One-Shot Deal Russian Director Gives Tour-de-Force Journey Through History by Ky N. Nguyen Russian director/co-writer Alexander Sokurovís (ìMother and Sonî) exhilarating ìRussian Arkî is an astoundingly ambitious formal artistic experiment. For the first time, an entire feature-length theatrical movie is shot in one take. Presented on the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg, the mesmerizing result is a pensive elegy on Russian history and art. Lost in time and space, a French diplomat (Sergei Dreiden) finds himself in the Hermitage and makes his way through centuries of Russian history: Peter the Great, Nicholas I, Catherine the Great, Pushkin and Nicholas II. His journey concludes with the Hermitageís spectacular final ball before World War I. Sokurov serves as the off-screen tour guide narrating the proceedings. The amazing technical achievement was made possible by the use of the Sony HDW-F900 24p High-Definition (HD) video camera, an advancement providing both excellent image quality and portability. A conventional 35mm film magazine is limited to 12 minutes, but the HD t ape will record 46 minutesówhich still comes up short of a featureís running time. German HD specialists Kopp Media devised a special portable hard disk, with an ultra-stable battery, permitting up to 100 minutes of footage. German cinematographer Tilman B¸ttner doubles as the steadicam operator (reprising his role on ìRun Lola Runî), a task he endured for the entire 96-minute continuous shot through 33 sets totaling nearly one mile. After months of rehearsal, 867 actors (with a total cast and crew on the set numbering more than 2,000) hit the stage for the unique multimedia experience. Using the technological tools of the 21st century, Sokurov and company create a timeless production that captures the immediate energy of live theater. ìRussian Ark (Russkij Kovcheg)î (Russian and French with subtitles; 96 min.) plays through Thursday, Feb. 6, at the American Film Instituteís National Film Theater at the Kennedy Center. A Palestine in Purgatory Palestinian director Elia Suleimanís sophomore effort, ìDivine Interventionî (which follows his successful debut feature ìChronicle of a Disappearanceî), is an accomplished physical comedy of the absurd inspired by French auteur Jacques Tati. Surreal vignettes include a homeowner calmly extinguishing a firebombed garden, a blindfolded and beaten elderly prisoner taken out of a van by a cop to give directions to a girl, and Santa Claus bearing gifts and a machete in his chest while being chased by four boys. Suleiman plays the protagonist E.S., a film director. In his first scene, he throws an apricot pit out of his car window, which is followed by the explosion of an Israeli tank by the roadside. Jerusalem-based E.S. can only meet his Ramallah-dwelling lover (Manal Khader) in a parking lot between the checkpoints separating their cities. The wry political commentary and the film itself have been controversial, notably when the Academy Awards indicated a submission for Best Foreign Language Film wouldnít be accepted from Palestineóan unrecognized nation. ìDivine Interventionî won the Best Non-European Film at the European Film Awards and the FIPRESCI and Jury Prizes at Cannes. ìDivine Intervention (Yadon Ilaheyya)î (Arabic, Hebrew and English with subtitles; 92 min.) is now playing at Visions Cinema/Bistro/Lounge. Slums of Rio Fernando Meirelles (ìMaidsî) is Brazilís leading director of commercials, so the unforgettable ìCity of God (Cidade de Deus)î doesnít fail in the flashiness and entertainment departments. Yet no one will deny the authenticity of the brutal grimness displayed when depicting Rio de Janeiroís infamous favelas, or slums. The nonstop, action-packed ìCity of Godî has been a provocative hit in Brazil and on the international film festival circuit, including Cannes and Toronto. Co-director K·tia Lundís previous experience working in the favelas helped with the extensive casting of about 200 nonprofessional actors and the handheld shooting on location, which technically did not take place in the dangerous Cidade de Deus, a vast housing project on the edges of Rio de Janeiro. The film has bona fide social realist roots in Brazilian Cinema NÙvo, Italian Neorealism and cinÈma