Russian Ark

Critics Consensus

As successful as it is ambitious, Russian Ark condenses three centuries of Russian history into a single, uninterrupted, 87-minute take.

90%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 106

80%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 9,707
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Movie Info

A French marquis (Sergei Dreiden) wanders through a vast labyrinth of corridors, theaters and ballrooms at a reception for a Persian ambassador.

Cast & Crew

Sergei Dontsov
The Stranger
Leonid Mozgovoy
The Spy
David Giorgobiani
Orbeli
Mariya Kuznetsova
Catherine the Great
Aleksandr Chaban
Boris Piotrovsky
Maksim Sergeyev
Peter the Great
Anna Aleksakhina
Alexandra Fyodorovna, Wife of Nicholas II
Vladimir Baranov
Nicholas II
Natalya Nikulenko
Catherine the Great
Svetlana Svirko
Alexandra Fedorovna, Wife of Nicholas I
Aleksandr Sokurov
Director
Anatoli Nikiforov
Screenwriter
Aleksandr Sokurov
Screenwriter
Andrey Deryabin
Producer
Jens Meuer
Producer
Karsten Stoter
Producer
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Critic Reviews for Russian Ark

All Critics (106) | Top Critics (30) | Fresh (95) | Rotten (11)

View All Critic Reviews (106)

Audience Reviews for Russian Ark

  • Apr 18, 2015
    Russian Ark should be remembered not only as a breathtaking logistic accomplishment that knocked me off my chair with its stunning single take using a Steadicam and digital technology, but also as a sumptuous travel through Russian history and an unforgettable homage to the Hermitage Museum and to Art itself.
    Carlos M Super Reviewer
  • Nov 26, 2013
    A never-seen ghostlike figure wanders through the Hermitage Museum (previously home to the Czars) in St. Petersburg, watching re-enactments of Russian history and debating art and culture with a French aristocrat companion. With thousands of extras, it's pulled off in one amazing 95-minute take. It's more than a bit stuffy and tailored to the delicate sensibilities of the fine arts crowd, but it's impossible not to be impressed by the pageantry and technical achievement.
    Greg S Super Reviewer
  • Feb 25, 2013
    Visually, second to none. The film is shot in one take and as unexciting as it sounds, it's quite well done. The plot is thin, at best and the sound design is muddled and messy until the final scene. The downfall of the film as well as its success is that it's shot in one take, which means certain scenes are overexposed and others are too dark to see anything, due to the fact that changing exposures during the same shot is quite messy and nearly unforgiveable. Zoom lense is employed throughout and seems to only serve the purpose of getting the framing correct in certain scenes until the operator can catch up with the action. This, in turn, also looks sloppy and degrades the quality of the film. Overall, an interesting film, but I'd struggle to be able to watch it again because the sound design is some of the worst I've ever heard.
    Jason 123 D Super Reviewer
  • Sep 19, 2012
    Wonderful concept and gorgeous execution. The viewer moves throughout history to bring alive the story of a building which continues to be of fundamental importance to the Russian people.
    John B Super Reviewer
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