The Dark Horse is based on a true story, though it thankfully refrains from telling you so in the opening credits. It deals with Genesis Potini, a man suffering from bipolar disorder, who seeks to improve the lives of children in New Zealand to prevent them from joining local gangs. In less capable hands this story could've been handled like a typical tearjerker and sports flick, but the chess takes a backseat to the drama, resulting in a very moving film.
After another forceful return to the local hospital, Brother Genesis beckons his brother to let him go with him. The brother reluctantly agrees. His brother taught him chess when they were little, but is now part of a local gang. There he meets his nephew, Mana, who's being prepped to join the gang soon which, of course, also includes a 'wonderful' initiation ritual. Genesis becomes convinced he needs something to keep him stable. He joins a kids' chess club, The Eastern Knights, but—like one of the founders tells him—it's more a club to keep them off the streets. Genesis takes his new goal in life seriously, however, and vows to teach chess so they can all go to an upcoming tournament in Auckland.
When you think of stories featuring a sport of some kind, poor socioeconomic conditions and so on, you start to fear this could be a highly clichéd film. I mean, underdogs
sports
gee, haven't seen that before. But The Dark Horse isn't interested so much in chess as in the psychological sides to the story. For instance, the first time Genesis teaches the kids to play chess, he lets them take one of his custom-made chess pieces. The idea is that they'll have to return the piece to every lesson, so that they'll be reunited again like a family. But one of the subplots I found most satisfying is Genesis's relationship with his brother. Mana doesn't want the gang life. His father doesn't either, but he doesn't see any alternative given their circumstances. About halfway through the film, Genesis reveals to his brother the upcoming chess tournament and that's he's been teaching Mana in secret. This all turns into the film's finest argument, but rather than taking the easy route and turning the father into the villain, the filmmakers allow you to look at things from his point of view.
Needless to say, the acting is of a very high quality. I have no recollection of seeing Cliff Curtis before, not consciously anyway, but he's completely believable as Genesis. In the wrong hands, this performance could scream "look at me! Look at my acting chops", but in Curtis's hands it all feels completely natural. Likewise, James Rolleston who plays Mana is also quite good, despite some scenes feeling a bit awkward. Special mention has to go Wayne Hapi who plays Genesis's brother. He doesn't have a whole lot of screen time, but he's magnetic whenever he appears. His best scene, needless to say, is his huge argument with Genesis where in a single scene we get a feeling of his current struggles and the history between him and his brother.
In lesser hands, this could've been a very manipulative affair: the bipolar disorder, the poor kids, the chess tournament, it all could've resulted in a highly predictable film. Thankfully, good taste prevailed with the filmmakers deciding to focus on the characters themselves. It subverts a lot of sport films clichés as well: you'd think the film would end right after they win, but it doesn't. You'd expect a training montage replete with inspirational '80s theme songs, but it doesn't. What you get in the end is a film that is much better than the sum of its parts.
