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The Luzhin Defence ()


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Two worlds collide when an eccentric genius falls in love with a strong-willed society beauty.

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...
Luzhin
...
Natalia
...
Vera
...
Valentinov
Christopher Thompson ...
Stassard
...
Turati
...
Ilya
...
Anna
...
Luzhin's Father
...
Luzhin's Mother
Alexander Hunting ...
Young Luzhin
Alfredo Pea ...
1st Official
Fabio Pasquini ...
2nd Official
Luigi Petrucci ...
Santucci
Carlo Greco ...
Hotel Manager
...
Tailor
Luca Foggiano ...
Fascist
Antonio Carli ...
Fascist
David Ambrosi ...
Fascist
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Géza Schramek ...
Maitre'D (uncredited)

Directed by

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Marleen Gorris ... (directed by)

Written by

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Vladimir Nabokov ... (novel "Zashchita Luzhina")
 
Peter Berry ... (screenplay by)

Produced by

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Jody Allen ... executive producer (as Jody Patton)
Péter Barbalics ... co-producer
Louis Becker ... producer (produced by)
Stephen Evans ... producer (produced by)
Philippe Guez ... producer (produced by)
Leo Pescarolo ... co-producer
Eric Robison ... co-producer
Andrew Warren ... line producer
Caroline Wood ... producer (produced by)

Music by

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Alexandre Desplat ... (original music by)

Cinematography by

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Bernard Lutic ... director of photography

Editing by

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Michiel Reichwein ... (as Michaël Reichwein)

Editorial Department

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Kevin Ahern ... first assistant film editor
Christelle Didier ... post-production assistant
Peter Hunt ... grader
Lucy Smith ... first assistant film editor
Wiebe van der Vliet ... non-linear assistant editor (as Wiebe Van Der Vliet)
Lucy H. Williams ... second assistant film editor (as Lucy Williams)

Casting By

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Celestia Fox

Production Design by

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Tony Burrough

Art Direction by

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John Hill ... supervising art director

Costume Design by

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Jany Temime

Makeup Department

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Cristiana Bertini ... additional hair stylist / additional makeup artist
Elaine Browne ... hair stylist / makeup artist
Harisa Centani ... additional hair stylist / additional makeup artist
Lamberto Deli ... additional hair stylist (as Lambero Deli) / additional makeup artist (as Lambero Deli)
Annamaria Ginnoto ... additional hair stylist / additional makeup artist
Lesley Noble ... hair stylist / makeup artist
Carla Ruffert ... additional hair stylist / additional makeup artist
Roseann Samuel ... hair designer / makeup designer
Allison Sing ... hair stylist / makeup artist
Rozália Szegedi ... additional hair stylist (as Rozalia Szegedi) / additional makeup artist (as Rozalia Szegedi)
Consuelo Vitturi ... hair stylist (uncredited)

Production Management

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Ferenc Béres ... unit production manager (as Ferenc Beres)
Guy Courtecuisse ... post-production manager
Fleur Fontaine ... post-production supervisor
László Lakatos ... unit manager
Mark Mostyn ... unit manager
Rosanna Roditi ... production manager
Paolo Rosada ... unit manager
László Sipos ... production manager
Maria Walker ... post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Gábor Gajdos ... assistant director: Hungary (as Gabor Gajdos)
Tommy Gormley ... first assistant director
Tamás Mink ... second assistant director (as Tamas Mink)
Sarah Purser ... second assistant director
Bojana Sutic ... assistant director: Italy
Aoife Thunder ... third assistant director

