AllMovie

For millennia, playing cards have existed as a staple of global culture -- a longevity that has imparted a wealth of stories and meanings to them. The History Channel documentary The Playing Card examines this transcontinental phenomenon by isolating and exploring the nuances of a typical card - from its controversial origins in such regions as Egypt and Persia, to the significance of the various suits and symbols, to its unusual design and the significance of Masonic imagery. The program also touches on the card's links to such practices as voodoo, the Tarot and the occult.