Russian Ark

For those of you who haven't heard of this one, here's the basic thing you have to know about it: It's a film about a guy who seems to wake up outside a Russian museum (the Hermitage) and explores it with a French Marquis. The thing about it is that it's all done in one shot. ("One take" gets the point across better, but it's also misleading--they actually did four takes, the first three of which were aborted and the fourth one being the final product.) For most people, the people who love films like a friend, hearing that a film was done in some kind of experimental way is like hearing that your car has a different kind of engine--you don't really care, as long as it works. But for people like me, people who love films as a spouse/mistress/life-partner, it's an intriguing premise. So how does it work out?

Well, the plot isn't quite as good as one would usually hope. There's no love story, no action sequences... heck, there reallly isn't any conflict in it--it's mostly a guy (the camera) wandering around a museum, sometimes following another guy, looking at some art, occasionally watching the other guy talk with people, and and eventually watching a dance. It's very mired in Russian history, but for a pure American like me, it's pretty much going to all be a bunch of random people in historical costumes. So most filmgoers would probably get very, very bored by this film.

But what about the one-shot thing? Does it work? Well, I guess. It is all one shot (although they kind of fudge it a little near the end with a special effect to put a sea where there isn't one), and as an experiment, it succeeds. But it's rather tough on the audience. At times, the camera's turns are dizzying, as are the times that the camera zooms out while it's moving forward and causes a trombone effect (or, as I like to call it, the "Vertigo" shot). But overall, it's a neat effect.

So do I recommend it? That depends. If you're really into experimental films, you should probably see it--it's not often this kind of thing is done anymore. If you're looking for a good time, you may want to exercise caution. And if you buy Dramamine a lot, you'll probably want to avoid it.