Elefane, Jewel V.

April 6, 2022
BPL2 – POLSC106 Political Film Commentary 1
Ideological Warfare:
The Allegory Posed by the 2019 Film, The Coldest Game

“You brought me here, and I’m going to play chess. And I’m playing my own game.”
A 2019 Polish spy film directed by Lukasz Kosmicki entitled The Coldest Game [or Ukryta
Gra in Polish language] highlighted Bill Pullman as Joshua Mansky. Forthwith, he stood portrayed
as a protagonist and mathematical genius who priorly conquers championship on chess games, but
is, by that period, already diminished on the grounds of alcoholism and gambling cards. Mansky
operated right through the motion picture along with Agent Stone, Agent White, Alfred, General
Krutov, Donald Novak, Griswald Moran, and Alexander Gavrylov, among others. The
fundamental narrative of the flick revolves across the actuality that, at the intensification of the
Cold War in year 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis threatens the world peace while a distressed
mathematics genius and chess player sets up to take part in the championship chess match of
United States against the Soviet Union. He shortly discovered himself pulled into a fatal match of
surveillance. Particularly recounting the nuances of the political and historical film, it persists vital
to evoke the ideation concerning the implied comparative portrayal of ideologies and conducts
of the Soviet Union and United States. These contrasting principles subsequently translates the
spirit of the phrase “I’m playing my own game” on its trailer, as the two countries themselves
played their respective “games” on the basis of their own conducts. This seemingly ostensible
allegory remains especially factual on the actuality that the proponents of the flick, in point of fact,
sought to embody a striking comparison among the chess match between the US and the
USSR to the crucial point in the Cold War – wherein while the pressure of the match magnifies,
the occurrence of the war equally intensifies. On this account, the (1) immediate context of the
film, (2) the biases on the general portrayal of United States and Americans as opposed to the
USSR and Russian, and ultimately (3) how valid are those movie depictions on the basis of the
series of facts conceded on Table 1, will be unfurled in sequence.
Explicitly unravelling the immediate context of the film, it commences during the period
of October 1962 at the core of the Cold War Cuban Missile Crisis, where coincidingly, there
persists a crucial chess match that takes place in Warsaw between United States professor Joshua
Mansky and Soviet chess champion Alexander Gavrylov. Mansky serves as a surprise substitute
for the American player Konigsberg whose unanticipated collapse virtually rescinded the
competition. As it lingers highly visible, Mansky appears exhausted and outdated but impulsively
gets upswept in the American-Soviet governmental power-play in the tumultuous periods
bordering the impending Cuban missile crisis. 7 days prior, he stood seized whilst departing a bar.
He was dazed and fled to the US embassy in Warsaw where he met CIA Agents Stone, White, and
Novak. The CIA agents, properly afforded with data pertaining to Mansky’s qualifications akin to
being a mathematics genius at Princeton under Albert Einstein and a chess champion 17 years ago,
divulge their prospects concerning the systematic abduction. As asserted by the agents, “we are in
a safe room, U.S. embassy Warsaw… what I'm about to tell you sir is highly confidential… we
need you to be a patriot.” Mansky stood preferred on the basis of the tournament regulation that
rigorously authorizes the representative player to be substituted merely by the very last competitor
who defeats him – which turns out to be Mansky 17 years ago. Notwithstanding, Mansky’s
emphasis that “guess what, I'm not interested,” he approves to serve up under duress. And in due
course, during the championship, despite the unethical Soviet strategies analogous to making
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Mansky drunk, he won the initial match in 32 moves. Across the conduct of the game, Needless
to say that the people of the Soviet were epitomized as someone who will resort to plunging his
own self towards the “mud” for the purpose of attaining the end goal – that is the win and earn
prestige on behalf of the country. Mansky’s individualism and indifference from unsighted
patriotism assisted him fairly at the edge of the film.
The Coldest Game essentially depicts United States and Americans as opposed to the
USSR and Russians in a marginally factual yet prejudiced typification. An implied notion
concerning the pessimistic view of Russians conducts of the match, eventually implies that
Russians are obscene, distasteful, unprincipled, had no respect for human life, plays filthy, time
and again triumph by means of deception, and loathes egalitarian approaches. They were routinely
pictured as malevolent, juxtaposing the benevolence, liberality, and decency of Americans.
Americans were as well depicted us someone with a profound reverence for the welfare of others.
Conversing across the enquiry of “how true are the movie depiction on the basis of political and
economic institutions of both countries?”, it persists imperative to amply comprehend the
subsequent facts and ideation:
Table 1. Comparative analysis on United States in Soviet Union’s political and economic institutions
CATEGORIES OF UNITED STATES UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST
ASSESSMENT Americans REPUBLICS
Russians
What “type of Institution” does it Inclusive Economic and Political Institutions Extractive Economic and Political Institutions
exhibits? Inclusive Institutions can be ascribed to a Extractive Institutions can be ascribed to a
“Virtuous Circle” that very well unfolds a “Vicious Circle” that very well unfolds a
favorable outcome on the basis of a series of detrimental outcome on the basis of a series of
occurrences in which a single great/good event will occurrences in which a single unwanted event
lead to another [further amplifying the initial will lead to another [further amplifying the
occurrence] consequently devising an incessant initial occurrence] consequently devising an
cycle of prosperity. incessant cycle of fiasco.

