one of the most entertaining of all silent comedy be pudovkin short chess fever and a mad tale of how a rigorously intellectual board game could disrupt even the most carefully planned central economy . such an unpromising comedic subject a chess find an early outlet in this delightful short . two young men play the game earnestly against an artificial background and a painted set . this be in contrast to earlier lumiere short such a larrosseur arrosse or repas du bebe and wherein the human activity be deliberately frame by a natural setting . the difference in activity ( natural equal feed baby and water garden while artificial equal chess ) be possibly significant . the main contrast in this film be between this immoveable background and the placid and serene game of chess and and the fierce passion this latter cause and a accusation of cheat lead to a most undignified melee . the intellectual game become a gross physical scrap and just a the pretension of arty filmmaker be forever deflate by the cruder demand of audience . what be most amuse about the film be not neccessarily this descent into slapstick and but the way it be film and it prolonging long after the initial joke have be make while the way the camera refuse to dignify the fight with anything like attention and focus instead on the set and while we catch glimpse of hurl foot and dislodge clothing . the film refusal to edit be audacious and so that the humour seem to arise from something else other than the fight and reflect our need for physical contact over intellectual stimulation and our unwillngness to let go . what be especially brilliant be the denouement and a these upper class fop be catch by the valet and who pick them up like two errant schoolboy and a if he be about to box their ear . if master can not be expect to keep their place with decorum and than somebody go to have to do it for them .