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The Queen’s Gambit (a 7-episode limited series on Netflix) is an enthralling look at the sometimes fuzzy line between genius and demons, in this story about an orphan girl who becomes a world-class chess prodigy during the 1960s. A series of other chess champions are the nominal antagonists, but the real antagonist is the protagonist herself and her self-destructive impulses rooted in her troubled childhood. Anya Taylor-Joy’s brilliant performance brings Beth Harmon to life, conveying her guarded character as much with looks and movement and tone as words. (I first became acquainted with Taylor-Joy last year in her charming performance in Emma.) The American 1950s/1960s are vividly rendered in costume, color, sets, style, and speech, which really enhances the production. There’s a Cold War undercurrent throughout, with the Soviets being the chess world superpower of that time period, and the US State Department and various organizations interested in helping Beth succeed as a show of American superiority. And yet that whole trope is a clever contrast to an underlying theme of the limits of individualism: Beth can succeed if only she can find people who will support her and if she can learn to trust them. Like a great chess game, I really wanted to see how this story played out, and like a great chess game, I could watch it all over again right now to see how the early moves built to the ending.
Thoughts on politics (neither left nor right but upward), film, food, books, homosexuality, religion, technology, theatre, travel, adventures, genealogy, love, virtue, and whatnot.
Tuesday, March 09, 2021
SCREEN: The Queen's Gambit
The Queen’s Gambit (a 7-episode limited series on Netflix) is an enthralling look at the sometimes fuzzy line between genius and demons, in this story about an orphan girl who becomes a world-class chess prodigy during the 1960s. A series of other chess champions are the nominal antagonists, but the real antagonist is the protagonist herself and her self-destructive impulses rooted in her troubled childhood. Anya Taylor-Joy’s brilliant performance brings Beth Harmon to life, conveying her guarded character as much with looks and movement and tone as words. (I first became acquainted with Taylor-Joy last year in her charming performance in Emma.) The American 1950s/1960s are vividly rendered in costume, color, sets, style, and speech, which really enhances the production. There’s a Cold War undercurrent throughout, with the Soviets being the chess world superpower of that time period, and the US State Department and various organizations interested in helping Beth succeed as a show of American superiority. And yet that whole trope is a clever contrast to an underlying theme of the limits of individualism: Beth can succeed if only she can find people who will support her and if she can learn to trust them. Like a great chess game, I really wanted to see how this story played out, and like a great chess game, I could watch it all over again right now to see how the early moves built to the ending.