Chess novella (film)
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| Original title | Chess novella |
 | |
| Country of production | Germany |
| original language | German |
| Publishing year | 1960 |
| length | 103 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Gerd Oswald |
| script | Harold Medford , Gerd Oswald, Herbert Reinecker |
| production |
Roxy Film , Munich ( Luggi Waldleitner ) |
| music | Hans-Martin Majewski |
| camera | Günther Senftleben |
| cut | Klaus Eckstein |
| occupation | |
| |
Schachnovelle is a German fiction film from 1960 based on the chess novella by the Austrian writer Stefan Zweig .
action
The world chess champion Czentovic wants to travel to a big tournament by ship. But the ship is delayed because a mysterious, visibly frightened passenger is still expected, who is driven to the port by Bishop Ambrosse. During the cruise, the odd Czentovic is asked by passengers for a game of chess. Reluctantly, he agrees. For Czentovic's opponent the game threatens to be lost, but the mysterious passenger who happens to be present steps in and helps them to get a draw out of the game . Czentovic is amazed that he has never seen the stranger at a major tournament who, according to him, has just touched a chess piece for the first time in his life .
In a flashback, we learn the story of the mysterious passenger: It is the Austrian lawyer Werner von Basil who creates with the help of Bishop Ambrosse art treasures out of the country to protect them from the clutches of the Nazi rulers, who shortly beforehand annexed Austria had . Basil takes the bishop's warnings of the danger that threatens him calmly. At a society organized by Basil, the newly appointed Gestapo man Hans Berger puts his girlfriend, the ballet dancer Irene Andreny, on Basil to get information about the art treasures. When this didn't work, Berger had von Basil arrested that same evening. In order to break Basils will, Berger puts him in solitary confinement , in which Basil is isolated from the outside world. His personal belongings are taken from him, the only change in his daily routine is the silent guard (whom Basil soon calls " moon face ") who brings him the food. Berger comes under pressure, on the one hand by Irene, who feels neglected, and on the other hand by his superior Hartmann, as von Basil has not revealed any of his secrets even after more than six weeks. When von Basil pretends to be ready to talk and is brought for questioning, he manages to steal a book from a coat pocket. During the interrogation himself, von Basil Berger shows up and feels that the Irene present feels sympathy for him. Back in his room, Basil is disappointed to find that the book he stole is only about chess games. For lack of alternative occupations, he reads it anyway and plays the chess games described in the book with pieces of bread as chess pieces. But even when Berger discovers his secret and takes the book from him, von Basil is mentally playing chess against himself. After Irene asks Bishop Ambrosse for help, she appeals to Berger to release Basil, but Berger insults her. Since von Basil suffers a nervous breakdown but still does not speak, Hartmann now tries his own way.
When von Basil plays another game against Czentovic, he gets violent in a fit of madness against Czentovic because he wants to know how much he has got out of him. Irene joins them and can reassure Basil that he has not revealed anything. Irene was spared harassment; There was no longer any use for Berger, so he, von Basil, would ultimately have won against Berger. At Irene's appearance, Basil had woken up from his attack. He feels drawn to her, neglecting the chess game that is still going on. As Czentovic once more insists on finally pulling, von Basil turns around briefly as he leaves, makes a quick move, obviously not at all in the matter, without thinking further. He says "Matt!" and immediately leaves the room. Basil and Irene become a couple. The confused chess world champion who remains behind refuses to admit defeat and by pushing the pieces off the board, he denies mate, he would not have seen mate. After all, he admits to his vanished opponent that he played quite well for a dilettante.
synchronization
| role | actor | German dubbing voice |
|---|---|---|
| Irene Andreny | Claire Bloom | Edith Schneider |
| Mac Iver | Alan Gifford | Curt Ackermann |
| First Officer | Jan Hendriks | Rainer Brandt |
| Berger's secretary | Rijk de Gooyer | Rainer Brandt |
Production notes
The shooting took place from April 11th to May 14th 1960 in Vienna, Yugoslavia and Venice as well as in the Ufa-Ateliers Berlin-Tempelhof. It premiered on September 2, 1960 in the Forum Vienna.
Rudolf Teschner is mentioned in the opening credits under "Schachtechnischen Beratung" .
Reviews
The ambitious product was hardly noticed by the public or critics. The lexicon of the international film judges: “In terms of the topic gripping and initially of a strong impression, on closer inspection however only convincing in individual performances. In the end, nothing more than an effective parlor game. ” Norbert Grob assessed Schachnovelle as a not uncommon but thoroughly failed attempt by German producers to give their prestige films a more serious, more artistic expression at the beginning of the 1960s. However, none of these films had brought about a visual awakening, rather they had “a strangely staid surface realism”.
Others
After Irene Andreny leaves Herr von Basil, you briefly see a wall with various photos, from which Werner von Basil is removing Kurt Schuschnigg's picture . In addition to Schuschnigg's picture, there is also a photo of Stefan Zweig, the author of the “Schachnovelle”, on the wall.
When Czentovic says: “I would like to know why we haven't met before and where else you have played,” replies von Basil: “Nowhere. I've never played at all. That knight I just pulled against you was the first piece I touched in my entire life. ”He takes the piece and drops it on the empty board. But it is not a knight, but a white pawn.
Web links
- Schachnovelle in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Chess novella at filmportal.de
Individual evidence
- ↑ Schachnovelle in the German synchronous card index
- ↑ Chess Novel. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed March 2, 2017 .
- ^ History of German Film , edited by Wolfgang Jacobsen, Anton Kaes and Hans Helmut Prinzler, 2nd edition, JB Metzler, Stuttgart, Weimar 2004, pp. 209 f.