Tag Archives: The Last Samurai

Pawn Sacrifice (2014)

Pawn Sacrifice review.

written by Souranath Banerjee

My Ratings: 4.2/5.

United States or the Soviet Union? Bobby Fischer or Boris Spassky? – the cold war was at it’s peak!

Tensed boxing biopics like Raging Bull or high speed Formula One racing movies similar to Rush or the fast baseball films like The Pride of the Yankees or even those fantastic movies on the lives of athletes and runners like Chariots of Fire – sports biopics are always fun to watch because they are so full of adrenaline.

But then, how much energy and drama can be squeezed into a sport biopic based on the most calm and tranquil game ever played in the world – that is CHESS ?

pawn-sacrifice-poster1Well, Edward Zwick (famous for films like The Last Samurai, Blood Diamond and Defiance) took up the challenge and believe it or not he manages to make a highly thrilling and captivating chess-film – his latest release Pawn Sacrifice.

A biopic on chess world champion Bobby Fischer played superbly by Tobey Maguire

Now this is not Tobey’s first sport biopic (remember the famous Jockey Red Pollard in Seabiscuit); but in Pawn Sacrifice he has shown a different level of maturity and perfectly portrayed the silent madness of the paranoid genius.  

Bobby Fisher, considered to be the best chess player till date was indeed a troubled soul but aren’t insanity the price you pay for being a genius?  

pawn-sacrifice-posterIn 1972, Bobby Fischer faced the then world champion Boris Spassky (from Russia) in the greatest match ever played in the history of chess!

On the board he fought the Cold War. In his mind he fought his madness.

Liev Schreiber perfectly fits the role of Spassky while Peter Sarsgaard, (the father figure) along with Michael Stuhlbarg (the manager) tries their best to cope up with Bobby’s madness and make him play his best game.

Pawn Sacrifice is a skillful film that cleverly brings out the subtle characteristics of Bobby Fisher as an individual; his arrogance, his fears, his childish demands, his mood swings and above all his genius.

You don’t need to know chess to relish the film, although a bit of basic chess knowledge will make you feel more comfortable.  

Poster courtesy: www.impawards.com