Genre: Historical Drama
Tone: Quietly tragic, observational, with subtle humour and moments of intensity
Languages: English and French (as appropriate)
Point of View: George Walker
Set in 1834, The Grand Master tells the story of Alexander McDonnell and Louis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais, two of the greatest chess players of their time. Despite living in opposite worlds and speaking different languages, they share a deep, unspoken connection through the chessboard, where their personalities are reversed:
Alexander McDonnell (Ireland, London)
- Merchant, disciplined, meticulous, calm, cold-blooded
- Life is structured and orderly; chess is where he takes risks and unleashes imagination
Louis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais (France, Paris)
- Charismatic, loud, indulgent, impulsive
- Life is chaotic; chess is where he imposes absolute control and executes surgical precision
George Walker (England)
- Friend of McDonnell, chronicler, and observer
- Witness to their genius, their rivalry, and their bond
- Later arranges for both men to be buried side by side at Kensal Green Cemetery
Central Paradox: They cannot speak to each other, yet through chess they communicate, challenge, and recognize one another on a profound, almost spiritual level.
George Walker observes the legendary 1834 chess matches between McDonnell and La Bourdonnais. Through six intense games, the two men, strangers in language but kindred in intellect, reveal themselves to each other.
Chess becomes their shared language, a silent dialogue of mind and spirit. The matches are alternately playful, brutal, and deeply human. As McDonnell’s health declines and La Bourdonnais drifts into poverty, Walker becomes their witness and custodian of memory.
The film concludes in quiet, poignant tragedy: both men die young, yet their shared bond through chess endures, immortalized in their final resting place side by side.
McDonnell in London: disciplined, meticulous, controlled life; chess is private rebellion
La Bourdonnais in Paris: chaotic, indulgent, flamboyant life; chess is his domain of absolute order
Walker prepares to document the matches and introduces the audience to the contrast
Key dramatic element: They cannot speak the same language, yet chess becomes their medium of connection
Series of six matches in London, full of tension, brilliance, and observation
McDonnell: daring attacks, imaginative strategies
La Bourdonnais: methodical defenses, precise counters
Mutual understanding develops entirely through moves, timing, glances, and gestures
Observational humour: McDonnell punctual, La Bourdonnais late; their styles mirror their lives
Physicality and presence on the board highlight their personalities: Gleeson’s measured restraint vs Ménochet’s magnetic, elemental force
McDonnell dies young; discipline maintained to the end
La Bourdonnais dies later, impoverished but unbowed in skill
Walker ensures their legacies are preserved, arranging their burial side by side at Kensal Green Cemetery
Final tableau: Walker at the tombstones, silent wind, wide shot emphasizing permanence and memory
Their bond, built without a shared language, survives beyond life
Alexander McDonnell – Domhnall Gleeson
*Disciplined, restrained, inner fire only expressed through chess(
Louis-Charles Mahé de La Bourdonnais – Denis Ménochet
Physically imposing, charismatic, chaotic in life, ruthless at the board
George Walker – Martin Freeman
Grounded, reflective, subtly humorous, the audience’s lens and moral anchor
Chess depicted as ritual and dialogue: hands, gestures, expressions, timing
Contrast between McDonnell’s quiet precision and La Bourdonnais’ elemental energy
Silence and observation carry emotional weight, punctuated by minimal but meaningful dialogue
Time and aging indicated through lighting, costume, and subtle physical transformation
Cemetery sequence: meditative, wind-blown, solemn, emphasizing enduring legacy