Having already seen the dusty, dystopian actioner The Protector from Raul Gasteazoro earlier this year, I was thrilled to receive the chance to witness the re-release of his 2008 micro-budget epic, Black Pearl; originally titled 10,000 AD: The Legend of the Black Pearl when initially released. Gasteazoro writes and co-directs, with Giovanni Messner, the legend of the mythical Black Pearl, an object that has the power to change the fate of humanity surviving in the primal aftermath of tiptoeing the brink of annihilation. In a setting that is as Shakespearean as it is Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, the story centers on the quest to unite the remnants of humankind and end the conflict between the warring factions.
But, as in all such legends, there is a chosen. Julian Perez is Kurupi, the fabled warrior who will find the pearl and return peace to the world. The task falls to Ergo (Raul Gasteazoro) to track down Kurupi and train him in the mystical fighting arts, readying him for his battle against a new dark force that has risen. Its sole purpose is to finish what the apocalypse started.
Kurupi must unite the magic stones, which are scattered about the realm, all while being stalked by a bringer of doom and a forgotten son who may yet hold a vital piece to the puzzle. Old ways and old wisdom block and blind our hero and his mentor in their quest for the pearl. But there is another darkness which threatens. One they cannot escape. The darkness that exists within us all.
“Kurupi must unite the magic stones which are scattered about the realm…”
They often criticize indie films for punching above their weight. To the casual movie watcher, yes, you are going to see that there wasn’t a studio behind this. Yet, don’t be deceived by the lack of polish on this uniquely uncut gem of a picture.
What Gasteazoro and his crew pull off is truly astonishing. There are moments that bring to mind Michael Mann’s The Last of the Mohicans, Ralph Bakshi’s Fire and Ice, Jean-Jacques Annaud’s Quest for Fire, and Frank Herbert’s Dune saga, together with just about every hero-on-a-quest-to-unlock-an-ancient-power-and-save-the-day kinda movie I love.
Despite budgetary restrictions, Black Pearl contains dynamic staging, choreographed action sequences, a grand look, and score. Some films I thought of directly after watching this were Ryuhei Kitamura’s Versus, Kurando Mitustake’s Samurai Avenger: The Blind Wolf, and the late, great Albert Pyun’s Knights. While these are not directly related to the plot or tone, the reason they sprang to memory is that they, like this film, were made for chickenfeed. But chickenfeed is far from what you receive. A film’s budget does not define the limits of its creativity, nor should it hamper determined filmmakers, keeping them from conjuring larger-than-life concepts.
Who says you can’t do epic on a budget? Black Pearl stands as a testament to any dreamers out there who think that you need Hollywood and its deep pockets to bankroll serious world-building. Well, I tell you to watch this film and find out that thinking is not only outdated but also foolhardy. This is an exercise in supreme indie excellence. This is a grand apocalyptic fantasy that shoots for the moon and hits the stars.
"…a grand apocalyptic fantasy thatt shoots for the moon and hits the stars. "
