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Russian Ark (2002)

Director: Alexander Sokurov

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From Time Out Film Guide

Despite the almost inevitable longueurs, not to mention mumbling melancholy offscreen comments that sometimes verge on the self-parodic, this is certainly a superior Sokurov feature, and not only for its extraordinarily virtuoso mise-en-scène. Digitally shot in a single continuous take, it wanders around St Petersburg's Hermitage, taking in the building, its furnishings and objets d'art, and a host of characters, historical and contemporary, both named (Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, Nicholas, Alexandra, Anastasia) and anonymous, while pondering the Russian soul and its ambivalent relationship with Europe. As the unseen film-maker and a 19th century French diplomat guide us on our journey through space and time, it's hard not to be distracted by thoughts of how it was all choreographed, but a magnificent ball scene and the final poignant departure manage to work their magic.

Author: GA 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Time Out Film Guide

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Cast & crew

Director: Alexander Sokurov

Producer: Andrey Deryabin, Jens Meurer, Karsten Stöter

Cast: Sergey Dreiden, Maria Kuznetsova, Leonid Mozgovoy, David Giorgobiani, Alexander Chaban, Maxim Sergeyev, Natalia Nikulenko, Anna Aleksahina, Vladimir Baranov, Boris Smolkin, Alexander Sokurov full cast

Duration: 99 mins

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