A contemporary Russian filmmaker unexpectedly stumbles into the past and finds himself in the Hermitage in St Petersburg, surrounded by early 17th century society. Accompanied by a French diplomat he then passes through various epochs and, before stormy events and twists of fate release him back to the present, he marvels with the foreigner at the bizarre and incredible deeds of those who once held the Russian empire in their grasp. In long, sweeping shots, almost without any editing, czarinas and czars file past the camera, including the last emperor, while the two men conduct a passionate discussion on what they witness in these grand palatial halls. The Frenchman’s commentary represents traditional Western European contempt and also admiration for this mysterious and somewhat exotic country; the filmmaker’s words express the division within Russians who reject and also acknowledge European culture. Sokurov declares: “I do not perceive my film as a return to history; Russia’s relationship with Europe is just as much a key issue now as it was at anytime in the past”. –Karoly Vary International Film Festival
Alexander Nikolayevich Sokurov (Russian: Алекса́ндр Никола́евич Соку́ров) (b. June 14, 1951, Podorwikha, Irkutsk Oblast) is a Russian filmmaker from St Petersburg who has been hailed as successor to renowned director Andrei Tarkovsky.
Sokurov was born in Siberia in the officer’s family on June 14, 1951. He graduated from the History Department of the Nizhny Novgorod University in 1974 and entered one of the VGIK studios the following year. There he made friends with Tarkovsky and was deeply influenced by his Mirror.
Most of Sokurov’s early features were banned by Soviet authorities. During his early period, he produced numerous documentaries, including an interview with Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn and a reportage about Grigori Kozintsev’s flat in St Petersburg.
Mother and Son (1996) was his first internationally acclaimed feature film. It was mirrored by Father and Son (2003) which baffled the critics with its implicit homoeroticism (though Sokurov himself has criticized… read more
I can't help seeing this as an information film about the Hermitage and Russia rather than a real creative masterpiece, or at best a showcase for what camera nowadays, and rigorous planning, can achieve. I find that its always a slave to its conceit of the single take, and is unable, or unwilling, to break free.
What an exquisite movie. It won me over gradually. After the first twenty minutes I was thinking: «This may be a technical stunt, but hardly more than that». As the film progressed, I realized how… read review
Absolutely amazing. Absolutely awe-inspiring. Absolutely brilliant.
Where to begin? Perhaps I’ll get this out of the way: the 96 minute film was shot in one continuous take. One continuous… read review
(Sunday / March 21, 2010 / 1:30am)
What beauty! A tour de force! Lavishing! I was in a whole other level filled with delightful people and ravishing paintings. I traveled on my chair while watching… read review
Russian Ark is not only a film of incomparable technical ambition; a sinuous, languorous, labyrinthine ramble, achieved in a single, astounding 96 minute digital take, that glides stealthily through… read review