Searching for Bobby Fischer - Underrated Classic

Cinematography by the great Conrad L. Hall.

The greatest thing about films of this era of the early 90s was that all the great photographers from the 60s and 70s were all mostly still alive and working, but had decades of knowledge
and expertise under their belts and the budgets to go along with it.

Amazing movie. I’ve actually watched it a couple times in the last several months, as recently as two weeks ago. Great, great movie.

Even my three year old was paying attention to it at times.

I remember our GT teacher took us to see this on a field trip when it came out. We had been learning about chess for a few weeks leading up to it.

quote:

---

Cinematography by the great Conrad L. Hall.

---

Now that you mention it, I couldn’t agree more. In the scene I mentioned above when he beats his dad, the visuals were amazing. Starting when he threw the phone books off the chair leaned in and said “Your move” to when he is playing with his sister, talking on the phone between moves and then when he beat him just was awesome.

The phone scene with the swinging door where he puts the phone down runs thru the door so it’s starts swinging so it blocks your view for a second then next second you see him move then blocks view again and next second he is back on the phone is great. Then the ending when he beats him making moves by yelling down from the bath tub was another level great. Mantenga yells back to him sayings it’s a knight not a horse and then says “ok” and tells the wife “He is going to lose his Queen” and she says something with a big smile like “You think huh??”. The last shot when Josh tells him it’s over and the shot pans to the board and you see the checkmate was just so awesome.

That’s all just one scene of many very similar to that. The final scene is on the same level of greatness.

I’m just going to top it off at the end when he is walking off with his buddy after the tournament who is like a year younger than him and he puts his arm around him bc he was a little dejected he lost and says “You know you were a much better player than I was at the same age”. If that moment doesn’t hit you in the feels something may be wrong with you.

quote:

---

They basically ignored many of Fisher's more charming qualities, but then, so did much of the chess world for most of his life. 

---

But the film wasn't about Fischer at all...

I will the antagonist kid angle was really well done as well (the actor was great as well). Basically they laid it out well in that Josh would’ve potentially turned out like the other kid if the dad/coach continued to push him

quote:

---

But the film wasn't about Fischer at all...

---

Aside from the running biography of him throughout the film, as well as several mentions of him by the characters and the fact that the film is named for him. Yeah, no connection whatsoever.

In my top 3 -all time.

Watched it the other day because of this thread for the first time in years.

Phenomenal movie.

The scene where Ben Kingsley finally gives him the award for Grandmaster, and he says "I've never been prouder of anyone in my life" is incredible.