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Russkiy kovcheg
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Russkiy kovcheg (2002) More at IMDbPro »

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Russkiy kovcheg (2002) -- 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.

Overview

User Rating:
7.2/10   5,689 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 2% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Aleksandr Sokurov
Writers:
Boris Khaimsky (dialogue)
Anatoli Nikiforov (written by)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Russian Ark on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
8 November 2002 (Italy) more
Genre:
Drama | Fantasy | History more
Tagline:
2000 cast members, 3 orchestras, 33 rooms, 300 years, ALL IN ONE TAKE more
Plot:
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. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
9 wins & 9 nominations more
User Comments:
a stunning but ultimately failed experiment more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Sergei Dontsov ... The Stranger (The Marquis de Custine) (as Sergei Dreiden)
Mariya Kuznetsova ... Catherine The Great
Leonid Mozgovoy ... The Spy
Mikhail Piotrovsky ... Himself (Hermitage Director)
David Giorgobiani ... Orbeli
Aleksandr Chaban ... Boris Piotrovsky
Lev Yeliseyev ... Himself
Oleg Khmelnitsky ... Himself
Alla Osipenko ... Herself
Artyom Strelnikov ... Talented Boy
Tamara Kurenkova ... Herself (Blind Woman)
Maksim Sergeyev ... Peter the Great
Natalya Nikulenko ... Catherine the Great
Yelena Rufanova ... First Lady
Yelena Spiridonova ... Second Lady
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Русский ковчег (Russia)
Russian Ark (International: English title)
Russian Ark - Eine einzigartige Zeitreise durch die Eremitage (Germany)
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Runtime:
99 min
Country:
Russia | Germany
Language:
Russian
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital
Filming Locations:
St. Petersburg, Russia more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Shot in a single take. The first three attempts were cut short by technical difficulties, but the fourth was successful. more
Movie Connections:
Featured in "Zomergasten: (#17.2)" (2004) more
Soundtrack:
Mélodie antique française Op.39-16 more

FAQ

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26 out of 40 people found the following comment useful:-
a stunning but ultimately failed experiment, 19 September 2003
8/10
Author: rdoyle29

Sokurov breaks boundaries with his dreamlike vision of the Hermitage in St. Petersburg. It's the first feature-length narrative film shot in a single take (on digital video, using a specially designed disc instead of tape). "Russian Ark" is shot from the point-of-view of an unseen narrator, as he explores the museum and travels through Russian history. The audience sees through his eyes as he witnesses Peter the Great (Maksim Sergeyev) abusing one of his generals; Catherine the Great (Maria Kuznetsova) desperately searching for a bathroom; and, in the grand finale, the sumptuous Great Royal Ball of 1913. The narrator is eventually joined by a sarcastic and eccentric 19th century French Marquis (Sergey Dreiden), who travels with him throughout the huge grounds, encountering various historical figures and viewing the legendary artworks on display. While the narrator only interacts with the Marquis (he seems to be invisible to all the other inhabitants), the Marquis occasionally interacts with visitors and former residents of the museum.

The film was obviously shot in one day, but the cast and crew rehearsed for months to time their movements precisely with the flow of the camera while capturing the complex narrative, with elaborate costumes from different periods, and several trips out to the exterior of the museum. Tillman Buttner, the director of photography, was responsible for capturing it all in one single Steadicam shot. "Russian Ark" is an amazing accomplishment, and clearly made with passion, but while the film is sure to be hailed as a masterpiece by some, its narrative conceit isn't nearly as interesting as the technical feat of its creation. The result is a unique and intelligent film with sporadic moments of transcendent beauty that fails to create a strong emotional connection with its audience. It's essentially a 96-minute museum tour, with the added benefit of time travel and wax figures that briefly come to life.

But wax figures are all they are, essentially. Sokurov, as though following a hasty guide, spends so little time with the historical figures he portrays that it often feels as though he's moving on just as you begin to figure out who and what you're watching. The Russian experience of World War II, for example, is portrayed with a brief stop in a foreboding, ghostly room filled with coffins. The filmmaker is known for his lugubrious pacing, but Russian Ark has the odd distinction of seeming both slow paced and rushed. It moves slowly and mournfully, but still only glances across the surface of the eras it portrays. It's a demanding film, encompassing a wealth of Russian history and art history between its first and final frames. Those who stay with it will be rewarded in the end by a gorgeously mounted ball, in which the camera gracefully slides among elaborately costumed dancers as the orchestra plays. It's a deeply felt irony that this transcendent moment of joy takes place on the eve of the Russian revolution, and the world of these briefly glimpsed characters is about to come crashing to an end. It's a shame that the film has few moments where form and content align so powerfully

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Recent Posts (updated daily)User
The order of the time periods agknapp
i'm calling b.s. on the 'one take claim,' and here's why... SherlockVonEinstein
The french man evildoom_bunny
Hello Cleveland! schtaad
Which is the longest shot ever taken? crappydoo
Question about the musical composition bolly_b
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