Russian Ark

Finally saw Russian Ark. I was warned that you'd need to have a fairly good knowledge of Russian art and history to appreciate it. Me, being me, decided to not do any research for my first screening of RA. The film should stand alone (apart from my cursory knowledge of C20th Russian history) or, at least, I should attempt to engage with it outside of that knowledge-context. If I didn't like it the first time in the absence of that knowledge, I could always watch it again after doing some reading.

So did it work? Yes. Its not a perfect film to be sure - and I was as impressed with its technical achievement (the choreography, the steadycam shot) as I was as umimpressed with its technical flaws (sloppy sound, sloppy use of the zoom, sloppy HD <-- its noisy, lacks tonal range and stop latitude and generally looks like film stocks circa 1970). It does meander a bit - particularly during the ball scene and the walking out - but it is meant to have a dream like quality.

What I did like about Russian Ark was that it was a love letter to art, history and Russia - and it was accompanied with a palaptable sense of loss. I found it very moving.

For those who think it was boring. I understand. Completely. The experience of Russian Ark reminded me of when you visit museums and you wear those little headsets with commentaries :) You drift from art work to art work, room to room, drifting in and out of listening the commentary, contemplating each art work, getting bored, excited, inspired and dulled by turns, thinking introspectively, then extrospectively. etc. etc. Its a kind of meditation of the mind and the soul.