The Pearl (film)
| La perla | |
|---|---|
.jpg) U.S. theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Emilio Fernández |
| Screenplay by | John Steinbeck Emilio Fernández Jack Wagner |
| Based on | The Pearl by John Steinbeck |
| Produced by | Óscar Dancigers |
| Starring | Pedro Armendáriz María Elena Marqués Fernando Wagner Charles Rooner |
| Cinematography | Gabriel Figueroa |
| Edited by | Gloria Schoemann |
| Music by | Antonio Díaz Conde |
Production companies | |
| Distributed by | RKO Radio Pictures Películas Mexicanas (Peli-Mex) |
Release dates |
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Running time | 85 minutes |
| Countries | Mexico United States |
| Languages | 2 versions: Spanish English |
La perla (The Pearl) is a 1947 Mexican-American film directed by Emilio Fernández. It is based on the 1947 novella The Pearl by John Steinbeck, who also co-wrote the screenplay.
In 2002, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Plot summary
In a fishing village in La Paz, Mexico, pearl fisherman Kino (Armendáriz) and his wife Juana (Marqués) are in anguish because their infant son Coyotito was stung by a scorpion. The nearest doctor, a foreigner, refuses to treat him without adequate payment and he is taken instead to a traditional healer (curandero). Later, the doctor and his brother (Wagner), a loan shark, meet Kino after he finds a valuable pearl and they decide to steal it from him.
Cast
- Pedro Armendáriz as Kino
- María Elena Marqués as Juana
- Fernando Wagner as Dealer 1
- Gilberto Gonzálezas Aid 1
- Charles Rooner as Doctor
- Juan García as Aid 2
- Alfonso Bedoya as Godfather
- Raúl Lechuga as Dealer 2
- Max Langler as Peasant
Reception
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Critical response
When the film was released, Bosley Crowther, film critic for The New York Times, liked the film, writing, "An exceptional motion picture, both in content and genesis, is the beautiful and disturbing filmization of John Steinbeck's novelette, The Pearl, which reached an appropriate showcase at the Sutton Theatre yesterday. Exceptional it is in genesis by virtue of the fact that it was made in Mexico by a Mexican company with Mexican actors who speak English throughout. And extraordinary it is in content through the benefit of a story of primitive power, told with immaculate integrity through an eloquent camera."[1]
More recently, film critic Dennis Schwartz gave the film a mixed review and wrote, "Though the film is clumsy in its characterizations, the shimmering gorgeous black-and-white photography by cinematographer Gabriel Figueroa makes the film seem potent."[2]
Accolades
Venice Film Festival - 1947
Premio Ariel - 1948
|
Golden Globe - 1949
Madrid Film Festival - 1949
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References
- ^ Crother, Bosley. The New York Times, film review, February 18, 1948. Accessed: June 29, 2013.
- ^ Schwartz, Dennis. Ozus' World Movie Reviews, May 18, 2005. Accessed: June 29, 2013.
External links
- The Pearl at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- The Pearl at IMDb
- The Pearl at AllMovie
- La Perla at the Cinema of Mexico site of ITESM (in Spanish)
- La perla informational site at Classic Film Guide
- La perla film scene on YouTube
- 1947 films
- Films with screenplays by John Steinbeck
- 1947 drama films
- American films
- American black-and-white films
- English-language films
- Estudios Churubusco films
- Films based on American novels
- Films based on works by John Steinbeck
- Films directed by Emilio Fernández
- Films set in the 1940s
- Films shot in Mexico
- Mexican films
- RKO Pictures films
- Spanish-language films
- United States National Film Registry films
- Mexican black-and-white films
- Mexican drama films
- American drama films