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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r |
Directed by Thorold Dickinson
UK 1949
Set in early 1800s Russia, despite being billed as a supernatural drama, this is really a straightforward melodrama for its first two-thirds. Don't let this put you off, though, ghostly rattlings do occur eventually and, in the meantime, this is a solidly told tale of one man's desire for all-consuming wealth. Anton Walbrook is the ice-cold cad, Suvorin, at the centre of the piece. An engineers' captain, he is looked down upon by many of his fellow officers - who come from an altogether more landed class. This has led to a deep-seated envy and so, when he becomes privy to the tale of the rich Countess Ranevskaya (Edith Evans in her first major film role), whom he hears made her fortune at cards via a pact with the devil, he is determined to learn her secret for himself. So he begins to woo the Countess's ward Lizaveta (Yvonne Mitchell, also in her screen debut), who has little idea that she's just another card in the game. Excerpt from EyeForFilm located HERE *** \A supernatural tale based on a short story by Russian poet Alexander Pushkin, this is the portrayal of a poor Captain in the Russian army in the nineteenth Century. His comrades in arms play cards nightly, but he cannot afford to join them until one night he dreams that he has gained from a mysterious aging countess her secret for winning at faro--a secret which legend has it she has sold her soul to obtain. This story has been filmed at least a dozen times, but this is by far the best version. Eight of the versions were silent films and another version was done as recently as 1965. A period piece, the settings and costumes are superb. Excerpt from B+N located HERE |
Posters
Theatrical Release: March 18th, 1949
Reviews More Reviews DVD Reviews
Review: Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray
Box Cover |
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CLICK to order from: Coming to the UK on Blu-ray in February 2023 by StudioCanal: Also on DVD from Kino: |
Distribution | Kino - Region 'A' - Blu-ray | |
Runtime | 1:35:33.727 | |
Video |
1.33 :1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 31,092,714,698 bytesFeature: 27,701,139,456 bytes Video Bitrate: 34.91 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate Blu-ray: |
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Audio |
DTS-HD Master
Audio English 1554 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 1554 kbps / 16-bit (DTS Core: 2.0 /
48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 16-bit) Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps |
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Subtitles | English, None | |
Features |
Release Information: Studio: Kino
1.33 :1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-rayDisc Size: 31,092,714,698 bytesFeature: 27,701,139,456 bytes Video Bitrate: 34.91 MbpsCodec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
Edition Details:
• Audio Commentary by Film Critic Nick Pinkerton
Standard Blu-ray Case Chapters 9 |
Comments: |
NOTE:
The below
Blu-ray
captures were taken directly from the
Blu-ray
disc.
It is another lossless DTS-HD Master
transfer (16-bit) in the film's audio and alert score by
Georges Auric (The
Mind Benders, The
Lavender Hill Mob, Heaven
Knows Mr. Allison,
It
Always Rains on Sunday, Dead
of Night, The
Innocents,
Lola Montes,
Rififi,
Wages of Fear) exporting a
seething depth and advancing the haunting atmosphere. Kino offer optional English
subtitles on their Region 'A'
Blu-ray.
I've always loved The Queen of Spades
for its suspense and keen cinematography. What a 150-year old story! -
involving an obsession with cards and a deal of sins. It's a
intellectual horror rather than relying on graphic obviousness. The more
I watch it the better the film gets. A fabulous choice for Blu-ray.
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Menus / Extras
CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION