Dangerous Moves Reviews

This ingenious thriller takes place in the world of chess championships, using the politically neutral Geneva, Switzerland, as its backdrop. The reigning world chess champion, Michel Piccoli, is the pride of the Soviet Union, but his weak heart may mean the end of his reign. His competitor is Alexandre Arbatt, a rebellious young Soviet exile. As the championship begins, Arbatt attempts to disrupt the proceedings, and thereby Piccoli's concentration, by arriving late for his first move. His habitual tardiness and basic contempt for regulations force Piccoli to register a formal complaint with the jury. When Piccoli threatens to withdraw, Arbatt buckles under and writes a formal apology rather than lose his chance to defeat the champion. As a result of their moves away from the chess board, both men begin to deteriorate--Piccoli physically, Arbatt mentally. The chess masters, however, are merely pawns in a larger political game involving the Soviet government and the West. Director Richard Dembo, in his debut feature, has contrasted skillfully the players' maneuvers with political power plays, yet he avoids pretension. Rather than concentrating too much on the chess matches themselves (a knowledge of chess is helpful in viewing DANGEROUS MOVES, but by no means a requirement), Dembo brings to the screen an emotional battle between two powerful personalities. He also receives support from a solid who's-who of European film, including actors Liv Ullmann, Leslie Caron, Bernhard Wicki, Daniel Olbrychski, and Jean-Hugues Anglade; cameraman Raoul Coutard; and editor Agnes Guillemot.