Russian Ark
A 19th century French aristocrat, notorious for his scathing memoirs about life in Russia, travels through the Russian State Hermitage Museum and encounters historical figures from the last 200+ years.
9 July 1944, Leningrad, RSFSR, USSR
25 May 1974
4 July 1947
16 June 1932, Leningrad, RSFSR, USSR [now St. Petersburg, Russia]
4 July 1948
23 June 1941
2 August 1948
1965, Leningrad, RSFSR, USSR [now St. Petersburg, Russia]
17 February 1950, Leningrad, RSFSR, USSR [now St. Petersburg, Russia]
18 October 1944
April 12, 2014
Despite an undeniable attraction to the majestic, Aleksandr Sokurov seems equally adverse to straightforward spectacle, approaching potentially colossal subjects from odd, specific angles.
September 03, 2013
This is as immersive-and as Shining-level spooky-as history gets.
June 05, 2003
This is a stunning film, a one-of-a-kind tour de force.
December 19, 2013
It's worth noting that the footage was manipulated ... in post-production, but this unbroken take still functions as a documentary record of an exceptional logistical feat.
June 29, 2016
A highly recommended documentary. [Full review in Spanish]
October 24, 2013
Part pageant and museum tour, part theme-park ride and historical meditation.
September 03, 2013
The movie's smooth voyage comes to seem like a dream play, suspended painlessly in time.
April 22, 2016
Russian Ark is an astounding technical feat that must be seen to be believed.
June 21, 2007
A film geek's dream movie. 90 minutes, one take.
June 13, 2003
A marvel of a film that makes the Hermitage its star.
March 31, 2009
[Characterizes] history as a large rush of information so huge, alive, and easy to get lost in that it would feel a shame if there existed nothing to give us a conduit to it.
July 03, 2003
Might well be the first real masterpiece of the 21st Century.
