Pikovaya dama

the genre of film who reminds the virtues of Soviet cinema. the acting, the adaptation who preserves nuances of original work, the stage spirit in a dark, seductive film who present a well known story with grace and precision. a film who remains special for the grace of use of detail. for its actors who reinvent an old universe in its forms and gestures and rhythm and expectations. for the lovely manner to recreate the tension and the blind desire. for music. and for a form of redefine of faith. Elena Polevetskaya does one of her magnificent roles as old Countess . Oleg Strijenov reminds the entire way of German with fascinating science of nuances' exploration. the great virtue - the meeting of Pushkin's novel in each scene. and the music .

I saw this on television in 1962 in black and white and always wished for seeing it again. It would take 57 years, but it was worth the waiting.

Tchaikovsky's opera is slightly abbreviated but only favourably - all the best music is here, and it is some of the best music he ever wrote. It is important to remember, that Tchaikovsky was deeply engaged in this opera, one of his last, and so was his brother Modest, who wrote the libretto. The tenor part was specially written for a certain tenor with whom Tchaikovsky was in love. All these rather demonic and almost obsessed elements are well taken care of and communicated in the film.

The action of the opera is set in the 18th century under Catherine II, who actually makes an entrance as the finale in the great ballroom scene, but here they have aptly changed the setting to Pushkin's own time in the 1820s, and the film is introduced by marvellous water colour paintings of old St. Petersburg. All this and many other things add to the almost perfect realism of this great romantic film and opera.

All the actors are splendid and perfectly right for their terrible ordeals. Oleg Strizhenov is actually occasionally reminding of Robert Helpmann in his demonic appearances in "Tales of Hoffmann", another successfully filmed opera, and you can almost smell the relish of Powell-Pressburger throughout the film - the brilliant camera work, the expressionistic ingrediences (espcially in the ghost scene), the marvellous innovations, like when the scene changes from the three candles after the countess' death scene to the single candle in the barracks, the wonderful glowing colours, and the very inspired cinematography - this can only be acvknowledged as a masterpiece among filmed operas, and maybe the best - together with "Tales of Hoffmann".

As a lover of Tchaikovsky's music, I very much like The Queen of Spades, if not as much as Eugene Onegin. Roman Tikhomirov's Queen of Spades is very good, as far as Tikomirov's opera films go it is not as good as Eugene Onegin, mainly because some of the acting in the latter is a little more incisive and perhaps a little more subtle. However, I still love the production values in this one, it doesn't feel stage-bound and the costumes and settings are really sumptuous with lavish colour and skilled photography. The orchestra play wonderfully especially in the Three Cards scenes and in Hermann's soliloquy in the crowded ballroom, and the conducting does nothing to undermine the drama. The acting is generally excellent, Oleg Strizhenov broods effectively as Hermann but the character's insanity occasionally borders on shrill. Olga Krassina is a lovely and very aristocratic Lisa, but the best was Yelena Polevetskaya, commanding every frame as a very mummy-like Countess. The singing is exemplary as well, Hermann is strong, sometimes lyrical but with the right intensity, Lisa is touching and even vulnerable and the Countess is appropriately powerful. All in all, a great Queen of Spades. 9/10 Bethany Cox