The Gambler (1997)

Synopsis: Inspired both by the Dostoyevsky novel THE GAMBLER and the events that inspired it, Karoly Makk's THE GAMBLER is a fascinating blend of fact and fiction that illuminates the gray area between the artist and his art. Michael Gambon stars as Dostoyevsky, a passionate man whose addiction to... Inspired both by the Dostoyevsky novel THE GAMBLER and the events that inspired it, Karoly Makk's THE GAMBLER is a fascinating blend of fact and fiction that illuminates the gray area between the artist and his art. Michael Gambon stars as Dostoyevsky, a passionate man whose addiction to gambling has left him penniless. When his publisher agrees to take on his debts, Dostoyevsky signs a contract stating that he will produce a new novel within 27 days or he will turn over the rights to all his future work. Desperate to make the deadline, Dostoyevsky hires a young stenographer, Anna, to take dictation for him. As he feverishly dictates the account of a gambler and his stormy love life, the film intercuts both the fictional scenes being dictated as well as events from Dostoyevsky's and Anna's lives that closely parallel the events of the novel. THE GAMBLER is both a riveting blend of Dostoyevsky's real and imagined lives, bolstered by a star turn from Mr. Gambon as well as Luise Rainer's first screen appearance in 55 years. [More]