Heiti Suurkas and Ott Järvela’s comments on Eesti Päevaleh (7 November), especially the title of the latest opinion “Paul Keres, a pawn like Cristiano Ronaldo”, still force me to speak out. A king accompanied by the entire nation on his final journey simply cannot be a pawn. Of course the emphasis here is on the word collected, to distinguish him from a magician who has become an authority in a narrow field.
I also blame the film for introducing a scene of a questionable interaction with a security man in order to strengthen the king’s authority in dealing with representatives of important areas. For me, an important moment was Keres’ meeting with president Konstantin Päts, who could not find the money to support his compatriot’s aspiration to become world champion. I don’t know how authentic the film’s text was in those moments, but Päts had long ago given up on thinking big and hoped for the best for himself and, in his opinion, for the country, by acting small.
2023-12-11 13:53:00
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