After watching bits and pieces all week we finally finished watching Russian Ark (imdb | rotten tomatoes) this afternoon. I kept it on the PVR because I think we’ll need to give it another go, hopefully uninterrupted this time. I suspect it would be even better on DVD (the version we recorded on CBC has commercials). The reason continuity in viewing is so important is because of the way the film was made: it’s actually one long, stunning shot (in first person) moving through the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. It’s hard to believe what you’re seeing as you watch it, especially when you consider the hundreds, thousands maybe, of actors and the fluid way in which they interact with the camera. The only thing more remarkable than the skill used in making the film was the museum itself, and the art it contains.

I can’t recommend Russian Ark enough.