The Luzhin Defence
Two worlds collide when an eccentric genius falls in love with a strong-willed society beauty.
A cerebral, melancholic romance between an obsessive chess genius and a society woman, grounded in Nabokovian psychological complexity and 1920s European elegance.
Based upon the novel by Vladimir Nabokov, a chess grandmaster travels to Italy in the 1920s to play in a tournament and falls in love.
Essence
Ensemble
John Turturro
Aleksandr Ivanovich 'Sascha' Luzhin
Emily Watson
Natalia Katkov
Geraldine James
Vera, Natalia's Mother
Stuart Wilson
Valentionov
Fabio Sartor
Turati
Peter Blythe
Ilya
Orla Brady
Anna
Mark Tandy
Luzhin's Father
Kelly Hunter
Luzhin's Mother
Antonio Carli
Fascist
Christopher Thompson
Stassard
Alfredo Pea
1st Official
Closest match
Nearest across the full emotional profile.
Same mood
Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.
Go darker
Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.
Something gentler
Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.
Hidden gem
Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.