Art Department

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Daniele Bacciu ... props buyer (as Daniel Bacciu)
Zsuzsanna Borvendég ... art director: Hungary (as Zsuzsanna Borvendeg)
Sarah Jane Cornish ... stand-by art director
Noel Cowell ... stand-by propsman
Luciano Curti ... painter
Paolo Cusin ... laborer
Gisella Ingrassia ... painter
Marino Ingrassia ... painter
Ermanno Kerstich ... laborer (as Ermanno Kersich)
Imre Kiss ... assistant construction manager
Luciano Magagnini ... assistant props man
Kamlan Man ... production buyer
Mihály Marton ... assistant propman (as Mihaly Marton) / props: stop-motion segment
Mauro Masotti ... assistant props man
Ennio Meloni ... assistant construction manager
Norman Mitchell ... glass chess set
Tiziano Nardoni ... construction manager
Alessandra Querzola ... set dresser: Italy
Shirley Robinson ... graphic designer
Miklós Schmelcz ... construction manager (as Miklos Schmelz)
John Smith ... props storeman
Dominic Smithers ... supervising set decorator
Francesco Staltari ... assistant construction manager
Sam Stokes ... property master
Gábor Szabó ... furniture maker
Lajos E. Szabó ... stand-by construction manager (as Lajos E Szabo)
István Tóth ... set dresser: Hungary (as István Toth)
Emanuele von Normann ... art director: Italy (as Emanuele Von Normann)
Béla Tollay ... swing gang (uncredited)
Gabor Toth ... stand-by props (uncredited)

Sound Department

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Andrea Azzolini ... sound trainee
John Bateman ... adr mixer / foley mixer
Jimmy Boyle ... assistant sound editor (as James Boyle)
Michael Crouch ... adr editor
Solrey Dupray ... recording producer
Richard Fettes ... supervising sound editor
Robert Gavin ... foley editor
Peter Glossop ... production sound mixer
Craig Irving ... re-recording mixer
Mark Kenna ... stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Mark Lafbery ... assistant sound re-recording mixer
György Mihályi ... sound trainee (as Gyorgy Mihalyi)
Shaun Mills ... boom operator
Colin Ritchie ... dialogue editor
Lionel Selwyn ... foley artist
Ruth Sullivan ... foley artist
Alan Sutcliffe ... sound recordist
Jack Whittaker ... assistant sound editor

Special Effects by

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Zsolt Furedi ... special effects technician
István Gittinger ... stand-by pyrotechnician (as Istvan Gittinger)
Gyula Krasnyánszky ... pyrotechnic technical advisor (as Gyula Krasnyanszky)
Ferenc Ormos ... special effects supervisor
György Solymosi ... special effects technician (as Gyorgy Solymosi) / special effects
Alfredo Spadaro ... special effects technician
Massimo Ticchiati ... special effects technician
Attila Érczkövi ... stand-by pyrotechnician (as Attila Erckovi)
Gábor Kiszelly ... special effects technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by

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Craig Chandler ... visual effects producer (uncredited)
Alan Church ... visual effects supervisor (uncredited)

Stunts

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David Ambrosi ... stunt coordinator
Giovanna Leici ... stunts
Riccardo Mioni ... stunt coordinator
Alessandro Novelli ... stunts (as Allessandro Novelli)
Emiliano Novelli ... stunts

Camera and Electrical Department

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Marco Alzetta ... grip
Werner Bacciu ... key grip
Jaspreet Bal ... clapper loader / first assistant camera
Gyula Balogh ... electrician
Csaba Bankhardt ... electrician
Tommaso Baratto ... grip
Regis Benedettelli ... grip (as Regis Benedetteli)
Alessio Bramucci ... best boy electric
Patrick Bramucci ... gaffer
Károly Brauner ... key grip (as Karoly Brauner)
Nicola Bruso ... grip
Marcello Colaciello ... electrician
Dominique Delguste ... focus puller
Angelo Donatone ... grip (as Angelo Donatoni)
Cristiano Giavedoni ... electrician
Tamás Jánossa ... video assist operator
Tibor Klöpfler ... camera operator: second camera crew, Hungary (as Tibor Klopfler)
Ferenc Lilienberg ... camera operator: second camera crew, Hungary
Christian Magis ... gaffer (as Christian Majis)
Richard Malabi ... camera operator: second camera crew, Hungary
Olivier Martin ... key grip
Andrea Mineo ... grip labourer
Elvis Pasqual ... electrician
Péter Soltész ... camera trainee (as Peter Soltesz)
Balázs Szinte ... clapper loader (as Balazs Szinte)
Rudolf Takács ... gaffer
Andrea Tenuta ... grip labourer
Mark Tillie ... unit still photographer
Vincenzo Vedovato ... video assist operator
Mario Virdis ... electrician
Walter Volvino ... additional focus puller
Tibor Zámbó ... grip (as Tibor Zambo)
Giuseppe Bilotti ... assistant camera (uncredited)
Alessandro Cardelli ... best boy electric (uncredited)
Andrea Chiozzotto ... additional camera operator (uncredited)
Simone Puricelli ... additional clapper loader (uncredited)

Casting Department

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Louis Elman ... adr voice casting
Tamás Kertész ... extras casting
Adriana Sabbatini ... casting director: Italy
Alex Johnson ... casting assistant (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Sergio Ballo ... wardrobe assistant
Mari Balázs-Piri ... wardrobe assistant (as Mari Balazs-Piri)
Amanda Craze ... stand-by costume supervisor
Françoise Fourcade ... wardrobe assistant
György Homonnay ... wardrobe supervisor
Péter Kincs ... wardrobe assistant (as Peter Kincs)
Mark Lord ... wardrobe assistant
Barbara Vianello ... wardrobe assistant

Location Management

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Ferenc Béres ... unit location manager (as Ferenc Beres)
Nicola Catullo ... location assistant
Tamás Guba ... location manager
Fabio Vianello ... location manager
Paolo Rosada ... location manager (uncredited)

Music Department

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Riccardo Chailly ... conductor: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, "Waltz 2" from "Suite for Jazz Orchestra No. 2"
Simon Chamberlain ... musician: piano solo
Alexandre Desplat ... conductor / orchestrator
Tom Jenkins ... assistant music recordist
John Timperley ... music mixer / music recordist
David Walter ... assistant music recordist
Dominique Lemonnier ... score producer (uncredited)
London Symphony Orchestra ... music performed by (uncredited)

Script and Continuity Department

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Sophie Thévenet-Becker ... script supervisor (as Sophie Thevenet Becker)
Liz West ... script supervisor (as Elizabeth West)

Transportation Department

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Gaetano Avvisato ... unit driver
Laszlo Balint ... unit driver
Péter Balogh ... unit driver (as Peter Balogh)
Neil Birdsall ... driver: winnebego
Riccardo Cagnetta ... unit driver
Marcello Colaciello ... genny driver
Nicola Condelli ... driver: minibus
Massimiliano Di Meo ... unit driver
Davide Fadda ... driver: minibus
Alessio Faretra ... unit driver
Massimiliano Galante ... unit driver
Antonio Galise ... unit driver
Sergio Gobetto ... driver: camera car
Gábor Gonda ... unit driver (as Gabor Gonda)
Mihály Gáspár ... production driver
Mac MacLean ... driver: wardrobe truck (as Mac McLean)
Zoltán Magyar ... unit driver
Zoltán Makra ... unit driver (as Zoltan Makra)
Mauro Masotti ... driver
Pietro Masotti ... driver
Sándor Nagy ... unit driver
Sándor Nyéki ... unit driver (as Sandor Nyeki)
János Nádel ... unit driver (as Janos Nadel)
Tibor Papp ... unit driver
Istvan Pintye ... transportation coordinator
Carlo Quattrone ... unit driver
Paolo Racalbulto ... driver: grip truck
Simon Richards ... driver: props truck
Alessio Schenone ... unit driver
Luigi Schiavone ... unit driver
Maurizio Troso ... driver: minibus
Péter Veres ... unit driver

