The Queen of Spades

Petersburg, 1806. Herman is a poor engineer officer who stands at the gaming table every evening and never plays, because he has nothing to lose. A story he reads takes hold of him: an old countess is said to have made a bargain in her youth and learned the secret of three cards. To get into her house he uses her ward, Lizaveta. Thorold Dickinson directs. Anton Walbrook plays Herman and Edith Evans plays the countess. The source is Alexander Pushkin's story of 1834. The production has a story of its own: Dickinson was brought in to direct a few days before shooting began, with almost no preparation. Its strength is atmosphere. The sets are crowded and candlelit and the camera is constantly moving; the horror is not shown but built out of sound and shadow. Edith Evans was a celebrated stage name at the time and this was near her first screen role; she says very little as the countess and takes the scene completely. It was a forgotten film in Britain for a long time, was rediscovered later, and is now held to be among the best horror films of its period. Martin Scorsese is among its open champions. Who it is for: viewers who like classical British horror and adaptations of Russian literature. Who it is not for: the narrative moves slowly, the playing is close to the stage, and it is calm by present standards of horror.