The Card (1952)
“He's the cheekiest man in town!”
A charming and ambitious young man finds many ways to raise himself through the ranks in business and social standing - some honest, some not quite so. If he can just manage to avoid a certain very predatory woman.
The film establishes its central universe, introducing the protagonists into an escalating conflict. Directed by Ronald Neame, this opening movement establishes high visual and thematic stakes that set the narrative journey into motion.
The protagonists navigate escalating complications, ethical dilemmas, and formidable challenges. Starring Alec Guinness, Glynis Johns, Valerie Hobson, the middle act intensifies dramatic momentum toward an inevitable turning point.
The dramatic arcs converge in a decisive climax, resolving interpersonal conflicts and delivering the auteur’s resonant thematic conclusion.
Alec Guinness
as Edward Henry 'Denry' Machin
Glynis Johns
as Ruth Earp
Valerie Hobson
as Countess of Chell
Petula Clark
as Nellie Cotterill
Edward Chapman
as Mr. Duncalf
Veronica Turleigh
as Mrs. Machin
George Devine
as Mr. Calvert
Joan Hickson
as Mrs. Codleyn
Frank Pettingell
as Police Superintendent
Gibb McLaughlin
as Emery
Peter Copley
as P. Shillitoe (uncredited)Mark Daly
as Lord Mayor (uncredited)Cinematographic negative, aspect ratios & laboratory mastering sheet
| Aspect Ratios | 2.39:1 |
|---|---|
| Camera Systems | Arri Alexa LF / Panavision Millennium DXL2 |
| Negative Format | 35mm / 65mm / Digital Master |
| Printed Film Format | 70mm / DCP Master |
| Sound Mix Formats | Dolby AtmosDTS:X5.1 Surround |
| Laboratory / VFX | Technicolor / Double Negative (DNEG) |
| Color Processing | Color (Rec.709 / DCI-P3 Mastering) |
| Official Runtime | 85 min |
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Weighted consensus from 100K+ verified global cinephile ratings
The pipe organ composition from Hans Zimmer at the edge of Gargantua is monumental. Nolan masterfully balances the vast coldness of relativistic astrophysics with the intimate, multidimensional bond of family. A transcendent achievement of cinema.
"Do not go gentle into that good night, Rage, rage against the dying of the light." Michael Caine reciting Dylan Thomas resonates throughout the entire odyssey. Pure cinematic grandeur.
