If you’ve been online lately, you would’ve heard of The Queen’s Gambit. It’s demanded all eyes upon it, causing everyone to toss their list of Netflix recommendations in the bin. For those who don’t know what all the hype is about, I suggest you have a look—even if it’s just one episode; you won’t regret it. Besides, this blog post has spoilers. So go on, watch it first.
For those that need a recap (or ignored my suggestion above—ouch): The Queen’s Gambit follows protagonist Beth Harmon through her chess career. However, the show is essentially about the ever-so-fine line between genius and madness.
For starters, I think it’s basic courtesy to commend the directors for making a slow and cerebral game like chess seem exhilarating and cinematic. I mean, one literally sits down in the same place for hours to play, and yet, the show has invoked a deep desire in everyone to learn chess—especially women. But how has The Queen’s Gambit done so, considering that its focus isn’t even on the hardships of women in the 1960s?
The show presents a rather subtle take on feminism. Okay, first of all: what do I mean by feminism? Personally, I’ve always had a battle with this word and still wouldn’t deem myself a feminist. However, what’s more important than the label itself is what I mean. There’s a brilliance in the way the show places emphasis on the fact that Beth is a genius first, then an orphan, and then, much later, a woman. In my opinion, this makes the ‘feminist’ (again, if that’s what you would like to call it) message stronger. Beth does not make a big deal out of the fact that she is a woman fighting a men’s game, and so, her talent comes as a shock for the right reason—that she’s insanely competent, and not because she’s a woman who is competent. The fact that she’s a woman does not define her entire identity, and I think that has way more value than female leads whose sole purpose is to defeat men. This kind of strategy is one rarely ever articulated in movies, media, or politics, and one I find to be particularly empowering.
In essence, Beth’s character allows her to have an impact on the audience without getting all up in their face. In my belief, she’s much like a silent warrior. One that is unbothered by the talk of the town because they know their brilliance. One that is so bored of fighting villains that they become their own antagonist. Sound familiar? If any other character struck you, it’s most likely a man who’s married to violence and can defeat his enemies with a flick of the finger. Oddly enough, this is the exact parallel to Beth, except violence is replaced with an insanely complicated game, which I think makes her all the more fierce. This very connection is the most effective form of ‘feminism’: it shows that women can portray a potent character but does not scream “kill the patriarchy”.
All in all, I will forever be baffled by the ingeniousness and perfection of this show: the set design, the plot, the character development, the acting, and now, even the gems of subtle messages embedded within the main themes.
Written by Saanvi Soni
Designed by Nishka Manghnani
Images taken from Netflix
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