Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- melancholic
- wistful
- intimate
- quiet evening
- literary film night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the literary romantic drama atmospheric and well acted, while viewing its psychological treatment and adaptation as uneven.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Luzhin uses chess as an emotional refuge, and his devotion to the game increasingly conflicts with intimacy and ordinary life.
Luzhin's chess-centered perception makes the real world feel phantom-like as his inner and outer lives collide.
Natalia is matched by her family with the suitable Comte de Stassard before forming an attachment to Luzhin.
Luzhin's prodigious childhood talent is overshadowed by his parents' failing marriage and informs his later isolation.
Films like The Luzhin Defence, and why
The English Patient
shared literary romance, psychological fragility, and tragic emotional intensity
A Room with a View
shared period setting, romantic longing, and melancholy dramatic atmosphere
Shine
shared obsessive artistic genius, doomed romance, and adaptation of literary material
Movie Details
- Director
- Marleen Gorris
- Release Date
- 2000-08-21
- Runtime
- 109 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (49)
Cast
- John Turturro
- Emily Watson
- Geraldine James
- Stuart Wilson
- Fabio Sartor
- Peter Blythe
- Orla Brady
- Mark Tandy
- Kelly Hunter
- Antonio Carli
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Luzhin Defence about?
- A brilliant but emotionally unequipped chess master finds love in the Italian Lakes, only to see obsession and old wounds threaten the fragile world he has built.
- What is The Luzhin Defence like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Luzhin Defence as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Luzhin Defence violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Luzhin Defence.
- What did critics think of The Luzhin Defence?
- Critics broadly found the literary romantic drama atmospheric and well acted, while viewing its psychological treatment and adaptation as uneven.
- Which films are like The Luzhin Defence?
- Films with a similar feel include The English Patient, A Room with a View, and Shine.
- How long is The Luzhin Defence?
- The Luzhin Defence runs 109 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Luzhin Defence?
- In United States, The Luzhin Defence is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
