''Schwarz und weiß wie Tage und Nächte'' (''Black and White Like Day and Night'') is a

West German West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

film from 1978 directed by

Wolfgang Petersen Wolfgang Petersen (14 March 1941 – 12 August 2022) was a German film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was nominated for two Academy Awards for the World War II submarine warfare film '' Das Boot'' (1981). His other films include '' The ...

and starring

Bruno Ganz Bruno Ganz (; 22 March 1941 – 16 February 2019) was a Swiss actor whose career in German stage, television and film productions spanned nearly 60 years. He was known for his collaborations with the directors Werner Herzog, Éric Rohmer, Franc ...

Plot

Thomas Rosemund, a scientist who swore off playing chess after a nervous breakdown as a young wunderkind, creates an undefeated chess program. However, the Russian world champ beats the program in a televised match. The West German mathematician becomes a top chess pro himself, which the West German media boast will prove the superiority of Germany and democracy. Rosemund believes that the entire Red Communist bloc is out to stop him from vanquishing their own Stefan Koruga, to become the next Bobby Fischer and a symbol that capitalism is preferable to socialism.

Critical reception

John Simon called ''Black and White Like Day and Night'' "the best film ever about chess".

References

External links

* 1978 films 1978 television films German drama films West German films German television films 1970s German-language films German-language television shows Films about chess 1970s psychological drama films Films directed by Wolfgang Petersen Films scored by Klaus Doldinger 1978 drama films 1970s German films Das Erste original programming {{tv-drama-film-stub