Francofonia
Another night at the museum (this time the Louvre) with Russian auteur Alexander Sokurov
Alexander Sokurov’s latest is a complex and intermittently absorbing film about the Louvre museum in Paris and its colourful history from the late Renaissance to present day.
The film begins with Sokurov himself silhouetted in a crowded study as he broods on the film he has just created. Frequent digressions, reflections and interventions by the director follow, so much so that Francofonia sometimes feels a little too abstract, occasionally getting in its own way as it attempts to cover such a wealth of material.
But what never stutters is Sokurov’s bravura camerawork as he winds his way through the corridors of the Louvre – each sculpture and painting is captured in vivid detail, providing the perfect visual articulation of Sokurov’s often philosophical observations about art, its importance to humanity and place in history.
While unlikely to appeal to those not willing to convert to the Russian auteur's idiosyncratic style, Francofonia is nevertheless an intriguing look at art, history and perhaps the greatest museum in the world.
Francofonia screened at Glasgow Film Festival.
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