie is interesting for awhile but it's very monotonous. The floaty camera moves don't change. The movie just keeps going and going. However the setting is quite impressive and the movie works on a travelogue level.