Color, NR (mature themes), 96 min., VHS rental, DVD $29.98
Street: Sept. 9, Prebook: now
DVD: producer's commentary, featurette, interviews
First Run: L, Dec. 2002, $2.9 mil.
Cast: Sergey Dreiden, Maria Kuznetsova, Leonid Mozgovoy, David Giorgobiani
Director: Aleksandr Sokurov
WELLSPRING
Story Line: An unseen filmmaker (voice of Sokurov) is led by a 19th century diplomat (Dreiden) on a journey through different historical periods on the grounds of the Hermitage Museum in Russia. The museum's masterworks cause the diplomat to speak of such topics as the Tsars, religion and the odors of the aristocracy. The filmmaker picks up and then loses the trail of the diplomat, as he moves through a theatrical production staged by Catherine the Great (Kuznetsova), a dinner attended by the family of the last Tsar and a grand ball held in the early 20th century at the Winter Palace.
Bottom Line: Russian Ark received much attention from critics around the world for the fact that it unfolds in one virtuoso take, the film moving seamlessly from location to location without a single edit. Filmmaker Sokurov (Mother and Son) accomplishes this feat with the aid of digital technology and a number of very well rehearsed acting troupes (the press materials note the presence of "nearly 900 actors"). The effect is mind-boggling, since it is at once uncommonly complex and extraordinarily simple in its approach. Setting aside all questions of technical bravura, the film is an incredibly intelligent treatment of history, using a dream-like, non-linear journey as a pretext to examine corners of Russia's pre-Soviet past, including the Tsars' rampant fixation with European culture. History buffs and foreign movie fans are a lock to rent Ark, but the film is also a must-see for aspiring filmmakers looking for ways to visually dazzle viewers without relying on flashy editing. --Ed Grant