Russian Ark

Intrigued by the period costumes on the case and Roger Ebert's comment "One of the most astonishing films ever made", I sat down to watch the subtitled Russian Ark this weekend.  My daughter gave up about 20 minutes into it (she said the subtitles moved too fast), but I hung on for the full 96 minutes.  It wasn't the subtitles that gave me trouble.  I really haven't seen a film I couldn't follow in quite a while, but this is one.  Maybe it is my inadequate education in Russian history or poor appreciation for artistic films, but this one has me stumped.  The next morning my daughter asked me how the movie ended...I just told her I watched the whole thing, but still don't know.  Any comments?...This item has been checked out over 100 times...Someone must have an opinion...please share.  Adam you're one for subtitled films - what's your thoughts? 

Sources for movie picks:
1001 movies you must see before you die
Leonard Maltin's 2011 movie guide
VideoHound's golden movie retriever