Directed by Aleksandr Sokurov
What: The film Russian Ark, directed by master filmmaker Alexander Sokurov, featuring a 95-minute, single, continuous, unbroken shot and an unofficial “tour” of the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Who: You, the average American filmgoer.
Where: Cities and towns with an artistic bent, independent theater chains, and screens refusing to compete with The Hulk or The Matrix Reloaded.
Why: An opportunity to ponder Russian art, fashion, and architecture while analyzing czarist Russia in contrast with the Stalinist era; to marvel in cinematic risk and boldness; to admire the audacity of shooting a film in a single take; to think deeply while being blown away by beauty and glorious imagery.
The Result: Empty theaters, indifference, deathly silence.
Now get the fuck out of here and go watch Lord of the Rings for the 388th time.
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