Arquivo

The spiritual diary of a captain presented as a sublime confession. This is one of the most daring and disturbing films by Sokurov. Structured on five episodes of the same duration, the film draws parallels between the crossing of a ship, the uncertain destination of Russia, and the personal voyage of a captain bound for the frontiers of his deepest fears. The first two episodes meticulously describe daily chores and the routine aboard ship anchored in Murmansk to patrol the Arctic. The three final parts progressively move towards radical abstraction, both subjective and with strong political allusions. Confession is of a strict formalism transforming documented data into pure lyricism, in the manner of Sokurov. As in Mother and Son, Moloch, Taurus, and other films by the director that are now classics, this film can also be seen as a profound analysis of the effects of isolation on the human soul.