''La perla'' (''The Pearl'') is a 1947 Mexican-American film directed by
Emilio Fernández
Emilio "El Indio" Fernández Romo (; 26 March 1904 – 6 October 1986) was a Mexican film director, actor and screenwriter. He was one of the most prolific film directors of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema in the 1940s and 1950s. He is best kn ...
. It is based on the 1947 novella ''
The Pearl'' by
John Steinbeck
John Ernst Steinbeck Jr. (; February 27, 1902 – December 20, 1968) was an American writer and the 1962 Nobel Prize in Literature winner "for his realistic and imaginative writings, combining as they do sympathetic humor and keen social ...
, who also co-wrote the screenplay.
In 2002, the film was selected for preservation in the United States
National Film Registry
The National Film Registry (NFR) is the United States National Film Preservation Board's (NFPB) collection of films selected for preservation, each selected for its historical, cultural and aesthetic contributions since the NFPB’s inception ...
by the
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The libra ...
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 Juanito was stung by a
scorpion
Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the order Scorpiones. They have eight legs, and are easily recognized by a pair of grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward curve over the back and always en ...
. The nearest doctor, a foreigner, refuses to treat him without adequate payment and he is taken instead to a traditional healer (
curandero
A ''curandero'' (, healer; f. , also spelled , , f. ) is a traditional native healer or shaman found primarily in Latin America and also in the United States. A curandero is a specialist in traditional medicine whose practice can either con ...
). The doctor does not want anything to do with the natives. Later, the doctor and his brother (Wagner), a loan shark, meet Kino after he finds a valuable
pearl
A pearl is a hard, glistening object produced within the soft tissue (specifically the mantle) of a living shelled mollusk or another animal, such as fossil conulariids. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is composed of calcium carb ...
and they decide to steal it from him.
The opening scene shows waves crashing and people of the village standing on the beach watching. The first couple of minutes portrays that the people rely on the natural resources to survive. The houses are built out of wood and the ocean provides oysters for them to eat. Although they rely on it, the resources, like the pearl, can be dangerous. As the men of the village watch the ocean waiting for it to calm they must wait another day to dive for resources. The next day as the men go out to dive Kino stumbles upon a majestic pearl. He immediately grabs it and returns to his wife.
Juana, Kino's wife, is convinced that the pearl only brings bad luck and tries to convince Kino to return the pearl to the sea. But Kino refuses to listen because he has hope that the pearl will change their lives once he sells the pearl. To Juana, the pearl represents death but for Kino, the pearl represents freedom. Kino tries to do his best to support his family, he believes the pearl is the way out of poverty. Now that Kino is "rich" he wants to buy a gun and new shoes. He also wants his son to be able to read. Kino believes that if his son acquires knowledge, they will also gain knowledge which will set them free. The villagers follow the family around with the pearl and play music while attempting to get a look at the pearl. The doctor that had refused to help Juanito tries to get the Pearl from the family by claiming he will help the already healthy infant son in exchange for the much more valuable pearl.
Once Kino and his family head to town, the dealers make him a deal that is not near the total worth for the pearl, and try to convince Kino that the pearl is worthless and the deal is the best he will get. The men want to prevent Kino from gaining social mobility, and they want him and his family to remain at the bottom of the social hierarchy. Kino does not accept the deal and decides to go to the city instead. Kino starts drinking with these men who were most likely only with him to get him intoxicated enough to get the pearl. But when the men try and rob him he doesn’t have the pearl. His wife had kept the Pearl on her as she knew something would happen to him.
Later on his brother comes to help and helps Kinos family escape through the night. The family is then chased, only confirming the predictions of Juana.
At one point Juana takes the pearl from Kino because she wants to throw it into the ocean. Kino chases after her, and hits her. The two decide that they are going to run away. They try to take a boat but they it tips over before they are able to get very far. As they run away they are followed by two natives and a man on a horse. The wife eventually gets very tired and she wants to be left alone. She does not have shoes and therefore her feet are very bloody. Kino refuses to leave her and she goes with him because he is her husband. Eventually the men have them trapped on a cliff. One of the men fires a shot which kills the baby. At the end Kino and Juana throw the pearl off of the highest ledge to get rid of it. The pearl gave Kino and his family a chance for a better life, but in their society it was completely unacceptable. The film depicts the issue of colorism where only those with fairer skin can have the money and resources to live comfortably. Kino and his family were considered to be indigenous, and therefore were seen as at the bottom of the social hierarchy. Everyone in the society tried to make sure that they stayed at the bottom of the social hierarchy, and try to steal the pearl from them. So in the end the pearl wasn’t helpful at all, because the problem is how the society is structured and how those with fairer skin are favored.
