Russian Ark

[Bud_Clay]

Starts tomorrow at one of my local independent theaters. I've been wanting to see this film ever since I heard about it. Here's a review:

"A visually hypotizing cinematic feat, Russian Ark is Alexsandr Sokurov's spellbinding ode to St.Petersburg's State Hermitage Museum in Russia. Shot in one fluid 90 minute take using High Definition video cameras, the photography floats and careens through the lavish corridors of the museum, examining its architectural details while following a dreamlike plot. A cast of 867 actors, thousands of extras and three live orchestras supply the action of the film. Through the sheer determination of the director, or possibly a miracle, the first-ever single screen, single-take full-length feature was created."

Pretty fucking incredible, huh? I can't imagine it not being just absolutely amazing.

[Ghostboy]

It opens in Dallas in May; I've been looking forward to it for a long time as well.

I read that John Bailey, the DP of the Anniversary Party (among others), watched it at Toronto and said that he thinks they could have done it  with super16mm. I can't figure it out. They would have to have a custom built mag, since the biggest ones now hold approx. twenty minutes of film...they'd need approximately seven times that. The camera would have to be dollied around, since no one could carry that.

Ah, I love perplexing problems like that (when they involve filmmaking). In any case, I can't wait to see it.

[Bud_Clay]

he thinks they could have done it  with super16mm.

that would be ungodly great. an entire 90 minute shot on super 16! as cool as that would be i think it would be even more fun to try and invent ways to cut the shots on dark settings so you can change mags. Like in "ROPE". Wasn't that film like only 3 mags? I only remember about 3 cuts that ran into a chair or something of the like.

Ah, I love perplexing problems like that (when they involve filmmaking). In any case, I can't wait to see it.

i agree very much.. i love trying to figure out creative solutions to barriers rather than using CGI as a cheap way out as almost all films do nowadays...

[Ghostboy]

Yeah, I think that was the first film to ever do anything like that. I think there were more than three, but only two or three were actually noticeable. That was a really fun movie.

[Cecil]

i think rope has something like a little over 10 cuts. a mag only held about 8 minutes back then.

i saw russian ark (it was released heer in mtl a few weeks ago),if i may, ill give my opinion on the film

please stop reading if you dont want to know what i thought of the film, contains no spoilers

i thought it was very interesting and had a rather "hipnotic" atmosphere, but was ultimately pretty boring. but a good kind of boring, if youre in the mood for it. it had some good parts, and some not so good parts. i think you should all see it though.

[Ghostboy]

had a rather "hipnotic" atmosphere

It's hip AND hypnotic: hipnotic! Awesome!

I hear that it drags a bit now and then, but the very end more than makes up for it. Can you imagine how much it would have sucked it you were one of those 1000 extras and you did something like look at the camera or trip, right at the very end of the take? I'd have been more than mortified.

On the official site, there are some nice behind the scenes photos. I bet everyone felt sorry for the camera operator.

[82]

They had one day to shoot it and the first two takes were unsucsessfull.. The third is the movie.

[Bud_Clay]

Incredible. What a wonderful film.. I saw it twice it was that good...

I really wish there was a soundtrack release.

They had one day to shoot it and the first two takes were unsucsessfull.. The third is the movie.

I can't even imagine that kind of stress... I'm really anxious for a dvd release with packed special features. They need to include those first 2 takes with the slip ups on the dvd.

[Duck Sauce]

Before I see it, (which I will), can somebody tell me if the camera work is sort of like I am Cuba?

[Bud_Clay]

Before I see it, (which I will), can somebody tell me if the camera work is sort of like I am Cuba?

the only thing it has in common with I Am Cuba is the long tracking shots.. while I Am Cuba has many long tracking shots it still has many more obscure camera angles and such than Russian Ark. Not to say either one is better than the other. i think that's the only thing they have in common.

[dufresne]

Russian Ark proved to be a great film experiment.  All of its faults are forgiven by it's ambition.  of course, they ran into problems of lighting, dialogue, and uncomfortable 'silences', but i still really enjoyed this film.  there was some kind of underlying magic and mystery to it that is hard to explain.  everyone should watch it on the big screen (if they're lucky enough to have it playing in their city).

[Bud_Clay]

All of its faults are forgiven by it's ambition.  of course, they ran into problems of lighting, dialogue, and uncomfortable 'silences', but i still really enjoyed this film.

Really? I didn't even notice any of that. The only thing I noticed was occasional little distruptions of the camera's movement. That's all.

[dufresne]

Really? I didn't even notice any of that. The only thing I noticed was occasional little distruptions of the camera's movement. That's all.

yeah, basically, some rooms were very dimly lit.  overexposure caused by the flood of natural light coming through the windows.  also a lot of scenes where the light was reflecting off the glass that protects some of the paintings.  i was really amazed how the steadi-cam operator was always good about not filming his reflection.

[Ghostboy]

I finally saw it yesterday; it really is amazing, even if it's hard to get involved in the 'story' if you don't know much about Russian history. The photography is just...I guess mind blowing is an appropriate term. I too was constantly amazed at the lack of reflection...and also just the overall perfection of it all. So many incredbile compositions...all in that one shot. The photography reminded me a lot Barry Lyndon, actually...I would say that this ranks with that as one a strikingly acccurate period piece.

[godardian]

Anyone seen Sokurov's Mother and Son? A very different film than Russian Ark, but one of my favorites. It's very, very beautiful, but definitely in Tarkovsky/Angelopolous territory, i.e., not one to see when you're sleepy at all. You need to be alert enough to just gorge yourself on the beautiful, really ravishing, images.