Pawn Sacrifice

Bobbie Fisher vs. Boris Spassky.  What would become a historic match is the backdrop for a study of the emotional make-up of two great minds.  Can the masks hold the cracks together?

There is not a lot of meaning to discern from this presentation.  The story is linear and for the most part above the board.  No time is spent trying to identify the meanings or roots of the paranoid ideation suffered by each of the combatants.  That Fisher suffered from frequent metal breakdowns is not an issue.  The film tries to suggest that the various levels of paranoia and bipolar activity occur because of his brilliance.

At times, we the audience, are left to guess whether one or the other’s actions are sincere, coming from their mental illness or part of their gamesmanship. But the answer is of little matter.  The film had me thinking of the times when a fantasy actually comes true and then the fantisizer is left feeling empty.  Nothing is ever enough for Fisher.

The famous 1972 match itself is poorly presented by the filmmakers.  We never even see beyond the 6th game, called by many as the greatest chess game ever played.  But to me the deficiency in the filmmaking was that the film focused so much more on the mental deterioration of both players and the extraneous gamesmanship than on the brilliance of the play.

The acting by both Toby McGuire and Liev Schreiber was outstanding with a slight edge to Schreiber.  Both did an excellent job of conveying the constant fight to manage the onslaught of thoughts whirring in their heads.  The actors were the saving grace and gave the film a steady momentum.

In the end it was obvious that for both of these great players chess and their mental condition are inextricably intertwined.