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Russian Ark


#165 - Russian Ark
Alexander Sokurov, 2002



A faceless narrator and a mysterious stranger find themselves travelling through a building that serves as a microcosm of the past 300 years of Russian history.

Watching Victoria recently reminded me that I hadn't seen what is probably the most high-profile single-take film to ever exist, Russian Ark. Though the prospect of floating through Russian history does not sound like the most exciting way to spend ninety minutes, it is lent a surprisingly deft framing device in having it not only take place for the point of view of a narrator who thinks he is dreaming but also by having him interact with a mysterious stranger who flippantly breezes through each new set-piece where his opinions range from the awestruck to the derisive. It's as good a "plot" as any to carry the film as it smoothly glides through many ornate settings filled with intricate costumes and elaborately-choreographed movements that range from ballroom dancing to officious ceremonies. Even if its clever methods of injecting some vivacity into a potentially stuffy film aren't necessarily for everyone, this definitely feels like a film that needs to be seen anyway.