vÈritÈ, despite being dazzlingly modernóemploying shifting camera speeds, split screens, CGI and other cinematic tricks. The realism of ìCity of Godî is rooted in its adaptation from Paulo Linsís bestselling novel based on his experiences growing up in Cidade de Deus. The story centers around Rocket (Alexandre Rodrigues), the filmís narrator, whose passion for photography and criminal incompetence provides an escape from the illicit life embraced by his childhood playmate Liíl Dice (Douglas Silva), who grows up to become the vicious gang leader Liíl ZÈ (Leandro Firmino da Hora). ìCity of God (Cidade de Deus)î (Portuguese with subtitles; 130 min.) is now playing at Cineplex Odeon Outer Circle and Landmarkís Bethesda Row. Kurosawaís Look at Life ìIkiruî (1952) was made early in the late Japanese director Akira Kurosawaís career, but it shares a similarly poignant reflection on life as his final masterwork, ìMadadayoî (1993). ìIkiruî also offers sharp social commentary on post-war Japanís treatment of the elderly and bureaucratic government inefficiencies. When Dilbert-like Tokyo city worker Kanji Watanabe (Kurosawa regular Takashi Shimura of ì7 Samuraiî) is diagnosed with terminal cancer, he wonders what to do with his remaining life. After stabs at family time, barhopping and coaching, he becomes determined to make a difference. Through his job, he adopts a project to drain a stagnant marsh and replace it with a childrenís park. Watanabe dies midway through, and his quest is revealed through flashbacks told by his drunken coworkers at the wake. Like all Kurosawa movies, the narrative is carefully structured and flowing. His Western-influenced camera style uses myriad angles and shadows for atmospheric effect. ìIkiruî won the Japanese Oscar and the Silver Bear at Berlin. ìIkiru (To Live)î (Japanese with subtitles; 140 min.) plays Friday, Feb. 7, to Sunday, Feb. 16, at the American Film Instituteís National Film Theater at the Kennedy Center. Jenny Lamour Revisited 1947ís stylish policier ìQuai des OrfÈvresî (referring to the French version of Scotland Yard), first released as ìJenny Lamourî in the United States, has been restored with new subtitles. French thriller maestro Henri-Georges Clouzot (ìLes Diaboliques,î ìThe Wages of Fearî), on par with Alfred Hitchcock, has crafted a crisp film noir often called his masterpiece. The viewer is thrust head on into the rich milieu of post-war Paris, from seedy clubs to the shadowy police headquarters. The heady ambience and witty dialogue capture the carefree while resentful attitude of Parisians recovering from German occupation. The acting is superb, particularly from two of Franceís finest actors: Louis Jouvet and Bernard Blier (director Bertrandís father). After wealthy businessman Brignon (Charles Dullin) is murdered, sharp detective Antoine (Jouvet) seeks the killer. His prime suspect is masochistic pianist Maurice Martineau (Blier), who was at Brignonís house the night of his death. Also present were Martineauís sexy music hall singer wife Jenny (Suzy Delair) and her gorgeous lesbian photographer pal Dora Monnier (Simone Renant). ìQuai des OrfÈvres (Jenny Lamour)î (French with subtitles; 102 min.) plays Friday, Feb. 7, to Sunday, Feb. 16, at the American Film Instituteís National Film Theater at the Kennedy Center. A Portrait of the Artist Despite the recent exhibit at the Williams College Museum of Art, Adolf Hitlerís ambitions as a painter have been understandably overshadowed by his political activities. Filmmaker Menno Meyjes (a writer for ìThe Color Purpleî and ìThe Siegeî) speculatively tackles the tricky subject in his debut directorial feature ìMax,î inventing the eponymous composite character to serve as Hitlerís mentor. In 1918 Munich, affluent Jew and modern art dealer Max Rothman (John Cusack) befriends Corporal Hitler (Noah Taylor), an embittered war veteran full of frustration that Max thinks could be applied to the canvas. At the same time, Hitlerís budding talent for political speech places him in the beer halls, where his anti-Semitic ideas are embraced and reinforced. A conceit of ìMaxî is that Nazi ideology was influenced by concepts in modern art. Hitlerís political ambition was linked to his aesthetic sensibility, enabling him to design his