--- title: "Russian Ark: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/russian-ark/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/russian-ark" critics_score: 79 critics_reviews: 13 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Russian Ark (2002): what the critics said Critics' score 79 from 13 reviews: 10 positive, 2 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics respond warmly to Russian Ark, with praise centred on the choreography and camera movement of its continuous journey through the Hermitage. The single take is widely admired for more than its technical difficulty: the reviews describe it as a way of making Russian history feel vivid, elusive and sometimes sorrowful. Several critics find the film absorbing even when its historical references remain hard to follow, and its atmosphere earns almost as much praise as its camerawork. The spread is wide, however, from enthusiastic approval to outright frustration. Reservations cluster around thin drama, slow passages and a solemnity that can keep viewers at a distance. For some, those limitations scarcely diminish the achievement; for others, they make it difficult to engage. Eye for Film offers the clearest dissent, finding the film slow and frustrating despite admiring its visuals and choreography, and also criticising the central performance and subtitling. ## Radio Times — David Parkinson Rating 5/5. Parkinson calls the film audacious and breathtaking, and says its historical and cultural sweep will thrill film lovers. He especially praises the choreography of the single-take Steadicam journey through the Hermitage. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-sgyfd5/russian-ark/) ## Slant Magazine — Jesse Cataldo Rating 4/4. 1 September 2013. Cataldo finds the film’s disorienting approach to history inimitable and compelling. He especially praises how its continuous shot and carefully choreographed movement make the past feel vivid yet unknowable. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/russian-ark-2013/) ## Empire — David Parkinson Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The critic calls the film an exceptional cinematic achievement, though acknowledging its intellectual, dramatic and technical shortcomings. He particularly praises the balletic camera movement and the sumptuous recreation of Russia’s imperial and Soviet past. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/russian-ark-review/) ## IndieWire — David Sterritt and Mikita Brottman Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 12 December 2002. Festival review. The critics hail the film as a formally ambitious, triumphant achievement. They single out its dazzling single-shot spectacle and evocative exploration of Russian history. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/culture/nyff-2002-review-when-mise-en-scene-trumps-montage-sokurovs-russian-ark-80083/) ## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 10 January 2003. Turan praises the film as a beautiful, soulful achievement whose technical feat serves its artistry. He especially admires the final ballroom sequence, which makes the past feel vividly present. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-jan-10-et-turan10-story.html) ## Variety — Deborah Young Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 21 May 2002. Festival review. Young finds the film a dazzling, technically remarkable journey through Russian culture, likely to broaden Sokurov’s audience. She especially praises the single-take camera work for creating a magical visual style. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2002/film/markets-festivals/russian-ark-1200549455/) ## The AV Club — Noel Murray Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 18 October 2002. Murray finds the film a compelling philosophical elegy, though its historical references may be difficult for some viewers to follow. He especially praises the mood and the astonishing single-take sequence culminating in the 1913 ball. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/russian-ark-1798197959) ## The New Yorker Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). The critic finds Sokurov’s singular approach increasingly assured and the film absorbing despite its impenetrability. They praise its quietly sorrowful dramas and the way its slow, continuous camera movement holds the viewer’s attention. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/russian-ark) ## The Guardian — Rob Mackie Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 28 November 2003. Mackie presents the film as a unique, often intoxicating achievement, though its historical subject may be hard to follow and it has little drama. He praises the apparently effortless single-take Steadicam journey through the Hermitage and its swirl of dances and political meetings. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2003/nov/28/dvdreviews.shopping2) ## Time Out — GA Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). The review is positive despite acknowledging some weaknesses. It criticizes the film’s longueurs and melancholy offscreen comments, which can verge on self-parody. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/russian-ark) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 67/100 (inferred from the text). 13 December 2002. The available page does not expose the critic’s verdict or specific praise or complaints. Its URL identifies it as a Film in Review item about Russian Ark. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/13/movies/film-in-review-russian-ark.html) ## The Independent — Jonathan Romney Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 5 April 2003. Romney finds the film a bold, beautiful achievement, though its solemnity and occasional banalities keep him at a distance. He especially praises the extraordinary single-take camerawork and the Hermitage’s vivid textures and sound. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/russian-ark-u-8979163.html) ## Eye for Film — Jennie Kermode Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 27 June 2007. Kermode finds the film slow and frustrating despite admiring its audacious single-take achievement. She praises its stunning visuals, choreography, and closing shot, while criticizing the central performance and subtitling. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/russian-ark-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/russian-ark.md