Film Review: The Black Corsair (Il Corsaro Nero, 1976)
Fans of Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow might disagree, but the most iconic on-screen pirate of all times was played by Indian actor Kabir Bedi in Sandokan, immensely popular 1976 television miniseries. The series was so popular that it was shown in cinema theatres, practice not that uncommon in days when impatient fans couldn’t rely on home video. Naturally, some sort of sequel or remake was bound to happen, and in the same year it came in the form of period adventure film The Black Corsair.
The film follows formula of Sandokan not only with Bedi in title role, but also by having Sergio Sollima, renowned author of spaghetti western and poliziotteschi crime films, at the director’s helm and having the basis in the novels by Emilio Salgari. The plot is set in 1660s Caribbean and Bedi plays Emilio de Roccabruna, Italian noble whose parents were murdered and lands stolen by Flemish Duke Van Guld (played by Mel Ferrer). Search for revenge brought Emilio to New World where he began successful career of a buccaneer under nickname “Black Corsair”, together with brothers Enrico “Red Corsair” (played by Jackie Baseheart) and Amedeo “Green Corsair” (played by Niccolò Piccolomini). When they hear about Van Gould arriving to Maracaibo to take post of Spanish viceroy, brothers decide to go their and kill him. Emilio gets separated from his brothers and rescues an Indian woman named Yara (played by Sonja Jeannine) from Spanish soldiers who massacred her people. In the meantime, Emilio’s brothers lose patience and recklessly venture to Maracaibo to openly challenge Van Guld who have them treacherously murdered. Grieving Emilio swears that he will wipe out Van Guld’s family just as Van Guld wiped out his. Soon afterwards his men capture Spanish ship carrying beautiful Dutchess Honorata (played by Carol André) with whom Emilio falls in love. As buccaneers plans to raid Maracaibo, Emilio begins race against time because he doesn’t want Van Guld to escape. Along the way he discovers, to his utmost horror, that Honorata is Van Guld’s daughter and that he must stand by his word and kill woman he loves.
Like Sandokan, this film features potent combination of period details, exotic locations, swashbuckling action, spectacular battles and romantic melodrama, all guided by steady and experienced hand of Sergio Sollima. Charismatic Bedi again delivers powerful performance that transcends somewhat melodramatic dialogue, and is in many ways aided by very good cast, most notably by Angelo Infanti as real historic character of famous English buccaneer Captain Morgan. Ferrer is also good as the main villain and provides somewhat unusual ending for this sort of films. The Black Corsair, shot in Colombia, nevertheless had serious difficulties during production and ran into budget issues, which might explain somewhat rushed and not completely satisfactory ending. Need to stuff as much materials from two Salgari’s novels - The Black Corsair and The Queen of Caribbean - under two hours of running time resulted with some unfortunate editing choice, mostly at the expense of scenes featuring Bedi and André who were the iconic on-screen couple in Sandokan and here simply lack time to develop proper chemistry. Despite those flaws, The Black Corsair features enough entertainment to provide superior alternative to whatever Hollywood imagines to be pirate film in 21st Century.
RATING: 6/10 (+++)
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