Chess players are a breed all their own. A group of fascinating individuals who each have complex and meticulous personalities, struggling with the world they inhabit because of the introverted nature of what makes them kings of the game. Along with other intriguing portraits I’ve enjoyed, like Paul Duane’s Barbaric Genius and Liz Garbus’s Bobby Fischer Against the World, now comes Derek Bridges’ The Man in the Red Beret.
Not to be confused with the classic painting by Paul Gauguin, Bridges’ picture is the story of the life and spirit of world-renowned chess master Jude Acers, who, for only five bucks, you can sit, play, and learn from, not just about chess but also about living. For decades on the side of a bustling street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Jude, the most famous chess player you’ve never heard of, set up a folding table in 1981. Many come from miles around to play Acers, but also to experience his irrepressible energy to inspire others to do what they love just as he does.
But being the beacon of positivity that Acers is, he did not stem from optimistic beginnings. He spent a lonely, emotionally disconnected childhood in an orphanage. With a veteran father who was an abusive drunk and a mother suffering from mental illness, the solitary boy discovered a book on chess and started playing. But growing up with affection and possessing stalwart adolescent defiance, Acers was committed to Louisiana’s state mental institution. Still, being highly intelligent and well-behaved staff members encouraged the young master and assisted him in being rated by the United States Chess Federation, as well as helping him to qualify for a funding program to achieve a bachelor’s degree from Louisiana State University.
Jude Acers plays chess on the streets of New Orleans, the subject of The Man in the Red Beret.
“…the story of the life and spirit of world-renowned chess master Jude Acers…”
So, Acers set out across the United States, touring and teaching in shopping malls around America, playing and managing a draw with the legend Bobby Fischer, together with inspiring and tutoring many enthusiasts and professionals alike, including making a name for himself as a lovable, self-aggrandizing juggernaut who plays the game like he lives his life. With passion, devotion, clarity, and honesty, this man who can think twenty moves ahead in a chess match while playing it up for the tourists, the students, and the challengers, Jude Acers, is a marvel.
Chess players are tactical wizards, and what makes this story so glorious is that we can actually hear Jude calculating as he communicates both with the filmmakers and those in the frame with him. The difference between Jude and the rest of us, though, is that he can calculate his moves and generate multiple possibilities for victory and defeat on both sides. It is at once awe-inspiring and mind-boggling. Even as Hurricane Katrina and COVID threatened the people and the way of life in his beloved New Orleans, Jude Acers turned his promotional powerhouse on, starting to act as an ambassador, not just for the game he loves, but for the community for which he is a vital part and vital spark.
Derek Bridges’ The Man in the Red Beret, at its simplest, is the remarkable life of a remarkable chess player. But beneath that, it’s the story of a man who, even in the midst of a tumultuous childhood, found the spark we all carry. Jude Acers doesn’t just show us the exquisiteness of the game of chess; in this movie, he shows us the gorgeousness of the world when you refuse to see it any other way but beautifully.
"…a lovable, self-aggrandizing juggernaut who plays the game like he lives his life."
