The Great Chess Movie
6.9
In this Gilles Carle feature documentary on the game of chess, the international chess match is cast as a classic Western shoot-out. Three chess greats dominate the film: Russia's Anatoly Karpov; Viktor Korchnoi, a Russian defector; and American Bobby Fischer. Chess aficionados Camille Coudari and Fernando Arrabal analyze the personalities and strategies of the players and comment on the interplay of politics and chess.
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Not streaming anywhere
Not on any streaming service in United States, and not available to rent.
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Cast
9 people
Pascal Rollin
Narrator (voice)
Known for
Savior
Anatoli Karpov
Self
Also in
Game Over: Kasparov and the Machine
Fool's Mate
Gilles Carle
Hélène Verrier
Viktor Kortchnoi
Self
Camille Coudari
Fernando Arrabal
Self
Also in
Avida
Who Are You, Polly Maggoo?
Boris Spassky
Self
Bobby Fischer
Self (archive footage)
Gilles Carle Director · Camille Coudari Director Thomas Vámos Cinematographer
Budget $347K · United States release April 6, 1983 · Produced in Canada
Box office
Budget
$347,000
Production
ONF | NFB
Production
Société Radio-Canada
Production
Radio Canada Productions
Production
Canada
Produced in
Languages
Original title
Jouer sa vie
Original language
French
Spoken on screen
French
Release dates
Canada · August 26, 1982
Premiere · Montreal World Film Festival
Canada · September 10, 1982
Limited theatrical · Complexe Desjardins, Montreal
United States · April 6, 1983
Limited theatrical · Film Forum, NYC - 80 mins.
United States
April 21, 1983 · Premiere · Baltimore Film Festival
Canada
September 16, 1982 · Premiere · Toronto Festival of Festivals (rescheduled from 9/10 due to a technical problem) - English premiere
Germany
February 24, 1983 · Premiere · Berlin Film Festival
Sweden
February 4, 1984 · Göteborg Film Festival
More from Gilles Carle
Other films they directed, best known first.
Some details come from TheTVDB.