Wow, this was great. Now, a brief introduction to my review: I play a lot of chess. I'm not very good, but I know the history of chess very well, and I was already very familiar with Judit Polgar's story. I think most people can relate to the fact that knowing what's going to be in a film often leads to higher expectations and, therefore, greater disappointment. That wasn't the case here.
Without repeating the story, which was brilliantly told in this documentary, I will say that they managed to narrate it in a very well-crafted way, with a good balance between narration and individual perspectives (which is what a good documentary should have). There was a very appropriate combination of old photos, old videos, modern interviews, and subtle reenactments at certain points. Definitely a documentary that people should study to learn how to make one that stands out.
Director: Rory Kennedy
Writers: Mark Bailey, Keven McAlester
Stars: Tatev Abrahamyam, Harut Akopyan, Garry Kasparov
I think the first half (45 minutes) was almost perfect. It set things up properly and managed to develop the key points of the story naturally, making Judit's victories feel well-deserved. The second half was also good, but the pacing stalled a bit. While the first half covered Judit's many achievements, the second focused mainly on her matches against Garry Kasparov, where her accelerated progress slowed down. I understand that this is probably how Judit felt, and it's a good way for the audience to empathize. I think a better way to handle this change of pace would have been to talk more about her opponents or the challenges during her childhood.
Okay, I don't know who edited this documentary, but if they don't have an Emmy, I'll find whoever is responsible for not giving them one. The editing is the real star of the show. It keeps everything flowing very well and gives the documentary fantastic energy, allowing even non-chess players to become engaged. The way the music was integrated into this documentary was almost flawless, mixing modern music with classical music. It truly gives the feeling that someone was sent back in time to take photos and videos, that's how perfect many of the images and videos look.
I've come across many stories about strong women that I find exaggerated, but this one does a pretty decent job of telling a story of overcoming adversity. For those who want even more context on how impressive Judit Polgar's achievements in chess are, know that only six women have ever surpassed the 2600 ELO rating in classical chess, and Judit is the only one to surpass 2700 (her peak rating was 2735).
I'm fairly certain Judit is the only woman to have beaten a world champion in an official classical game since chess games have been recorded. She's the only woman to have ever entered the FIDE top 10. Even after her retirement from competitive play, chess is still considered by many a male-dominated sport, and the highest-rated woman currently sits at number 123 on the FIDE website at the time of this writing. And she accomplished all of this through sheer hard work and dedication, bravely venturing into a field that presented significant prejudice against female players at the elite level. Her achievements cannot be ignored, and I'm very glad this documentary did them justice. I will definitely watch it again when it becomes available on Netflix.
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