One of the most-watched miniseries of 2020 on Netflix, an overnight success, while the other is a barely-known feature film.
The Queen’s Gambit (2020) is based on a homonymous book by Walter Tevis, published in 1983. While many claimed and related the story to real chess players, a few of them mentioned that there was more harassment, sexual, and physical abuse at the time. The miniseries tells the journey of Beth Harmon (Anya Taylor-Joy) during the 1950s and 1960s. Her mother, a reputed mathematician, died in a car crash, while her father is absent. Consequently, she comes to an orphanage. There she takes tranquilizer pills to “balance their disposition” and quickly becomes addicted. Additionally, she learns to play chess with the building’s custodian, Mr. Shaibel (Bill Camp), and becomes a strong chess player due to her visualization skills at an early age when she was eight.
Queen of Katwe(Mira Nair, 2016) is a biopic of the chess player Phiona Mutesi (Madina Nalwanga) based on a book with the same name. It tells her journey until the Women’s Chess Olympics during the early 2000s. She is the daughter of a single mother and a father who died of HIV/AIDS. She followed her brother to a meeting of the Sports Outreach Institute, a Christian mission where she observed him playing chess. Missionary Robert Katende (David Oyelowo) welcomed her and taught her how to play when she was nine. Soon, she became a top player in the group under his guidance.
It is worth highlighting how similar their trajectories are.
Beth Harmon faced machismo. In the 1960s, women were transitioning to the second wave of feminism, known for bringing legal equality and reproductive rights. It's essential to emphasize that issues remained, and these privileges were for white women. Another relevant point is that women replaced men during World War II, but society still expected them to marry and have children. The most common roles were pink-collar jobs like secretary, teacher, or nurse. Harmon aimed to challenge stereotypes in the male-dominated field of chess, going against Mr. Shaibel’s “Girls don’t play chess” and the twins' belief that “There’s no ‘women’s section.’” She countered traditional masculinity with her superior intelligence and skills. Her mental imagery set her apart, allowing her to achieve success on a national scale and then internationally, therefore travelling to Russia. The country had a strong reputation in chess and was used for military pre-draft preparation. During the Cold War, it symbolized intellectual superiority. On the contrary, Russia is depicted as progressive in terms of women in chess, and its communism was relatively egalitarian—women worked, though they also handled household chores. The miniseries excludes mention of the civil rights and gay rights movements. Moreover, the lack of diversity is apparent, with characters like Jolene (Moses Ingram), Townes (Jacob Fortune-Lloyd), and Benny Watts (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) as examples of tokenism, along with queerbaiting. Despite this, the protagonist stands as an intersectional icon, being a bisexual woman.
It's intriguing to consider that Beth Harmon paved the way for Phiona Mutesi. However, it's important to note that one is a fictional character, while the other is a real-life individual.
Phiona Mutesi also faced machismo. Her coach, overcoming initial opposition from local chess authorities, takes her and the team to a national school-level tournament at a prestigious local school, where Phiona secures the first-place position. Subsequently, she achieves success in competitions and tournaments alongside her fellow Pioneers. This culminates in her leading her country's team to the Chess Olympiad in Russia and earning the title of grandmaster. Unfortunately, she faced defeat against her Canadian opponent.
It's pertinent to acknowledge their differences as well. Beth Harmon is a white American, whereas Phiona Mutesi is a Black Ugandan. The United States holds significant global power, while Uganda ranks among the world's poorest countries. The movie's director has a reputation in Bollywood and is known for handling controversial subject matter. The film portrays Uganda's challenges in parallel to Mutesi’s journey. Including socio-economic inequality, destitution, deprivation, child labour, and illiteracy. Additionally, she faces prejudice based on her ethnicity and social class, dealing with preconceived notions associating them with illness, uncleanliness, and loud behaviour; while Harmon comes from a privileged background even if she is a flawed character with her addictions and emotional issues.
Both protagonists are forty years apart and separated by an ocean, factors that are relevant to their comparison. In Uganda, women historically faced oppression under various regimes. They were confined to traditional domestic roles, and female employment continues to carry stigma in Ugandan culture. Gender disparities persist in education, especially in rural areas, and school dropout rates are influenced by teenage pregnancies. On the other hand, women have access to healthcare, including maternal and reproductive services, although gender-based violence is frequent, accompanied by high rates of physical and sexual abuse.
It's noteworthy that Ugandans recognize women as significant figures in religious and community leadership. Over the past three decades, progress has been made in women's rights, including legislation against gender-based violence and increased representation in political roles. However, a gap exists between policy and implementation. Initiatives to enhance women's employment opportunities have gained traction across the country. Additionally, it's important to mention that females within the LGBT+ community remain unrecognized by the law.
Phiona Mutesi becomes a heroine in her hometown. She achieves self-sufficiency through chess, independent of men, and represents her country in championships. She fulfils her promise by providing a better house for her family, particularly her mother, who had a challenging journey and embraced opportunities for her children. Phiona's journey inspires new generations throughout the country, offering fresh opportunities to contribute to the economy's betterment. Moreover, her success disproves prejudiced assumptions rooted in her origins.
Both productions hold equal significance, as the trajectories of their protagonists involve overcoming obstacles and are relatable in certain aspects while also serving as sources of inspiration. However, they raise questions about the disparity in their productions’ receptions. Unfortunately, like many other narratives involving Black characters, Phiona Mutesi's story has been overlooked, despite being directed by a renowned Bollywood director and produced and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. Ironically, its publicity faltered, even though news coverage referred to her as a prodigy.
In 2023, the International Chess Federation (FIDE) declared a ban on transgender women from participating in women's chess tournament, citing the rationale that a change in gender has a substantial impact on a player's status. This same argument has been applied to other sports with rigorous physical demands. Notably, this exclusion doesn't extend to general knowledge chess. However, these regulations are reminiscent of the baseless restrictions placed on women's participation in the game historically, driven by assumptions and transphobia, rather than concrete evidence.
It's important to recognize that knowledge is a powerful tool, and the resistance to change often arises from a fear of disruption among white cisgender heterosexual males who are concerned about losing their longstanding social status and privilleges.
Comentarios