(no subject)

I went to see Russian Ark last night at the Cary Madstone. As a movie, it's rather odd. I several times had to remind myself that I was watching a movie, not playing an adventure game on my computer. The first-person perspective with a formless nameless narrator, the slow walking down halls, the zooming in on selected artworks, the ability to communicate only with one mysterious character while witnessing setpiece costume dramas; it all seemed very much like one of those edutainment adventure games like Canal+'s Versailles or Dreamcatcher's Traitor's Gate, games in which the plot is there only to motivate the exploration of the game's setting.

So, anyways, as a movie, Russian Ark isn't all that great. As a documentary about the Hermitage through the ages, it's pretty good (and I was pleased that I recognized at least a few of the galleries shown from my trip in 1991). And if they ever do turn it into an adventure game, I'll be sure to pick it up.