Based on the novel THE DEFENSE by Vladimir Nabokov, director Marleen Gorris's THE LUZHIN DEFENCE is set in Italy in the 1920s as the world reknowned chess master Alexander Luzhin (John Turturro) from St. Petersburg, Russia, arrives for a match with his only known rival. Almost immediately after he arrives, Luzhin meets a glowing, graceful aristocratic woman, Natalia (Emily Watson), who is attending the match with her mother. Surrounded by potential suitors, Natalia is busy behaving like a lady and presenting various young men to her mother for approval. However, she is curious about the slovenly, unconventional, quirky Luzhin from their first meeting, and she sees past his social ineptitude, believing him to be a true genius. Luzhin is utterly smitten, and practically forgets his determination to win the match when he proposes marriage to Natalia. From there, THE LUZHIN DEFENCE spirals downward as Natalia becomes a maternal figure to Luzhin, who is haunted by ghosts from his past and is nearly driven insane by the nagging, torturous pressure to figure out the one move (a flawless defense) that will allow him to win the chess match.
With beautiful imagery depicting the lavish Italian resort where the match is held, elegant costumes, and a triumphant, stirring classical score, THE LUZHIN DEFENCE is an evenly acted, well-paced film about love, intrigue, and going that extra mile.
Theatrical Release: APRIL 20, 2001 (NY/LA)
DVD Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Widescreen
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
Dolby Digital 2.0 - English
Additional Release Material:
Audio Commentary - 1. Marleen Gorris - Director
Trailers - 1. Original Theatrical
Featurette - 1. Making of THE LUZHIN DEFENCE
Deleted Scenes
Interactive Features:
Interactive Menus
Scene Selection
Text/Photo Galleries
Filmographies
Source Writer
Vladimir Nabokov: Novelist/Screenwriter
Review 1:
"...[An] elegant, tenderhearted film....A delicate fable about memory, devotion and the vulnerability of genius in a cruelly ordinary world..."
Source: New York Times
p.E10 04/20/2001
Review 2:
"...A surprisingly suspenseful movie....[A] smart film of small pleasures..."
Source: USA Today
p.8E 04/20/2001
Review 3:
"...[Watson] plays the girlfriend with generous wit and empathy..."
Source: Premiere
p.90 05/01/2001
Review 4:
"...The Italian settings are exquisite, the acting sublime....Turturro brushes against deeper mysteries as a spookily lost soul..."
Source: Entertainment Weekly
p.91 04/27/2001
Review 5:
"...[Watson], always a pleasure to watch, is wonderfully convincing....Carefully made, involving and old-fashioned..."
Source: Los Angeles Times
p.13 04/20/2001
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