Were the clips played throughout Pawn Sacrifice actual footage?

Were the clips played throughout Pawn Sacrifice actual footage? - Focus Photo of 4 Wooden Pawn Figurine

I recently watched the movie Pawn Sacrifice and noticed that throughout the movie they would cut the scene to play "vintage" looking clips of Bobby Fischer playing Chess.

One example occurs shortly after Fischer quit from the World Championship due to perceived cheating by the Russians. Roughly half way through his speech, the scene cuts to what appears to be "real" footage of him speaking.

Were these clips actual footage of Bobby Fischer or were they created in an attempt to add credibility/style to the movie?



Best Answer

I believe the clips were added to add credibility and style. They all showed Tobey Maguire, the actor portraying Bobby Fischer, not Fischer himself (apart from when the scenes showing Fischer as a child, when it was obviously not Maguire).

History v Hollywood has a study comparing the film with the even more fascinating real life of Fischer. They have some good pictures showing the difference between Maguire and Fischer:

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That doesn't mean to say that the footage showing news broadcasters introducing stories on Fischer aren't real (I haven't found any evidence yet to confirm if they are or are not), but the clips of Fischer himself all appear to show Maguire.




Pictures about "Were the clips played throughout Pawn Sacrifice actual footage?"

Were the clips played throughout Pawn Sacrifice actual footage? - Grayscale Photography Of Chessboard Game
Were the clips played throughout Pawn Sacrifice actual footage? - Black White and Brown Chess Board Game
Were the clips played throughout Pawn Sacrifice actual footage? - Person Holding Chess Piece



How accurate is the movie Pawn Sacrifice?

The plot is generally accurate, although they take liberties typical of most cinematic biographies. The chess was depicted well, with the actual positions replicated in Many scenes. Fischer in real life was much taller, of course.

How old is Bobby Fischer in Pawn Sacrifice?

Two decades earlier, in 1951 Brooklyn, Fischer's mother, a Soviet Jewish immigrant, explains to 8-year-old Bobby that the FBI has her under surveillance because she supports Marxist revolution in the U.S. She coaches Bobby on what to say to the FBI if he is ever approached.

Who is Donna in Pawn Sacrifice?

Pawn Sacrifice - Evelyne Brochu (Donna) and Tobey Maguire (Bobby Fischer) find themselves on a 1960s Santa Monica beach under Edward's Zwick's direction.

Who plays Boris Spassky?

Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 b5!?). Spassky was played by Liev Schreiber in the 2014 film Pawn Sacrifice.



Pawn Sacrifice best scene game of century




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Images: Pixabay, Felix Mittermeier, Pixabay, Jeswin Thomas