vision of a dominant Germany embodied by crisp uniforms, efficient highways, neoclassical architecture, etc. ìMaxî (English; 110 min.) is scheduled to open in February. The Escalation of War With ìThe Quiet American,î Australian director Phillip Noyce (ìRabbit-Proof Fenceî) manages to have two fantastic films out simultaneouslyóboth luminously lensed by Australian cinematographer Christopher Doyle (Hong Kong filmmaker Wong Kar-Waiís regular director of photography, including ìIn the Mood for Loveî and ìHappy Togetherî). Doyleís lush photography induces the legendary, exotic allure of 1950s Saigon. British actor Michael Caine makes a late career bid for the Oscar acting prize with a rich, nuanced turn as jaded London Times journalist Thomas Fowler. The aging scribe pays little attention to covering the French war against the Communists in Indochina, instead focusing on his young Vietnamese mistress Phuong (Do Thi Hai Yen). Enter Alden Pyle (Brendan Fraser, whose past buffoonish roles served as good preparation for this part), the titular character who begins the film as a dead body. In a flashback, Fowler recalls meeting the seemingly naive aid worker, who immediately became infatuated with Phuongóìthe most beautiful girl in Saigon.î Pyle says, ìI want to protect herîóa metaphor for the impending U.S. policy toward Vietnam. Rumor has it that the adaptation of Graham Greeneís novel (first captured on celluloid by Joseph L. Mankiewicz in 1958, a version Greene disliked) was almost shelved by Miramaxís Harvey Weinstein after the Sept. 11 attacks for being ìunpatrioticî in its apparent criticism of U.S. military escalation. ìThe Quiet Americanî (a phrase intended by Greene to be an oxymoron) and Caineís performance were sensations at 2002ís Toronto Film Festival, prompting Miramaxís release and subsequent Oscar campaign. ìThe Quiet Americanî (English and Vietnamese with subtitles, 101 min.) opens Friday, Feb. 7, in the Washington area, including Cinema Arts. Repertory Notes New Greek Cinema: Through the Womenís Lens screens Feb. 2 to 9 at the National Museum of Women in the Arts, cosponsored with the Embassy of Greece and the Greek Film Centre ((202) 783-7370, www.nwma.org). From Feb. 3 to April 7, the Goethe-Forum showcases Germany in the Crosshairs, a program featuring popular German TV crime movies. February features episodes from the series ìTatort (Scene of the Crime).î On Feb. 4, the panel Documentary Film-Making: Beyond the Bottom-Line is presented at 7 p.m., preceded by global selections from recent independent productions at 4 p.m. ((202) 289-1200, www.goethe.de/uk/was/enindex.htm). French playwright, actor and filmmaker Sacha Guitry receives a retrospective Feb. 2 to 16 at the National Gallery of Art in association with the ...douard Vuillard exhibition. Through the cooperation of the Embassy of France, Jean Renoirís ìNanaî plays on Feb. 23 at 5 p.m., with the original musical score performed live under Jean FranÁois Zigel ((202) 842-6799, www.nga.gov/programs/film.htm). The Hidden Half: Iranian Women Directors program concludes at the Freer Gallery of Art. A highlight is the rare screening of ìHouse Is Blackî on Feb. 16 at 2 p.m., accompanying a discussion of poet and filmmaker Fourough Farrokhzadís significant impact on Iranian cinema ((202) 357-2700, www.asia.si.edu/programs/film.htm). In partnership with the ...douard Vuillard exhibition, La Maison FranÁaise presents a panorama of early French cinema, from Georges MÈliËs to Jean GrÈmillon. Februaryís silent movies feature musical accompaniment by Thierry Escaich and Jean-FranÁois Zygel ((202) 944-6091, www.la-maison-francaise.org). Top 20 International Films in 2002 Ararat (Canada) Baran (Iran) Bloody Sunday (Ireland/UK) Les DestineÈs Sentimentales (France) The Fast Runner (Canada) Gosford Park (UK/USA) Happy Times (China) Iím Going Home (France/Portugal) Iris (UK/USA) The Lady and the Duke (France) Maelstr^m (Canada) Nine Queens (Argentina) Rabbit-Proof Fence (Australia) Sex and LucÌa (Spain/France) Son of the Bride (Argentina) The Sonís Room (Italy/France) Talk to Her (Spain) Those Who Love Me Can Take the Train (France) What Time Is It There? (Taiwan/France) Y Tu Mam· TambiÈn (Mexico/USA) Ky N. Nguyen is the film reviewer for The Washington Diplomat.