Pawn Sacrifice Movie Review

Pawn Sacrifice (2014)

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Written by: Steven Knight (screenplay), Stephen J. Rivele & Christopher Wilkinson  and Steven Knight (story)  
Directed by: Edward Zwick
Starring: Tobey Maguire, Liev Schreiber, Peter Sarsgaard
Rated: PG-13
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Plot
Bobby Fischer battles the Russian Boris Spassky in chess during the Cold War.

Verdict
Even having missed all of the Bobby Fischer movies and documentaries, this didn't bring enough new information, just relying on strong performances, especially from Maguire. What happened to Fischer after chess? This movie doesn't answer that question. It's hard to make chess exciting but this movie does that with the final game.
It depends.

Review
The first proper scene showcases Fischer's madness. He's paranoid that the Russians are spying on him and want to kill him. He seems crazy, but not without reason as there does seem to be people spying on him, unless that's just Fischer's delusion.
Then the movie flashes back to Fischer as a child. This is my pet peeve. Movies often employ this tactic to make an exciting opening, a ruse to hide that the actual opening isn't. Fix the problem, don't mask it.
Even from a young age Fischer was a chess prodigy. It seems almost any great athlete got there not just due to ability, but due to their drive, focus, and intensity. Look at Tiger Woods or Bryce Harper, they were spending hours on golf and baseball even at five years old

At twelve years old Fischer is the best. He's not even a kid. His sole focus is chess. He doesn't just want to succeed, he wants to dominate. He knows all of the games his opponents have played.

Bobby Fischer (Tobey Maguire) becomes the way to beat the Russians and prove American superiority. This propels him to celebrity status despite or because of his youth and arrogance.

Pawn Sacrifice -Brilliance and madness often go hand in hand.

What is it about brilliance and madness that is often so closely linked? Maybe that kind of focus is madness, not many are capable of such intensity. Fischer's handlers know he has problems. They can't fix them, they can only hope to pacify him as they ride the wave as far as it will go. How much did they care for Bobby? Was chess in his best interest? Then again, it's not like they could stop him. Fischer claims to be the best, wants to win the title, but is also scared of taking that title.

Fischer often acts like a petulant child, demanding outrageous stipulations and refusing to play. When you're the best, you can do that. I understand Boris Spassky's (Liev Schreiber) frustrations, but at the same time he grants the demands because he doesn't want to win on a technicality. He wonders if Fischer is toying with him mentally, but Fischer really is just crazy.

The final chess game is exciting, which is typically hard to convey on screen.

When he finally beat Spassky in 1972 and officially became the world chess champion, he exiled himself, not playing another chess match until twenty years later, again against Spassky. This movie concludes with the '72 win, forgoing the story of what happens later. Did Fischer go decades without any help? Imagine being the top chess player, but you can't legitimately take the title because the reigning champion has just disappeared. It would be aggravating to have an asterisk next to your name for that.