Cheap Russian Ark (DVD) (Aleksandr Sokurov) Price

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The State Hermitage is in actuality 6 buildings on the embankment of the River Neva. The most magnificent of the buildings is the Winter Palace, residence of Russian Tsars from 1754 to 1762. The Hermitage took 2 1/2 centuries to build and exemplifies pieces from the Stone Age to the 20th Century. There are over 3 million pieces of art on display from Da Vinci to Monet. Some of the most exciting times took place during the German Invasion in 1941. We are indeed fortunate that many hid the treasures within, and that the treasures were found after the war. The Hermitage is open to the public and you can find more information on their web page:
http://www.hermitage.ru/html_En/index.html

867 actors practiced for months to dance the mazurka in the ballroom, march to a military salute or watch a theatre performance. There was one take only and anything could go wrong at any time. There were years of development and preparation for the 4 hours of filming. Sokurov depended upon German HD specialists KOPP MEDIA to assist with the details of the script. How a camera would move, the distance of feet to be covered in the narrative, and the use of a steadicam. A hard disk recording system was developed that was portable and equipped with an ultra-stable battery. One shooting day with 4 hours of light was the magic number.

A Marquis, a limber European in dress black is the film's guide. He is invisible to most and he leads the narrator through each room and gallery. He interacts with guests but others do not see the "ghost". The Marquis takes us from the 17th century to the present. We meet Catherine the Great, Nicholas I, and there is no explanation of what is happening or what are their roles. We are left to our imagination and the beautiful rooms and halls and galleries that are The Hermitage. The last thirty minutes are dedicated to 3 orchestras and the ballrooms and the dancing and the exquisitely dressed people of the times. We are but trespassers in this venue, but we are left to wonder the marvels of The Hermitage, and the wonder of this film. prisrob

Precious Cargo Aboard the Film "Russian Ark"
The Russian Ark is a unique film experience and is unlike other films you have seen.

It is a most unusual story about the great Hermitage Art Museum located in St. Petersburg, Russia. You (the moviegoer) are part of the story line, an evening tour of the Museum... which becomes a trip through Russian History along with a thousand "ghosts" of different historical periods.

Only one "ghost acknowledges your presence; to all the other ghosts, you are but a silent witness of the unfolding events.

The entire movie (about 96 minutes long) is shot in one, continuous, uninterrupted take. It seems like the camera never stops moving. Indeed, the entire movie was captured digitally on a hard drive as the cinema photographer with his mobile camera travels just under a mile in and around the galleries of the Hermitage Museum.
You will witness life scenes of Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, a formal high ceremony in Russian court (an apology by Persian diplomats for murdering Russian diplomats in Tehran), a family dinner scene of the last Russian Czar, Nicholas II, art tours of the galleries and it all ends up with a most grand Court Dance... as you are treated to a historical recreation of a last great ball held by the Czar.
The film is a creation by Aleksandr Sokurov. It is entitled the Russian Ark because the Hermitage is an "ark" which preserves Russian culture and history for future generations. It is well named as Christians cannot fail to note another cargo theme which is stored aboard the "Russian Ark".... Christianity. A history of Christianity is told in numerous paintings on "your" tour of the galleries. In the movie reviews this author read, none took note of this powerful quiet theme- but you will indeed, as your companion ghost certainly does (this is certainly no Sister Wendy) and he seems to linger over the religious paintings... such as the dual portrait of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. This is one end of the Christianity timeline, but soon you are taken to the beginning of the Christian timeline (Abraham, according to Saint Matthew's genealogy of Jesus Christ ...Mat 1:2), to that of Abraham and the "Binding of Issac, " skillfully painted by Rembrant Harmensz van Rijn in 1635. This painting captures the highest moment in the testing of Abraham's faith... the angel halts Abraham's actions and the knife is suspended in mid-air. In the background, the sacrificial lamb caught in the thicket of thorns prefigures a future sacrifice of a "Promised Son" near the same Mount Moriah.

Here's the reason you'll love the movie... we are all "ark" people. Noah had the Ark to preserve life for a replenishment of earth. The Ark of the Covenant preserved "the testimony" (Exodus 25:22) of the laws given to Moses by God, which form the bedrock of our laws. Our Bibles are an Ark preserving God's word. And in Sukurov's movie Russian Ark, the Hermitage is featured as an Ark of Russian History, but actually preserves much more precious cargo than is professed.
Part of the previous cargo of the Russian Ark is the visual scriptures of Christianity that can speak to all... the paintings and artwork which transcended two barriers... a) the curse of the Tower of Babel and b) the thousand year edict which had existed to limit the Bible in one language only... Latin. Sukurov made a conscious decision to honestly display the cargo of the Ark. For sure, the Hermitage "Ark" preserved a visual Christian history in a nation that had for decades sought to separate its people from their God.

You are urged to book the 96 minute voyage aboard the Russian Ark... as you'll be enriched and rewarded on several levels.

A Cinematic Wonder
A film shot straight in 90 minutes, in one un-interrupted sequence - no cuts- not more than one take for any of the scenes!

Not just that, Alexander Sokurov - the legendary Russian director who debuted in 1978 with his "The Lonely Voice of Man" has done so many firsts in the movie that this wonder just has to be taken seriously. Sokurov has generated his works at the cross-roads of two fundamental film genres: documentary and "fiction". After having made nearly forty films over a period of two decades he is still searching for the language of cinematography which, as he says, the now hundred-year-old child - Cinema, has as yet not been able to develop.

Shot in high definition digital format and then put on 35mm, this film used the latest in digital technology and was recorded, entirely, on a hard-disk. The movie is shot at The Hermitage in St. Petersburg and was the first feature to be allowed to be shot in the museum, or at least the first movie that wasn't about the Revolution. Hundreds of actors gathered at The Hermitage in 36 different rooms on the 23rd of December 2001 to shoot this movie. Shooting on the shortest day of the year, and balancing the light in that season in St. Petersburg for a one-take sequence of 90 minutes wouldn't have been an easy task mind you. The movie features live performances from 4 symphonic orchestras one of which is The Hermitage's own famous philharmonic orchestra. Void of modern cinematic luxuries, Alexander has, in truly a work of artistic genius, managed to add a touch of complete surrealism to the movie.

Set across four centuries in an extremely surreal time-travel fashion, the movie captures the life in and around The Hermitage and re-enacts moments of history and art in one of the most epic and elaborate fashion. Not for even a single second does the movie compromise on the theatrical details for the sake of the challenge of being shot in one take. Authentic costumes and the comments on the work of art on display at The Hermitage museum are immaculately detailed and accurate. The movie almost effortlessly takes the viewer through the history, like a story-teller talking about the ages in one breath. Not failing to capture the sentiments of the ages, you would find comments on the Russian dislike of the European, as well as the political bonds and resistances that existed between Persia and Russia.

Termed most often as one of the best post-soviet Russian movie, Russian Ark is more than just that. If it weren't a Russian Movie, or was set in centuries of Italian history, the world would have perhaps come to admire it more. Fully recommended to everyone for the storylines of the movie as well as for the flawless technical details. Surely goes down in the history of cinema as one of the most artistic works ever.