Bobby Fischer Against the World (2011)
Coarse language
| Director: | Liz Garbus |
| Actors: | Bobby Fischer, Henry Kissinger, Garry Kasparov |
Genius. Recluse. Cold War Icon. Chess master Bobby Fischer was all this and more. The drama of Bobby Fischer's career was undeniable, from his troubled childhood to his rock star status as World Champion and Cold War poster child, to his life as a fugitive on the run. Bobby Fischer Against the World explores one of the most infamous and mysterious characters of the 20th century.
| Status: | QuickPick |
|---|---|
| Run time: | 90mins |
| Origin: | UNITED KINGDOM |
| Aspect Ratio: | 16:9 |
Chess master
by Simon Miraudo, 6/08/2011 2:52:00 PM
No, this isn’t an Asylum-style rip-off of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (even though I would love to see that); it’s Liz Garbus’ documentary on the life of controversial world champion of chess and eventual enemy of the state Bobby Fischer. From his early beginnings as a child prodigy, to his legendary bout with Russian world champ Boris Spassky, and finally his descent into paranoid, America-hating, anti-Semitic madness, Garbus paints Fischer as a fascinating, engaging, unsympathetic anti-hero, and one of the most complex protagonists I’ve seen of late. There’s only limited footage available of his epic battle against Spassky (how much footage can you possibly need of men sitting at a table playing chess anyway?), but it acts as a satisfying centerpiece to the film, which cannot rely on ei...
No, this isn’t an Asylum-style rip-off of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (even though I would love to see that); it’s Liz Garbus’ documentary on the life of controversial world champion of chess and eventual enemy of the state Bobby Fischer. From his early beginnings as a child prodigy, to his legendary bout with Russian world champ Boris Spassky, and finally his descent into paranoid, America-hating, anti-Semitic madness, Garbus paints Fischer as a fascinating, engaging, unsympathetic anti-hero, and one of the most complex protagonists I’ve seen of late.
There’s only limited footage available of his epic battle against Spassky (how much footage can you possibly need of men sitting at a table playing chess anyway?), but it acts as a satisfying centerpiece to the film, which cannot rely on either a happy beginning or ending. The talking heads lionize Fischer as a sportsman and seem to abhor him as a human being. Garbus tells his story with aplomb, placing it in the greater context of the Cold War, and also examining the human toll and anguish Fischer brought upon himself – the struggle of a genius for whom psychotic obsession was not only unavoidable, but the next logical move.
3.5/5
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Member Reviews (1)
1 Member
Review
Cindy
says
I found this engrossing and was fascinated by the way it pointed out the very often thin line between genius and madness. You don't need to understand chess to enjoy this.