Posted Fri Oct 25, 2013 at 06:00 AM PDT by Tom Landy
The acclaimed dreamlike vision from Russian filmmaker Alexander Sokurov ('The Sun') of the Hermitage in St. Petersburg will have its Blu-ray debut in November.
In an early announcement to retailers, Kino is working on 'Russian Ark' for Blu-ray on November 19.
'Russian Ark' is the first feature-length narrative film shot in a single take (on digital video, using a specially designed disc instead of tape). 'Russian Ark' is shot from the point-of-view of an unseen narrator, as he explores the museum and travels through Russian history. The audience sees through his eyes as he witnesses Peter the Great (Maksim Sergeyev) abusing one of his generals; Catherine the Great (Maria Kuznetsova) desperately searching for a bathroom; and, in the grand finale, the sumptuous Great Royal Ball of 1913.
The narrator is eventually joined by a sarcastic and eccentric 19th century French Marquis (Sergey Dreiden), who travels with him throughout the huge grounds, encountering various historical figures and viewing the legendary artworks on display. While the narrator only interacts with the Marquis (he seems to be invisible to all the other inhabitants), the Marquis occasionally interacts with visitors and former residents of the museum. The film was obviously shot in one day, but the cast and crew rehearsed for months to time their movements precisely with the flow of the camera while capturing the complex narrative, with elaborate costumes from different periods, and several trips out to the exterior of the museum. Tilman Büttner, the director of photography, was responsible for capturing it all in one single Steadicam shot.
To celebrate the film's 10th Anniversary, 'Russian Ark' is making it's Blu-ray debut for the first time ever.
The Blu-ray will feature 1080p video, a lossless 5.1/ soundtrack, and there doesn't appear to be any supplements for this release.
Suggested list price for the Blu-ray is $34.95.
You can find the latest specs for 'Russian Ark' linked from our Blu-ray Release Schedule, where it's indexed under November 19.
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