This biography of the eccentric chess champion Bobby Fischer is good as far as it goes. I have played maybe two dozen games of chess in my life but am of an age that I can remember the famous 1972 match between Fischer and Boris Spassky, a match that this movie pivots on. So, even as remote from the game as I am, I was pretty much aware of the arc of Fischer's life as presented here, from obsessed chess champion to paranoid anti-Semite. Though I found this film interesting, it added little to my knowledge of Fischer--although I had not realized the extent of his physical training. If you are at all involved with chess, then I would assume that you would know as much about Fischer as seen here. So, who would most benefit from seeing this? Probably those who know little about chess but are young enough not to remember the highly publicized events of Fischer's life.
The format is standard: archival footage interwoven with observations from people who knew Fischer.
This film left me with a lot of questions that I would liked to have seen addressed. Undisputed geniuses in their fields, such as Fischer, usually fascinate, witness the interest in Einstein even though few understand his work. But, what accounts for the continued interest in Fischer? For example, Gary Kasparov is close to being Fischer's equal at chess, and his life as a writer and political activist after retiring from chess has been remarkable, in a positive sense. But Kasparov has not obtained anywhere near the status in popular culture as Fischer. Why is that? Is it interest in Fischer's fall from grace? Do tragic lives interest us more than successful ones?
One question I have always had about Fischer is whether the seeds of mental illness were always present, or whether his obsession with chess provoked the illness. In different circumstances could he have had a more normal life? When you see the clips of Fischer as an apparently charming young man it is sobering to look at those in light of what you know is to come. I would have liked more focus on Fischer as a kid and young man, like some in-depth interviews with his sister and more information on his family life. Maybe all you would get there is that he played chess all the time. But what was he like in school? Also, more information on his supposed marriage to a Japanese woman and his relationship with a Philippine woman would be of interest. Did he in fact establish some intimacy with those women? It was not at all clear that that would ever have been possible for him.
As a counterpoint to this documentary I recommend the excellent movie, "Searching for Bobby Fischer." That movie is based on a true story and shows that a more well-rounded person can excel at chess at a high level, even though it might be questionable whether such a person could ever get to the world championship level.
The format is standard: archival footage interwoven with observations from people who knew Fischer.
This film left me with a lot of questions that I would liked to have seen addressed. Undisputed geniuses in their fields, such as Fischer, usually fascinate, witness the interest in Einstein even though few understand his work. But, what accounts for the continued interest in Fischer? For example, Gary Kasparov is close to being Fischer's equal at chess, and his life as a writer and political activist after retiring from chess has been remarkable, in a positive sense. But Kasparov has not obtained anywhere near the status in popular culture as Fischer. Why is that? Is it interest in Fischer's fall from grace? Do tragic lives interest us more than successful ones?
One question I have always had about Fischer is whether the seeds of mental illness were always present, or whether his obsession with chess provoked the illness. In different circumstances could he have had a more normal life? When you see the clips of Fischer as an apparently charming young man it is sobering to look at those in light of what you know is to come. I would have liked more focus on Fischer as a kid and young man, like some in-depth interviews with his sister and more information on his family life. Maybe all you would get there is that he played chess all the time. But what was he like in school? Also, more information on his supposed marriage to a Japanese woman and his relationship with a Philippine woman would be of interest. Did he in fact establish some intimacy with those women? It was not at all clear that that would ever have been possible for him.
As a counterpoint to this documentary I recommend the excellent movie, "Searching for Bobby Fischer." That movie is based on a true story and shows that a more well-rounded person can excel at chess at a high level, even though it might be questionable whether such a person could ever get to the world championship level.