Cinematography
In the film, the director used many different types of shots and angles. For example, when they are walking through the creek, we are able to get a point of view from the father when they are walking. It was a hand-held shot due to the wobbliness of the camera. We also got a point of view shot from the son, which was also a hand-held shot. There were also many shots that were pointed up directly towards the sky, focused primarily on the sun, indicating that it is extremely hot where the characters are walking.
Cast
*
Pedro Armendáriz
Pedro Gregorio Armendáriz Hastings (May 9, 1912 – June 18, 1963) was a Mexican film actor who made films in both Mexico and the United States. With Dolores del Río and María Félix, he was one of the best-known Latin American movie stars ...
as Kino
*
María Elena Marqués as Juana
*
Fernando Wagner
Fernando Wagner (November 7, 1905 in Göttingen, Germany – October 20, 1973 in Cuernavaca, Mexico) was a German-born Mexican actor and film director. He had prominent roles in '' La Perla'' and ''The Wild Bunch''. His interment was in Mexico ...
as Dealer 1
* Gilberto Gonzálezas Aid 1
*
Charles Rooner
Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was "f ...
as Doctor
* Juan García as Aid 2
*
Alfonso Bedoya
Benito Alfonso Bedoya y Díaz de GuzmánSan Antonio Light, Dec. 17, 1957, p. 20 (April 16, 1904 – December 15, 1957) was a Mexican actor who frequently appeared in U.S. films. He is best known for his role in ''The Treasure of the Sierra Madre ...
as Godfather
* Raúl Lechuga as Dealer 2
* Max Langler as Peasant
Reception
Critical response
When the film was released,
Bosley Crowther
Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though his ...
, film critic for ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'', 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."
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."
Schwartz, Dennis
''Ozus' World Movie Reviews'', May 18, 2005. Accessed: June 29, 2013.
To this day, the film is viewed with very much cultural importance and is highly renowned.
Accolades
Venice Film Festival
The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival h ...
- 1947
* Emilio Fernández "Golden Lion"
Premio Ariel
The Ariel Award ( es, Premio Ariel) is an award that recognizes the best of Mexican cinema. Given annually, since 1946, by the Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences (AMACC), the award recognizes artistical and technical excel ...
- 1948
;Awarded
* Emilio Fernández
Emilio "El Indio" Fernández Romo (; 26 March 1904 – 6 October 1986) was a Mexican film director, actor and screenwriter. He was one of the most prolific film directors of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema in the 1940s and 1950s. He is best kn ...
"Golden Ariel"
* Pedro Armendáriz
Pedro Gregorio Armendáriz Hastings (May 9, 1912 – June 18, 1963) was a Mexican film actor who made films in both Mexico and the United States. With Dolores del Río and María Félix, he was one of the best-known Latin American movie stars ...
(actor)
* Juan García (supporting actor)
* Gabriel Figueroa
Gabriel Figueroa Mateos (April 24, 1907 – April 27, 1997) was a Mexican cinematographer who is regarded as one of the greatest cinematographers of the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. He has worked in over 200 films, which cover a broad range of ...
(photography)
;Nominated
* Gilberto Diego González (supporting actor)
* María Elena Marqués (actress)
* Gloria Schoemann (editing)
* Antonio Díaz Conde (score)
* Emilio Fernández (screenplay)
* Emilio Fernández (director)
Golden Globe - 1949
* Gabriel Figueroa (photography)
Madrid Film Festival - 1949
* Gabriel Figueroa (photography)
References
External links
*
*
*
*
''La Perla''
at the Cinema of Mexico
Mexican cinema dates to the late nineteenth century during the rule of President Porfirio Díaz. Seeing a demonstration of short films in 1896, Díaz immediately saw the importance of documenting his presidency in order to present an ideal ...
site of ITESM
Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM) ( en, Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education), also known as Tecnológico de Monterrey or just Tec, is a secular and coeducational private university based in ...
''La perla''
informational site at Classic Film Guide
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Perla, la
Films with screenplays by John Steinbeck
1947 drama films
1947 films
American black-and-white films
English-language Mexican 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
RKO Pictures films
Spanish-language American films
United States National Film Registry films
Mexican black-and-white films
Mexican drama films
American drama films
1940s American films
1940s Mexican films