On the case of the US, it utterly exemplifies an
inclusive economic institution that exhibits a
secured property rights, efficient education or job
training systems, open markets with low entry
costs, balanced or fair employer-labor relations,
and consumer protections. It as well embodies an
inclusive political institution that displays
democratic pluralism, voting rights, free media, and
freedom of speech or other personal rights.
POLITICAL INSTITUTIONS
These are the organization in the government that develops, compel, and apply the laws [e.g., Executive, Legislative, and Judiciary]
Ideology During the Cold War, United States stood as a
modern liberal nation based upon the principles
of individualism.
On the case of the USSR, utterly exemplifies an
extractive economic institution that exhibits a
weak property right, crony capitalism,
widespread anti-competitive monopolies, forced
or extractive labor, and disregard of externalities.
It as well embodies an extractive political
institution that displays a form of government
that is based on Monarchy/Oligarchy/
Single-party rule, system of elites or nobilities,
suppression of freedom of expression, patronage
networks, and influential but opaque interest
groups.
During the Cold War, Soviet Union stood as a
communist nation based upon the principles of
collectivism.

In the contemporary period, United States’
political institutions stood governed by ideologies
of left and right spectrum, with the left being
classified as liberalism and right being classified
as conservatism. The abovementioned ideologies
impact the US policy debates which frequently
embraces the adequate magnitude of government
intervention in the economy or social behavior.
Form of Government Democracy
It is a political system that is credited to the notion
that power and authority in the society emanates
from the people. People are likewise entitled to
select their leader by means of suffrage or voting
rights.
In the contemporary period, USSR’s political
institutions stood governed by ideologies of
Marxism-Leninism. This ideology entails a
consolidated command economy with a
vanguardist one-party state to recognize the
autocracy of the working class.
Dictatorship
It is a form of government in which most [if not
all] authority is vested upon a single ruler.

