Dangerous Moves

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.

Contents

• Cast
• Awards
• Soundtrack
• References

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

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

The film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1984; 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

The CD soundtrack composed by Gabriel Yared is available on Music Box Records label (website).