Product Details

• Actors: John Turturro, Emily Watson, Geraldine James, Stuart Wilson, Christopher Thompson
• Directors: Marleen Gorris
• Writers: Peter Berry, Vladimir Nabokov
• Producers: Andrew Warren, Caroline Wood, Eric Robison, Jody Allen, Leo Pescarolo
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Language: English, Italian
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Sony Pictures
• VHS Release Date: February 26, 2002
• Run Time: 109 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00005NBAY
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #269,662 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

From The New Yorker

After the stream-of-consciousness rigors of Virginia Woolf's "Mrs. Dalloway," the director Marleen Gorris tackles the endgames and head games of Vladimir Nabokov's chess novel. John Turturro plays the titular Russian prodigy, and he gives his emotionally catatonic character a slouchy, innocent physical charm. As the countess who loves Luzhin, Emily Watson is all eyes and smiles. Together, the two actors combine for a few clever gambits, but it's mostly a muted affair. -Michael Agger
Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE MADNESS OF OBSESSION - THE REDEMPTION OF LOVE, August 10, 2001

By 

Gail Cooke (TX, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Luzhin Defence [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Confession time up front: I'm a Turturro fan. This intense, versatile actor has won me several times, most notably with "Barton Fink" (1991) and "Quiz Show" (1994). "The Luzhin Defence" simply corroborates past good judgment.

Inspired by Vladlimir Nabokov's 1930s novel "The Defense," this is the story of Alexandre Luzhin (Turturro), an eccentric, preoccupied chess genius whose miserable childhood has left him bereft of what we might think of as normal relational skills. So engrossed is he in the game that he is incapable of carrying on a conversation or tending to life's everyday tasks.

As a child of privilege in early 20th century St. Petersburg (we learn in flashbacks) he was gifted with a chess set by a beautiful aunt who was having a not very hidden affair with his father. To say that the child takes to the game is an understatement - he buries himself in it and soon becomes known as a child prodigy.

After the death of his mother, Luzhin's father easily hands him over to Valentinov, a school master (Stuart Wilson) who promises to nurture the boy and tutor him in the ways of the chess world. Instead, the reptilian Valentinov deserts Luzhin and pops into his life again some years later when as an adult Luzhin is participating in a major chess tournament held at a luxurious resort on Italy's Lake Como. While villains can be difficult to portray, it seemed that at any moment Valentinov would mumble "heh, heh, heh," and twirl his moustache. His evil doings were as predictable as his take on the role.

Nonetheless, it is at this tournament that Luzhin sets eyes on the luscious Russian expatriate Natalia Katkov (Emily Watson). He is smitten, and so is she. The maneuvering of her social climbing mother to pair Natalia with a handsome young French count (Christopher Thompson) come to naught. While some may wonder what Natalia sees in the bumbling, outre Luzhin, suspend rationales and enjoy their blossoming relationship as she brings love into his life for the first time. Watson is luminous in this role, and Turturro gives a star turn as the tortured virtuoso. Fabio Sartor is perfection as Luzhin's opponent for the chess championship.

With lush scenery and elegant period costuming the film, as directed by Marleen Gorris, offers thoughtful insight into the madness of obsession and the redemptive power of love.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love, Life, Chess...and......Obsession!, January 1, 2004

By 

L. Shirley "Laurie's Boomer Views" (Huntington Beach,CA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Luzhin Defence (DVD)

This review refers to the Columbia/TriStar DVD edition of "The Luzhin Defence"......

I'm not sure how I missed this little gem the last few years, but I'm glad I finally found it. I was browsing through the mark downs at my local video store and this one practically had flashing red lights. It is directed by Marleen Gorris, who I knew had directed another of my favorites("Antonia's Line") and to boot it starred two brillant actors...John Turturro and Emily Watson. It had to be worth a try....and well worth it, it was!

It's a deep and complex story, with characters that will draw you in with their every word and action. John Turturro is Alexander Luzhin. An eccentric but brillant chess player, who life consists of nothing else. He is called "The Maestro", by others in his circle, admired for his genius and expert abilities. He lives, thinks, breathes, even sleeps, nothing else. Basically he has been obsessed, since the age of ten.That is until the wonderful Natalia(Watson), turns his thoughts to love and marriage.In a very short time, she seems to be the one who understands him, and cares deeply and is able to introduce him to the wonders of life outside of the chess world.

They will be married as soon as he wins the most prestigious match in Italy. But life takes another turn for Luzhin, when a mysterious man from his past turns up and is out to destroy him. The storyline becomes one of intrigue as this real life chess match becomes more serious with each move.

Miss Gorris engages us from start to finish.The love scenes are beautiful and touching, the mystery captivating, and the characters are very real. The ending was totally unexpected and took my breath away. Turturro is nothing less than brillant in his portrayal of this eccentirc, complex being. Emily Watson shines as the woman he finds solace with. Together they have a magnificent chemstry.Two others I must mention are Alexander Hunting, who's performance as the young Luzhin was remarkable and Alexandre Desplat who adds beautiful music to go along with this beautiful story.

The DVD is very nice. Excellent pictue in Widescreen(1.85:1), rich colors and fabulous sound in DD5.1(you also have the choice of 2-channel Dolby surround)..follow the chess pieces through the menu to choose. Features include Dircetors commentary, a making of featurette(there wasn't much to this), some theatrical trailers and has subtitles in French, English and Spanish for those needing them.

This is a definate keeper. One I will probably view often, maybe even to the point of obsession!...enjoy....Laurie

19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Magnificent, May 18, 2001

By 

Anna Otto (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Nabokov's tale of chess, love, and madness might have been challenging to bring to the big screen canvass, but apparently not so for Marlin Gorris. The chess figures come to life, the city hall where the chess championship is being played for. It seems a struggle between life and death itself for Alexander Luzhin, a Russian virtuoso whose life basically divides into three parts: the brief childhood before chess, then a long life after he learned to play, and finally a moment when he came to the resort in Italy and fell in love with his beautiful countrywoman, played here with gentleness and strength (a combination that only she could pull off) by Emily Watson. John Turturro and she share a chemistry that is hard not to sympathize with, and their plight to survive what seems an increasingly high-stakes game is admirable.

Luzhin is obsessed with chess to the point approaching insanity; we see flashes of his childhood and youth that perhaps led to his rapidly worsening condition. He is a strange figure, eccentric and lovable. It's no surprise that Nataliya feels the need to rescue him from himself - he can barely take care of his clothes or health, spending most of his time rehearsing chess matches in his head and rarely aware of his surroundings. What doesn't help either of them is the appearance of a devious, jealous mentor from Alexander's past who feels the need to ruin his ex-prodigy's possible happiness or the first place in the tournament. Nataliya's family who is very much against this coupling is fun to watch - her mother and father provide some not so rare and very welcome moments of mirth in this sometimes dark film. Watching this story unfurl, one indeed comes to understand why behind every great man there stands a great woman.

Without disclosing the ending, I will simply say that it stays with the viewer, and the entire experience is profound and touching. The best movie about chess I've seen, the best movie based on Nabokov that I've seen, one of the best movies I've watched in a long time. Fantastic. I can't recommend it enough.