I watched two films by Yakov Protazanov (1881 - 1945): "Queen of spades" (1916) and "Aelita" (1924). The last one was made in the Soviet Union but the first in Tsarist Russia.
"Queen of spades" fully breathes the atmosphere of Tsarist Russia, adapted after a short story by Alexander Pushkin that was earlier adapted into an opera by Tchaikovsky.
The story is situated in aristocratic circles where partying and gambling is a virtue as long as the strict codes of honor are obeyed.
The film has three main characters.
Hermann (Ivan Mozzhukhin) is a German officer who gambles not according to the code and is terribly punished by fate. His character represents the moral of the story.
The Countess has lived by the code of honor all her live. When she was young she was well known in Paris (called "La Venus Moscovite"). The Countess as a young woman is played by Tamara Duvan. She looks very much like Jean Harlow. In her old days (played by Yelizaveta Shebueva) the Countess still likes party's and she still dresses up for them. All the guests pay her respect at the beginning of the evening, and the rest of the evening she just sits lonely in a corner. The Countess in her old days acts very much like Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) in "Sunset boulevard" (1950, Billy Wilder), she is unable to see that her glory days are over.
The character of Liza (Vera Orlova) is unfortunately not explored enough in this film. She is the nurse of the Countess and in this capacity obliged to stay with her in her corner while the party is going on. It is therefore no wonder that this young girl is all too susceptible when a man finally gives her some attention.
"Queen of spades" fully breathes the atmosphere of Tsarist Russia, adapted after a short story by Alexander Pushkin that was earlier adapted into an opera by Tchaikovsky.
The story is situated in aristocratic circles where partying and gambling is a virtue as long as the strict codes of honor are obeyed.
The film has three main characters.
Hermann (Ivan Mozzhukhin) is a German officer who gambles not according to the code and is terribly punished by fate. His character represents the moral of the story.
The Countess has lived by the code of honor all her live. When she was young she was well known in Paris (called "La Venus Moscovite"). The Countess as a young woman is played by Tamara Duvan. She looks very much like Jean Harlow. In her old days (played by Yelizaveta Shebueva) the Countess still likes party's and she still dresses up for them. All the guests pay her respect at the beginning of the evening, and the rest of the evening she just sits lonely in a corner. The Countess in her old days acts very much like Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) in "Sunset boulevard" (1950, Billy Wilder), she is unable to see that her glory days are over.
The character of Liza (Vera Orlova) is unfortunately not explored enough in this film. She is the nurse of the Countess and in this capacity obliged to stay with her in her corner while the party is going on. It is therefore no wonder that this young girl is all too susceptible when a man finally gives her some attention.