The Queen of Spades

A narrator appears in the streets and salons of St. Petersburg, convincingly telling the story in Pushkin's words. She sets up the tale and its period-accurate atmosphere for the viewer. The narration serves as the framing device for the events to follow.

Late at night, a group of guards officers play cards in Narumov's dining room. Germann watches the game with keen, almost medical, interest, absorbing their conversations. He remains an observer, sizing up opportunities to intervene or profit.

Count Pavel Tomsky shares a youth memory of his grandmother's huge gambling debt in France and a fabled Count Saint-Germain who supposedly helped her win back the money. The story blends hints of the occult with a miraculous payoff. Germann treats the anecdote as a literal clue rather than a cautionary tale.

The elderly countess Anna Fedotovna is cared for by a young ward, Lizaveta Ivanovna, in her Petersburg home. The scene establishes the countess's guarded secrets and the social circle that sẽ surround her. The mood is quiet, almost ceremonial, as old powers linger.

Germann resolves to win access to the countess's hidden knowledge by courting Lizaveta. He trades on appearances and his own ambition, moving from observer to a player in the countess's circle. The objective is clear: unlock the three-card secret that could grant him immense wealth.

In a moment of reckless action, Germann's behavior leads to the countess's death. The loss marks a pivotal turn, heightening the tension and bringing the supernatural elements into sharper focus. The event shifts the plot from ambition to consequence.

The countess's ghost appears to Germann, delivering the crucial secret of the three cards. The revelation elevates the stakes, presenting a supernatural path to fortune. Germann interprets the omen as a direct route to wealth.

Relying on his guards officer connections, Germann gains entrance to Chekalinsky's elite card game. He plans to exploit the three-card secret to secure a fortune far beyond his means. The stage is set for a high-stakes gamble.

Germann wagers heavily, convinced the secret will guarantee victory. The room hums with tension as bets are whispered and glances weighed. The outcome hinges on a few decisive cards and a twist of fate.

As the game intensifies, Germann's fixation on greed and the secret consumes him. His disciplined thrift corrupts into reckless risk-taking, leading toward a ruinous end. The pursuit of easy fortune reveals the hollowness of his plan.

The narrative makes explicit that Germann's fixation on the secret is his downfall. The cautionary arc mirrors the larger tale: power and fortune pursued without wisdom end in loss. The characters' fates are tightly tied to the fate of the secret itself.

The film ends with a quiet acknowledgment of the period's atmosphere—the costumes, locations, and period music—emphasizing realism over fantasy. Germann's fate remains implied, preserving Pushkin's text while offering Maslennikov's cinematic interpretation. The story closes on the consequences of greed and the price of secret knowledge.