Russian Cinema

[KingVoyeur]

Just finished Russian Ark. An incredibly beautiful film. I really wish I knew more about Russian history, I probably would've appreciated it more. For those who don't know, Russian Ark follows a man (we see through his eyes the entire time) and Custine, a French Marquis, as they wander through the Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg, skipping from time period to time period, spanning 300 years of Russian history. The amazing thing about the film is that it is told in one un-interrupted 90-minute take. The film took 4 years to plan, they had 36 hours to set up the entire building, and only one day to shoot. There are easily 1000 extras and 2 live on-screen symphonies. An interesting meditation on Russian culture's place in the world at that time, we get 2 perspectives, the Marquis (symbolizing Europe, who pretty much ignored Russia until the early 20th century) and the man whose eyes we see through (symbolizing Russia finding itself and its place in the world). Interestingly, it's a very calming and satisfying film, and I highly recommend it.