by Dominic Blake
With roulette still one of the most popular gambling games today, could now be the time for a worthy cinematic version of the Dostoevsky novella?
Adaptations of The Gambler
Known to be a keen gambler himself, Dostoevsky was able to give some stark insight as to how it felt to bet on games of chance in his 1867 successor to Crime and Punishment. The short book took place in the fictional town of Roulettenburg, where the protagonist, Alexei Ivanovich, initially takes to the roulette tables at the behest of his love, Polina. This isn’t simply a story about a man who gambles, however, and could be taken as a psychological study of obsession in love, as well as in recreational pursuits.
There have never been any direct adaptations of The Gambler in film, but there have been a few movies that used the book for inspiration. For instance, the 1949 film from Robert Siodmak, The Great Sinner, is a loose adaptation of Dostoevsky’s work. There was also a TV mini-series broadcast on the BBC in the UK in 1969. For a work of this magnitude from an author as esteemed as the Russian, it seems strange that there hasn’t been a bigger film up to this point.
Roulette is Still Hugely Popular
The reason why now could be the perfect time for a major film studio to make a worthy adaptation of The Gambler is that the game used in the story is arguably more popular than it has ever been. In the 1967 novella, the eponymous protagonist mainly plays roulette with an occasional flutter on trente-et-quarante, a card game popular in continental European casinos.
Most of the gambling in the story involves the little wheel, which will appeal to modern internet gambling fans. This is because roulette is a favourite for many customers, perhaps due to its simplicity and the fact that it can provide thrilling entertainment, and can always be found at the best online casinos alongside other popular options such as blackjack and slots. Because the game is played so widely, a film adaptation of The Gambler wouldn’t need to go into great detail about the rules of the game, and instead could simply focus on the plot.
The Gambler More Appropriate For Film
The themes of The Gambler could easily be translated into film, perhaps more successfully than those found in Crime and Punishment. Dostoevsky’s magnum opus does have an engaging plot in the murder of the pawnbroker and the protagonist desperately trying to evade the police, however, it features a vast amount of psychological insight and internal monologues that simply wouldn’t translate to the screen.
The Gambler, on the other hand, has much less detailed thought from the minds of the characters, owing to the fact that it’s a much shorter read. This means that everything that is depicted in the novella could be represented on film effectively.
The Gambler is one of Dostoevsky’s widely overlooked works and has forever remained in the shadow of his more prestigious and better-known novels. Perhaps if a film were made about it, the novella would finally get the credit it deserves.
