Genesis Potini is a figure larger than life: his distinct large body, haircut and lack of teeth make the New Zealander unlike anyone we’ve ever seen. And yet, from the opening scene of The Dark Horse, as we see him wandering around streets wrapped in colorful blankets, he is never intimidating or malicious, but a gentle giant whom we’ll grow to know over time. This true story features New Zealand actor Cliff Curtis playing Genesis, a bipolar chess master who taught Maori children the art of the game while battling a string of mental problems and avoiding homelessness.
Pulling from such a detailed true story benefits the film immensely, allowing for Curtis to completely transform into the role (he gained 60 pounds and stayed in character for the entire filming duration) and for us to gain a true exploration of this world. The worlds of the Maori, the game of chess, and the rough biker culture of Gisbourne all intersect to create something unlike anything we’ve seen.
Initially, the film is a character drama following Genesis through these tribulations. As we reach the conclusion, it falls more in line with a sports drama. It isn’t until the end of the film we realize we’re watching an underdog sports movie because up until then it has been entirely character driven, making the climactic chess tournament all the more capable of inspiring emotion as we root for the Eastern Knights.
My biggest complaint with last year’s Bobby Fischer biopic, Pawn Sacrifice, was that they made no attempt to engage us into the chess games. With this eye, I watched the chess in this game extra closely. Indeed, the film only gives us a few pieces of information as to what’s going on in the game, but that, paired with how much we care about the characters, allows it to succeed. That, and the numerous times Genesis goes into the metaphorical implications of chess and the pieces, including a very powerful one about the significance of the king, allow this movie to live up to the game.
The Dark Horse is a film that knows which conventions to use in order to best tell an important true story. It keeps the time frame short and impactful rather than trying to display every highlight of a person’s life, a mistake I see too many biopics make. In the end, this is an inspiring and richly distinct independent film that works on every level. It has the potential to stand among the great inspirational movies and be a film to show young people a way out of gang life. Most of all, Curtis’s terrific performance and understanding of the protagonist will ensure that the legacy of Genesis Potini is long remembered.
The Dark Horse opens this Friday. Rated R for language throughout, and drug use. 124 minutes.
