Posted on 11/19/2020 1:31:18 PM PST by Kaslin
Netflix’s new limited series, “The Queen’s Gambit,” leads the site’s top ten most popular list for the third straight week since its late October premiere, making it one of the platform’s most-watched shows of 2020. This feat is all the more impressive considering the steep competition among streaming providers this year.
Adapted from Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel and brought to life by veteran screenwriters Scott Frank and Allan Scott, the mini-series depicts the unexpectedly cutthroat world of 1960s chess against the lavish backdrop of the Cold War era, when chess boards were just another arena in which rival nations competed for hegemony. “Gambit” shines brightest in Anya Taylor-Joy’s mesmerizing performance as enigmatic orphan Beth Harmon, a chess wunderkind who takes the male-dominated sport by storm as she blossoms from a peculiar teenage phenom into a beguiling, international superstar.
Throughout her rise, Beth fights addiction to little green “tranquilizer” pills first given to her by her Kentucky orphanage, which likely imitate the highly addictive benzodiazepines that were all the rage back then. Although these tablets give Beth a competitive edge by helping her remember complex moves and replay past games in her head, she abuses them into her adulthood to suppress childhood trauma.
Despite her character’s darkness, Taylor-Joy infuses a great deal of excitement and sex appeal through her portrayal of an older Beth who challenges the conventions of the chess world and even makes bedfellows with her formal rivals. Indeed, this display of personal autonomy, coupled with her character’s profound ambition, has led the press to laud the show for its feminist overtones that have sparked debates about sexism in sports.
While these are not without merit, as Beth does face obstacles due to her sex—at one point she’s told she is “too glamorous to be a serious chess player”—the show’s central theme lies in her struggle to overcome the tinge of madness that accompanies her genius.
Beth is first warned about this burden by the orphanage’s gruff janitor, Mr. Shaibel (Bill Camp), who teaches her the game. “You’ve got your gift and you’ve got what it costs,” he says, and across the seven episodes we learn just what that tradeoff is: Beth’s extraordinary intellect isolates those closest to her, driving her to the brink of self-destruction. It is only when she chooses to let people in that Beth curbs her dangerous obsessive impulses.
Beth’s relationship with her adoptive mother, Alma Wheatley, masterfully portrayed by Hollywood director Marielle Heller, is a highlight of the series that spotlights this theme. Shortly after the adoption, Alma’s husband abandons the family, throwing Alma into an alcoholic depression.
When Beth asks Alma if the orphanage will reclaim her since she no longer has a father, Alma suggests they lie, telling Beth: “Though I’m no longer a wife… I believe I can learn to be a mother.”
With this commitment, Alma becomes the first person in Beth’s life to stick by her. In return, Beth—no stranger to abandonment or addiction—accepts her new mother’s love and support. The affinity they develop for one another propels Beth forward in chess, with Alma acting as both agent and confidant until her untimely death at Beth’s first international tournament.
Left motherless for a second time while on the precipice of global fame, Beth grows more dependent on her tranquilizers as a young adult. From here the story shifts to her burgeoning obsession with defeating reigning champ Vasily Borgov, an austere Soviet twice her age.
In pursuit of that end, Beth accepts the guidance of fellow chess masters Harry Beltik and Benny Watts. Here “Gambit” introduces another major point: sometimes, even geniuses need help.
“You know why they’re the best players in the world?” Benny asks a reluctant Beth during practice, referring to the Soviets. “It’s because they play together as a team. They help each other out.”
Still Beth gets in her own way at her next showdown with Borgov in Paris, indulging in a pre-competition bender that sabotages her match the next morning. Humiliated, Beth retreats to Lexington and drinks herself into a prolonged stupor that lasts until childhood friend Jolene shows up at her door. As a black woman and fellow orphan, Jolene understands Beth’s isolation and pain as no one else does, and with some tough love she forces Beth to finally reckon with her troubled past.
“You’re like my guardian angel,” Beth tells her. Jolene gently rebuffs her: “I’m not here to save you,” she responds. “I’m here because you need me to be here. That’s what family does. That’s what we are.”
Jolene finances Beth’s last chance at redemption against Borgov at the preeminent Moscow Invitational, and it seems that this final act of service—taken with the efforts of Benny, Harry, and Alma before her—provides the antidote Beth needs to cast off her anguish and addiction once and for all. Knowing others are equally invested in her success, she discards her pills and soberly defeats her Russian rival, integrity intact.
With its tidy ending, “Gambit” feels almost like a fairy tale. But unlike Cinderella, there’s no glass slipper, no magic element responsible for Beth’s triumph. There is only her ragtag troupe of friends and former adversaries who show her a genuine love that empowers her to surpass what she can accomplish alone. For a coming-of-age story, what could be more enchanting than that?
It was really good.
Too bad it was fiction.
I'm a retired chip-maker...started up with National Semiconductor in Santa Clara in 1967. Worked at TI during the time of this movie...even made the SBP9900 chip that was used in the 99/4 computer (world's first home computer) as talked about in the movie. I quit TI at age 50 in 1995...and, haven't worked since. I liked the chess movie.
My son is a physicist and he said the best thing I ever did to further his education was buy him two 99/4a computers back then. I remember when he was in HS, his teachers often callled him for help with their new computers. so....I relate to the movie even the geography, SF bay area and the Dallas/Austin area minus the homosexuals.
Do you know that the chip was invented by Jack Kilby of TI in Houston, Texas.
They only touch on it a bit, noting that there is a female chess champion in Russia who actually is quite good, but that they NEVER get to play in the male tournaments.
It is a fascinating question as to why women are not drawn to chess the way men were. Nowadays I’m not sure who is drawn to chess anymore, I kind of lost interest in the international scene after my mid-20s.
I remember watching tournaments on PBS, with the commentators going over every move. Then I just didn’t anymore, and I apparently didn’t really try to teach my kids anything either.
Not that I was any good at it, I played on my chess team in high school, but was the 7th best player in school (got to compete because we had two teams), and only managed to win one match against a rated player, who clearly screwed up because I was no match for him.
First it is based on a true story.
Lastly, better late than never that this article comes out as the series has been out for some time now. The author should work for FOX NEWS. Last to come out with an article long after the story has died down. I don’t even think Queen’s Gambit is ranking anymore on Netflix it has been out that long.
It is great.
Another great movie is “Spare Parts”. Either Netflix or Amazon Prime.
Apparently, all of the Netflix games have been based on real games played in past years by international grandmasters.
I just watched the analysis of last game played on the Netflix series - where the woman beats the fictional male world chess champion.
The woman plays the Queen's Gambit opening, which I have played for many years, so I found the game especially interesting.
The Netflix game is based on a real game played in 1993, which actually ended in a forced perpetual check draw.
The movie producers apparently loaded the game into one of the amazing chess engines (Alpha Zero?) and figured out how the woman could win.
The game is really interesting - part chess history, part chess engine.
Here is the link to the analysis if you would like to watch it:
More people than ever are playing chess now thanks to Al Gore's invention...;)
You’re not supposed to ask that question. In fact you’re not supposed to even notice.
Yeah, got it...but it's kind of hard not to notice isn't it?
I suspect it (male dominance in chess) has something to do with fundamental differences in how our brains work.
Interestingly, a group used a 'Functional MRI' (FMRI) to study a female chess prodigy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wzs33wvr9E
Watching the show now. Absolutely loving it. I’ll come back and read the article when I’m finished, probably tonight.
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