In 1972, US chess champion, Bobby Fischer, played World Champion, Boris Spassky of the USSR, in Iceland. But this was more than just a chess match.
Tobey Maguire has co-produced this film in which he stars as Fischer. In a career-topping performance, Maguire paints a portrait of an extremely troubled mind. Fischer suffered from delusional paranoia, none of which was helped by his match against Spassky being seen by both sides in the Cold War as a test of national supremacy. Henry Kissinger even phoned Fischer the night before the first game to wish him luck.
Steven Knight’s outstanding screenplay gives us some small insight into Fischer early years and his rapid rise to stardom in the chess world, becoming US Champion at the age of 12. It then plunges, almost viscerally, into Fischer’s growing descent into mental illness, the pressure on him and Spassky, and the unprecedented celebrity of the hitherto arcane game of chess.
Alongside Maguire, Michael Stuhlbarg is wonderful as Fischer’s lawyer-manager, Paul Marshall, as is Peter Sarsgaard as Bill Lombardy, Fischer friend and Second. Playing Spassky is Liev Schrieber, who takes a smaller role and morphs it into a masterclass in subtle and powerful acting. Edward Zwick’s direction never misses a beat, turning each chess move into another twist of suspense worthy of Hitchcock.
This is ultimately a sad story, as Fischer, after the events depicted in the film, eventually became so mentally unwell that he was even, at one point, arrested for vagrancy.
Even if you have no understanding of chess, this film will grip you and leave you stunned. It is about so much more than just a game for savants.
A quiet, cinematic piece of brilliance.
Reviewed by Tracey Korsten
Twitter: @TraceyKorsten
Rating out of 10: 9
Pawn Sacrifice is out now on DVD and Digital.
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