Silent Witnesses/Mute Witnesses (Немые свидетели)
This starts cheerfully, so you know right away it will end badly. Then comes lots of gloom, a generous dose of moping, and zero comic relief. Yet, the usual trappings of melodrama are absent: women are not hyper-emotional, the performances are mostly subdued (Elsa Krueger's stone-cold vamping shines), and title cards are few (and mostly one-liners) - all adding to the effect of “silent witnesses”. So despite the burden of a well-worn story lacking interest, this feels like an unusually tight and well-made production, and is distinguished by providing the viewpoint of servants.