A prince ruins a woman's life, then tries to buy back his soul—silent film style.
Katusha, a country girl, is seduced and abandoned by Prince Nekludov. Nekludov finds himself, years later, on a jury trying the same Katusha for a crime he now realizes his actions drove her to. He follows her to imprisonment in Siberia, intent on redeeming her and himself as well.
Acting
Dolores del Río's face could launch a thousand confessions.
Cinematography
Siberian prison exteriors shot like frozen nightmares.
Costume
Prince to prisoner visual arcs that slap.
Director
Edwin Carewe
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Carewe directed del Río in five films; their creative partnership was Hollywood's obsession with 'exotic' star-making in action.
Tolstoy's novel was banned in Russia for its unflinching critique of church and courts—this adaptation soft-pedals the politics for romance.
US