Additional Crew

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Zoltán Baráth ... extras coordinator (as Zoltán Barat)
Tessa Beazley ... production secretary
Réka Belsô ... assistant to director (as Reka Belsö)
Gabor Boda ... stand-in: Mr. Turturro
Bobe Bodzsar ... assistant accountant (as Erzsebet Bodzsar)
Clara Collati ... production secretary
Giovanni Constantino ... paramedic
Alessandro Cosma ... unit caterer
Gabriella Csoma ... production coordinator
Tommaso Dabala ... production assistant
Marco Dandola ... production assistant (as Marco B Dandola)
Filippo De Martin ... floor runner
Domenico Di Parigi ... extras coordinator
Lorenzo Donegana ... stand-in: Mr. Turturro
Péter Dr. Hertzka ... unit doctor
Judit Dégi ... interpreter
Sándor Dénes ... extras coordinator (as Sandor Denes)
Stephanie Eatwell ... design assistant supervisor
Viktoria Elek ... stand-in: Ms. Watson
Elizabeth Every ... tutor: Alexander Hunting
Roberta Facchettin ... assistant accountant
Ron Forder ... assistant production accountant
Bela Frey ... shipping agent
Sean Gaji ... assistant to director
Theodore Goddard ... legal services
Mate Gyori ... stand-in: Master Hunting
István Havlik ... additional stand-in (as Istvan Havlik)
Susan Hunting ... chaperone
Ildiko Kemeny ... production associate (as Ildiko Kemény)
Ray Kenny ... floor runner
Iren Kertesz ... production secretary (as Irén Kertiesz)
Tamás Kertész ... assistant extras coordinator (as Tamas Kertesz)
Barnabas Kiraly ... floor runner
Brigitta Kosztandi ... production accountant
Pierro Loy ... dance instructor
Charles McDonald ... publicist (as Charles Macdonald)
Harry Naylor ... projectionist
Chiara Orefice ... stand-in: Ms. Watson
Rita Pilinyi ... production assistant
Jo Pond ... production accountant
Sara Rossini ... floor runner
Fabiano Rubeo ... assistant accountant
Gregor Schimdinger ... tennis coach
Jean Simmons ... computer operator
Diego Somigliana ... assistant extras coordinator
John Speelman ... chess consultant
Paul Swann ... laboratory contact
Gábor Szabó ... furniture maker
Judit Sági ... interpreter
Nathalie Tanner ... production coordinator
Daniele Tiberi ... production accountant (as Daniele Tiberi)
Anita Tomaselli ... production coordinator
Micol Tummino ... accounts runner
Mónika Varga ... unit nurse (as Monika Varga)
Béla Vaszary ... unit doctor (as Dr. Béla Vaszary)
Mario Vianello ... unit caterer
Claudia Kalindjian ... unit publicist (uncredited)
Rita Pilinyi ... assistant accountant (uncredited)

Thanks

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Jonathan Berger ... special thanks
Anthony Davies ... special thanks
Michael Freundlich ... special thanks
Thomas Gardiner ... special thanks
Dominique Green ... special thanks
Sophie Janson ... special thanks
Simon McBurney ... special thanks
József Romvári ... special thanks (as Romváry József)
Anne Sheehan ... special thanks
Evelyne Tissier ... special thanks
Maria Uitdehaag ... special thanks
Crew verified as complete

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

Set in the late 1920s, "The Luzhin Defence" tells the story of a shambling, unworldly chess Grand Master who arrives in the Italian Lakes to play the match of his life and unexpectedly finds the love of his life. Luzhin's lyrical passion for chess, for which he discovered his prodigious talent during a boyhood shadowed by his parents' failing marriage, has become his refuge and rendered the real world a phantom. Already matched up by her family to the very suitable Comte de Stassard, when Natalia meets Luzhin, she is drawn to the erratic genius and offers him a glimpse of life outside of his chess obsession. But it is a world he is not equipped to deal with and his two worlds tragically collide. Written by Anonymous

Plot Keywords
Taglines His love dictates every move. See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • La défense Loujine (France)
  • The Luzhin Defense (United States)
  • Lushins Verteidigung (Germany)
  • La defensa Luzhin (Spain, Catalan title)
  • La defensa Luzhin (Spain)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 109 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Did You Know?

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Trivia The dramatic draw that takes place halfway through the film follows the obscure game Macht-Weenink 1930. The scene begins as Luzhin's opponent is in a losing position. Knowing he is ahead but with pressure mounting, Luzhin makes the amateur-grade blunder from the original game. He loses his knight for nothing. Having blown his chance to win, Luzhin forces a draw. See more »
Goofs In his game as white against an unnamed opponent before the final, Luzhin is shown supposedly checkmating with Rd1-d8, which is an illegal move because his rook at d1 is pinned against his king on h1 by black's rook at c1. See more »
Movie Connections Featured in Driven/The Golden Bowl/61*/One Night at McCool's/The Luzhin Defence (2001). See more »
Soundtracks Jazz Suite No. 2: VI. Waltz 2 See more »
Quotes Aleksandr Ivanovich Luzhin: There's a pattern emerging, a definite pattern. Not Turati. I repeat that game. I've beaten him. And his moves are repeated, repeated, repeated moves. I must keep track... of every second. Every second I must keep track of, every second.
Natalia Katkov: It sounds like such a lonely battle.
See more »

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