Netflix has ascended in 2020 by making a true work of art. Literally everything about the Netflix show The Queen’s Gambit is perfection (Well, minus the whole Nona Gapridashvili situation). Who would know a show about chess would become Netflix’s number one show for quite a bit.
Beth Harmon
First and foremost, what made the show great was Beth Harmon. Who is Beth Harmon really? A child prodigy who’s basically Bobby Fischer’s story retold? A person who have ascended through hardships but then still struggles mightily even when at the top? A feminist icon who broke through in a game dominated by men? Once the audience begins to ask these kind of questions, you know you have sculpted a great character.
There is just so much depth when we think of Beth Harmon as a character, and that characterizaton was helped tremendously by Anya Taylor-Joy’s superb acting.
Side Characters
The side characters were also greatly entertaining and all had distinct personalities. Townes was handsomely charming. Benny had a admirable and smug confidence. Beltik came across as genuine and caring.
Then there were the Russian grandmasters. The old Luchenko was a warm presence. His presence and conversation with Beth after the game seemed to be a culmination of Beth’s career. From studying the games of someone you admire to playing against them and even beating them must be an honor. Even Borgov, someone professed as the “antagonist” of the show, was graceful in defeat.
In my opinion, Borgov was not the antagonist. The true conflict of the show was Beth overcoming her own struggles.
Music
Classy and climactic are the two words best used to describe the music in Queen’s Gambit. The orchestral main theme fit very well with a classic game like chess. I also love Beth’s theme. If I had to descrbe it, I think it is a theme that mixed suspense with hope very well. “The Final Game” set the stage for the showdown against Borgov perfectly. The victory theme “Take It, It’s Yours” sounded truly triumphant when played after Beth’s win to secure the World Championship.
Cinematography
The shots are extremely creative. The most famous example probably being the chess board appearing on the ceiling whenever Beth looks up. It represented both her hallucinations and brilliance, and I thought that was really well done. The production design was also high quality and along with the shots gave the series a nice retro feel.
Chess
The chess games that had been created for the show were absolutely fantastic. Too often movies would neglect creating quality scenarios of the niche it’s based on. In Queen’s Gambit’s case, the chess games were very well done. The scene where Beth played Townes was one that comes to mind. She managed to trap Townes’ rook on an open board. It was not easy to see and not a basic tactic that many early beginner level players can find. Then the final sequence against Borgov was spectacular, and truly grandmaster level play.
Plot
The plot was not actually a convoluted one. It seemed like a majority of the focus went into creating depth for each of the characters. The plot itself can be boiled down to a classic rise to stardom against the odds type of story. Looking at it loosely, we can compare it to a typical sports movie story. An athlete, with tremendous talent and from an impoverished background, manages to find a second chance. The fast track rise to stardom seem to be going well, and then a major setback happens. (Injury in many cases, and alcoholic and drug abuse in Beth’s case, which, in a way, is a mental injury.) He or she manage to recover from it and reach the apex.
The formula was a familiar one, but this take, and with the added dimension of a woman dominating a field largely populated by men, made it a fresh one.
Creator’s Notes
The Netflix mini-documentary “Creating Queen’s Gambit” is a great watch. From the get go, the creators say, “It’s not about chess, it’s about the cost of genius.” They also mention the main antagonist of the story is Beth herself, which made the story so interesting. One other thing that the documentary mentions is the scene where Beth steals the pills on how it’s as funny as it’s harrowing. Overall, it shows that a lot of detail-oriented individuals have worked on shaping Beth Harmon and the show itself, which made it fantastic. The Netflix show The Queen’s Gambit was a smashing success and became a classic, capturing Emmy nominatons and awards, and a 8.6/10 on IMDb.