The Pearl

Making an adaptation off John Steinbeck's short novel wasn't easy and always a feat.But Emilio Fernandez and Gabriel Figueroa did it in a succesful way.

Pedro Armendariz repeats on a high class of acting role as in 'Maria Candelaria'. Once again the cinematography of Gabriel Figueroa ranks among the best he's done. (the cinematography of this movie earned him, a prize at the Cannes Film Festival).

The aid of Mr. Steinbeck himself, helped Emilio to adapt the screenplay just as good as the novel itself.

This movie has no flaws and it ranks among the best in Mexico Film History, a must see.

This is a wonderfully shot film whose story, while not totally believable, could serve as allegory. Perhaps the family of the Mexican fisherman-diver played by Armendariz would have been happier if he had not discovered the pearl at all, but the poverty that endangers their baby's life makes his joy at this discovery (in a good underwater scene) credible. Immediately afterward, he finds himself beset by freeloaders and robbers (including his own brother), and the spiral continues until it ends in flight, hunger, death and a sort of redemption: the pearl is hurled back into the sea that spawned it. Apart from the story, the highlight is the Mexican scenery, the village and villagers, and the skillful and evocative camera angles. As one reviewer wrote, it's unlikely a villagers' celebration would have been as elaborate as the one shown in "La Perla," but it is enjoyable. Perhaps one semi-cynical message that could be gained from this film is that if you strike it rich, tell as few people as possible.

Some how I over looked this John Steinbeck brief story years ago and loved this 1947 production and the fantastic acting. The film is great in black and white and it clearly shows the poverty of local fishermen and their hard tasks of having to dive only when the ocean was calm. Pedro Armendariz,"From Russia With Love",'63 and Maria Elena Marques,"Pueblilo",'62, gave an outstanding performance as husband and wife who have to deal with finding a great treasure and having to face the hard facts of many people who want to share their wealth. Charles Rooner,(Doctor),"Silent Fear",'56 plays a very horrible doctor who seems to hate the local fishermen and wants to treat only the rich who will be able to pay his medical fees. This is truly a great film, which was very well produced and a great Film Classic from the late 40's. Enjoy

Apparently this piece is uncomfortable for people who simplify into moralism its complexity and forcefulness in what it has to say both explicitly and implicitly, aspirationism for wealth and the discord and greed it provokes, bourgeois class robbery of the working class, colonialist extractionism, whiteness as a jewel that gives privilege, all this as true then as it still is, set in a melodrama full of anguish, plus of course a beautiful montage in which the photography and the masterful underwater sequences stand out, marvellous at the time and which stand the test of time with great neatness.

I am a Brit happily married to a Mexicana for many years and lived in Mexico for a number of years.

La Perla is a photographic masterpiece of significant beauty and well worth seeing for the magnificence of the incredible use of natural light to highlight the scenery.

In addition to the two main stars the cast contains a number of actors whose work I have enjoyed immensely and the scenes depicting the singing and dancing at the local fiesta bring back to me countless memories of pleasure during my life in that beautiful country.

This film really does reflect the Golden Years of the Mexican Fim Industry.