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 Basic rights and freedom of the
citizens
ECONOMIC INSTITUTIONS
Institutions that deal with finance or with managing the distribution of money, goods, and services in an economy.
Ideology
Property Rights
Education and Training System Efficient Education and Job Training System
Openness of the Markets
Employer-labor Relations
Consumer Protections
Citizens of the US democratic state, by virtue of the
enacted laws [e.g., Bill of Rights], remains entitled
of diverse rights and freedoms akin to freedom of
speech, religion, keep and bear arms, assembly, and
petition. It likewise protects its citizens from
unreasonable search and seizure, cruel and unusual
punishment, and coerced self-incrimination.
Capitalism
It is a right-wing ideology on economic spectrum
that is primarily based on private ownership,
competition, free trade, self-reliance, self-interest, extensive income gap that occurred in laissez-
and the principle of supply and demand.
Secure Property Rights
Proprietors of the property perceives his/her
property to be stable and predictable over a
reasonable period of time. The owner shall likewise expropriation and arbitrary change.
necessarily perceive his property as protected
against expropriation or arbitrary change.
United States exhibits one of the world’s best
education systems. They render excellent programs
on all sorts of discipline, and ultimately, it is made opportunity” at a “good education”.
accessible to every individual.
Open Markets with Low entry costs
There exist no stringent trade barriers to free
market activities. Owing to this, their economy
develops faster that those who depicts a closed one. and dominant companies remains competent in
Balanced and fair employer-labor relations
The antithesis to extractive labor, implying that
both the employer and employee understand the
equal accountability of each party in upholding the
betterment of their firm.
Existence of Consumer Protection
Citizens’ interests and rights were adequately
protected from unjust practices in the marketplace.
Basic rights of the citizen frequently meet
infringements akin to death in custody,
widespread and systematic utilization of torture,
hazing rituals, and alienation of children’s rights,
among others. Opportunities weren’t equally
bestowed to the people due to the existence of
the iron law of oligarchy and patronage
networks.
Communism
It is an ideology that underscores the
circumstances of the working class and the
faire capitalist societies. It necessitates
dictatorship as it requires a government that is
apt in controlling all mean of production and
economic decisions.
Insecure or Weak Property Rights
Proprietor of the property perceives his/her
property as unstable and unprotected against
Consequently, resulting to a massive impact on
investment decisions and the overall nature and
efficiency of agrarian production organization.
Educational System in Crisis
Soviet Union has so far implemented reforms
that are aimed at bestowing students an “equal
Nonetheless, such “centralized university
entrance exam” has so far failed to end
corruption in the education system.
Widespread anti-competitive monopolies
Businesses and the government seek to diminish
competition within the market so that monopolies
generating large profits.
Forced or Extractive Labor
Incorporates a range of exploitative practices
where workers stood coerced or obliged to work
against their will.
Presence of Anti-Consumerism
Businesses and corporations engage on private
activities that seeks to advance their financial
and economic goal at the expense of public
welfare.

On the table above, concretely divulge where the significant circumstances that, in point
of fact, influences how the conduct and ideologies of the two distinct countries diverges.
Dissecting on the ambit of both political and economic institutions, one can undoubtedly concede
that the implied manifestation on the film remains grounded upon the discrepancy of ideologies of
the two, which actually stood as the major grounds of the Cold War. United States being a modern
liberal nation that is based upon the principle of individualism, persist extremely disparate from
the Soviet Union who is a communist nation that is based upon the principle of collectivism.
Moreover, the United States being democratic and capitalist, exhibits a political and economic
institution that is governed by such ideations. This is also analogous to the Soviet Union, who
exhibits a political and economic institutions that is grounded upon the principles of dictatorship
and communism. Such deviation of the two countries’ political and economic principles, in a way,
presents connectivity to the conducts of the people in the film – which very well reveals that both
inimitably “plays their own game”.

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 References

Beck, E. (2022). Ideological conflict in the Cold War. History Crunch.

https://www.historycrunch.com/ideological-conflict-in-the-cold-war.html#/
Department for International Development. (2014). Secure property rights and development:
economic growth and household welfare. UK Aid.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file
/304551/Property-rights-evidence-paper.pdf
Khan Academy. (2022). Ideologies of political parties: lesson overview. Khan Academy.
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-government-and-civics/us-gov-american-political-
ideologies-and-beliefs/us-gov-ideologies-of-political-parties/a/lesson-summary-ideologies-of-
political-parties
Kosmicki, L. (Director). (2019). The Coldest Game. Netflix.
Ojomo, E. (2017). Our obsession with building “good institutions” might be doing more harm than
good. Christensen Institute. https://www.christenseninstitute.org/blog/obsession-building-good-
institutions-might-harm-good/
United for Human Rights. (2008-2022). A brief history of human rights. United for Human Rights.
https://www.humanrights.com/what-are-human-rights/brief-history/declaration-of-
independence.html#:~:text=The%20Bill%20of%20Rights%20protects,punishment%20and%20c
ompelled%20self%2Dincrimination.
Wikipedia. (2022). The Coldest Game. Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Coldest_Game

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