I’ve seen many movies use chess as an all-encompassing symbol for life, but never have I seen chess be the movie.
“Pawn Sacrifice” is the true story of American chess legend Bobby Fischer and his rise to becoming a cultural icon for the Cold War. The film starts with Fisher’s beginnings and builds to the height of his career in 1972, when Fischer dethrones Soviet chess-grandmaster Boris Spassky for the title of world’s best chess player. (Specifically, Fisher is renowned for his brilliant Game 6, which is considered the greatest game of chess ever played).
What I found gripping about it is that it’s not simply watching people play chess for two hours; Bobby Fischer’s life is the game. From the moment he is born, Fischer’s life is this life-sized chess match he has no control over. He is a pawn in Cold War politics, sacrificed in the name of larger goals. However, Fischer is very much aware of his insignificance and throughout the film, the pawn strives for higher ambitions: to become the king. In the process, Fischer’s obsession causes him to lose himself. As one character notes, “This game is a rabbit hole. After only four moves there are more than three hundred billion options to consider, more forty-move games than the number of stars in the galaxy."
For myself, I believe what sold the film is Tobey Maguire’s portrayal of Bobby Fischer. Though Maguire’s mannerisms sometimes resemble Peter Parker/Spiderman in his infamous evil dancing phase, Maguire is everything that makes Fischer such a complicated person—arrogant, conceited, condescending, abrasive, stubborn and most importantly: lost. Though the story ascends to the thrilling match between Fischer and Spassky, the film is much more about Fischer’s journey to get to that point. What struck me most about the film is how isolated Fischer is from the rest of the world, a man with incredible talent who sees it be manipulated and distorted to the point where it is impossible for him to understand himself anymore.
If I had one major criticism for the movie, I would say that it felt as though it tries to tackle too many concepts at once. “Pawn Sacrifice” is a character study piece, but because they attempt to span such a large chunk of Fischer’s life, much contextual information about the Cold War, his family background, and even the strategies of chess-play are limited or completely ignored.
Still, I think it’s important to stage realistic expectations. This film is not for everyone. Heck, this film isn’t even for some people. At best, it’s meant for nerds who played board games by themselves when they were kids (like certain anonymous, tiny Asian writers). It’s sort of like “Chariots of Fire” in that the film attracts a specific type of audience. To enjoy the film, you have to like chess. And history. And psychology. And biographical dramas. But if you do, I’ll play a Queen’s Gambit Accepted that you’ll thoroughly enjoy “Pawn Sacrifice”. And if you didn’t understand that last pun, then you might not want to watch the film.
Rating: 3 stars | B+
