Dangerous Moves
| Dangerous Moves | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Richard Dembo |
| Written by | Richard Dembo |
| Produced by | Arthur Cohn Martine Marignac |
| Starring | Michel Piccoli Alexandre Arbatt Liv Ullmann |
| Cinematography | Raoul Coutard |
| Edited by | Agnès Guillemot |
| Music by | Gabriel Yared |
| Distributed by | Gaumont |
Release date |
|
Running time | 110 minutes |
| Countries | France Switzerland |
| Language | French |
| Box office | $2.5 million[1] |
Dangerous Moves (French: La Diagonale du fou) is a 1984 French-language film about chess, directed by Richard Dembo, produced by Arthur Cohn, starring Michel Piccoli, Alexandre Arbatt, as well as Liv Ullmann, Leslie Caron, and Bernhard Wicki in prominent supporting roles.
Its original French title is La diagonale du fou ("The Fool's Diagonal", referring to the chess piece called the bishop in English but the fool in French). The film was a co-production between companies in France and Switzerland. It tells the story of two very different men competing in the final match of the World Chess Championship. One is a 52-year-old Soviet Jew who holds the title, and the other is a 35-year-old genius who defected to the West several years earlier.
Cast[edit]
- Michel Piccoli as Akiva Liebskind
- Alexandre Arbatt as Pavius Fromm
- Liv Ullmann as Marina Fromm
- Leslie Caron as Henia Liebskind
- Wojciech Pszoniak as Felton, Fromm's team
- Jean-Hugues Anglade as Miller, Fromm's team
- Daniel Olbrychski as Tac-Tac, Liebskind's friend
- Hubert Saint-Macary as Foldes
- Michel Aumont as Kerossian, Liebskind's friend
- Pierre Michaël as Yachvili
- Serge Avedikian as Fadenko
- Pierre Vial as Anton Heller
- Bernhard Wicki as Puhl, arbiter
- Jacques Boudet as Stuffli
- Benoît Régent as Barabal
Awards[edit]
The film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1984;[2] it was submitted by the Swiss government, and gave that nation its first Oscar win. It also won the Louis Delluc Prize, the Prix de l'Académie du Cinéma and the César Award for Best Debut.
Soundtrack[edit]
The CD soundtrack composed by Gabriel Yared is available on Music Box Records label (website).
See also[edit]
- List of submissions to the 57th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
- List of Swiss submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
References[edit]
- ^ "La Diagonale du fou (1984) - JPBox-Office".
- ^ "The 57th Academy Awards (1985) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved 2013-10-30.
External links[edit]
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- 1984 films
- French thriller drama films
- Swiss thriller drama films
- 1980s French-language films
- Films about chess
- Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award winners
- Chess in France
- 1984 in chess
- Cold War films
- Films scored by Gabriel Yared
- Gaumont Film Company films
- Louis Delluc Prize winners
- Best First Feature Film César Award winners
- 1984 directorial debut films
- French-language Swiss films
- 1980s French films
- 1980s French film stubs
- Swiss film stubs