THE CHESSPLAYER

Spain, 2017, 98 minutes, Colour.

Marc Clotet, Melina Matthews, Alejo Sauras, Lionel Auguste, Stefan Weinert, Mike Hoffman.

Directed by Luis Oliveras.

The Chessplayer offers a different perspective on World War II. The director has said that it is a film not about war, not about chess, but about human beings. In fact, it combines all three elements.

The film opens in 1934 with a chess match, the emergence of a Spanish champion, Diego. A French journalist is observing the game, not understanding it, but attracted to Diego when she interviews him. They marry, begin a family. They lived through the period of the Spanish Civil War.

But, as the years pass, they take refuge in Paris, especially helped by the wealthy Pierre. The family is successful in Paris but, when the war breaks out, Diego is arrested and charged with being a spy.

What follows is harrowing for Diego but also harrowing for the audience as we watch Diego’s plight, the treatment in prison, the interrogations, the humiliation, the false accusations, encounters with other prisoners, executions, torture.

However, he experiences some respite when the German commander is enthusiastic about chess and asks to play with Diego, surprised at his skills, playing, learning from him, and this taking place over a number of years. The commander has urged Diego to write to his wife every month but there are no replies.

And the film continues sad with the end of the war, the retreat of the Germans, Diego free, gradually returning to his family, his wife thinking him dead now married to Pierre. Audiences have been identifying with Diego throughout the film but, especially here, difficulties of travelling to find his family, the encounter with his wife, with his child, some evocative memories within her of the past and his teaching her chess. And, an open ended finale.

A compassionate war film to be recommended.

1. A World War II film? Spanish perspective? French perspective? German perspective?
2. Political perspectives, torts the Spanish Civil War, the Franco regime, Germany in World War II, the invasion of France, occupation of Paris? Resistance groups? Spies?
3. The designation of times, Spain during the Civil War, in the aftermath, free France, occupied France, the years passing in the prison? The liberation of France?
4. The focus on chess, audience interest in chess, knowledge, the range of games, moves, explanations of theories? The opening of the film, Diego and the match against the champion, his reticence, doubts about his winning, Javier and encountering Marianne, his confidence, her work as a journalist, thinking she had made a mistake? Diego and his victory, the reaction of the champion?
5. Javier arranging the meeting with Marianne, the bonds between them, falling in love, the marriage, the birth of their daughter?
6. Diego, his personality, quiet, a good man, memories of his father and his encouraging his chess playing, his abilities with the game? Marianne, her personality, French, settling in Spain? Her desire to go back to France, the connection with Pierre, Diego discovering her letter in the drawer?
7. The move to France, Marianne and friendship with Pierre, her work? Diego and the time with his daughter, introducing her to chess, explanations of the murders? Chess pieces?
8. Diego, calm and loving, taking his daughter out, seeing Marianne with Pierre, her initial lying, her explanation of the truth? The effect on him?
9. The arrival of the police, his arrest, no explanations, the rough treatment, stripped, searched, in the cell? His bewilderment? Accused of espionage? The others in the cell, his talking with role, roles that his back story? Support of Diego, building the chessboard, the pieces, the authorities smashing them? Life in the cell, dismal, the names of the prisoners called out, their being taken to execution?
10. Marianne, going to Pierre, the plea with the Minister, the promise of Diego is being freed, Marianne keeping vigil, is not coming out? Her going to the official, the confrontation, her being told that Diego was dead, executed? Her sadness, her distance from Pierre, the meetings, his friend home and shelter? Her waiting?
11. Diego, called out, the rough treatment of the German guards, brutality, mockery, laughing at their brutal treatment of people? Is not going to execution, is guided to see the commander?
12. The interrogation, his saying that he was a chess player, that being considered not a job, warehouse supervisor instead? But the commander interested in the chess, the initial game, his being seated, Diego standing, the moves, the commander thinking had been defeated, Diego causing him to hesitate, the return, the finale of the game?
13. Diego going back to his cell, talking with role, their working together? Then rolls disappearance? Diego, summoned to the commander, the various games, the change of clothes, the guards top told not to be brutal, better clothes? The scene of their gleefully hosing him down? A different cell? Diego and the calling out of the names of the men, his passing and watching the firing squad?
14. The years passing, the chess games, Diego’s request to write to his wife, the monthly letters, the irony of the commander not sending them out, giving Diego back the cash of letters?
15. The revelation that Pierre had betrayed him?
16. The Allied invasion, the Germans moving out, the commander letting Diego go, shooting himself, Diego in the street, the brutal German guards, looking at him, their departing?
17. Diego wandering, going back to his home, the neighbour giving him the information about his wife, the address, Bordeaux? His walking, the encounter with the Vineyard owner, the lift, the directions to the house?
18. Marianne, her amazement, her being married to Pierre, for two years, helping Diego, the bath, the food, his meeting his daughter, her not recognising him? His accepting Pierre and the marriage? Access to his daughter? The scene with his daughter, the chess piece, her initially thinking him a bigger, his shave, and the final touch in the moving moment her saying that she remembered him?
19. Diego as a man of integrity, the issue is religion, Catholic, not practising, the commander and the discussion about atheism, whether God had abandoned Diego – but, in fact, God not abandoning him, but saving him throughout the war?