Game Over: Kasparov and the Machine
| Game Over: Kasparov and the Machine | |
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 Theatrical release poster |
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| Directed by | Vikram Jayanti |
| Produced by | Hal Vogel |
| Narrated by | Marc Ghannoum |
| Starring | Joel Benjamin Michael Greengard Anatoly Karpov Garry Kasparov Jeff Kisselhof |
| Music by | Robert Lane |
| Cinematography | Maryse Alberti |
| Editing by | David G. Hill |
| Distributed by | THINKFilm |
| Release date(s) | September 5, 2003 |
| Running time | 90 min |
| Country |  Canada United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Game Over: Kasparov and the Machine is a 2003 documentary film by Vikram Jayanti about the match between Garry Kasparov, the highest rated chess player in history and the World Champion for 15 years (1985–2000), and Deep Blue, a chess-playing computer created by IBM. It was coproduced by Alliance Atlantis and the National Film Board of Canada.
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[edit] Plot
Kasparov had beaten Deep Blue, a computer designed specifically to beat him, in a match played in 1996.[1] He agreed to offer a rematch the following year. Kasparov won the first game of the rematch easily with the white pieces.[1] In the second game, Kasparov was struggling with the black pieces, but set a trap that most computers fall for.[1] Deep Blue didn't fall for it and won to level the match, although Kasparov and Deep Blue both missed a perpetual check that could have given Kasparov a draw.[1] The next three matches ended in draws, with Kasparov appearing to weaken psychologically. Deep Blue went on to win the decisive sixth game, marking the first time in history that a computer defeated the World Champion in a match of several games.
From this experience, particularly the second game of the match, Kasparov accused IBM of cheating. He suspected that a human player was used during the games to improve the strategic strength of the computer. As a metaphor for this suspicion, the film weaves in the story of the Turk, a hoax involving a chess-playing automaton built in the eighteenth century, but secretly operated by human beings. The film also implies that Deep Blue's heavily promoted victory was a ploy by IBM to boost its market value.
[edit] Reception
Game Over: Kasparov and the Machine received mixed reviews from critics. Among the positive reviews, Lou Lumenick of the New York Post called Game Over a "solid documentary" that's "fairly suspenseful."[2] Dennis Lim of the Village Voice called Game Over a "gripping documentary."[3] Jami Bernard of the New York Daily News called it "a nail-biter."
Peter Hartlaub of the San Francisco Chronicle, however, called Game Over "a film with one big question and no visible attempt to find any answers."[4] Numerous reviewers criticized Game Over for being biased toward Kasparov and making accusations against IBM without presenting evidence for its claims, including Robert Koehler of Variety,[5] Kevin Crust of The Los Angeles Times,[6] Michael Booth of The Denver Post,[7] Liam Lacey of The Globe and Mail,[8] Janice Page of The Boston Globe,[1] and Ned Martel of The New York Times.[9]
The film was nominated for a 2003 International Documentary Association award.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e Page, Janice (January 14, 2005). "Showy moves don't go far in chess documentary 'Game Over'". Boston Globe. http://www.boston.com/movies/display?display=movie&id=7540. Retrieved July 23, 2011.
- ^ Review by Lou Lumenick, New York Post, December 3, 2004
- ^ Review by Dennis Lim, Village Voice, November 30, 2004
- ^ Review by Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle, February 11, 2005
- ^ Review by Robert Koehler, Variety
- ^ Review by Kevin Crust, Los Angeles Times
- ^ Review by Michael Booth, Denver Post, December 31, 2004
- ^ Review by Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail
- ^ Review by Ned Martel, New York Times, December 6, 2004
