Description: In this symbolic and philosophically weighty film, all of the inhabitants of a Portuguese mental asylum suffer from religious delusions of one kind or another — even the cynic who denies the value of any religions at all. One couple re-enacts the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden, and then the woman who played at being Eve plays at being St. Teresa de Avila. Another man thinks he’s a character from a Dostoyevsky novel, and yet another claims to have in his possession a fifth gospel from the Bible. Everyone has a point of view and is not shy about stating it, defending it in debate with the others with great sincerity, though (the reviewers claimed) with very little elegance or wit. (Clarke Fountain)

What would’ve happened if Lazarus met Nietzsche? The man who raised from the deads and the man who killed God are but two faces of the same soul. Oliveira let the books talk about human greatness and misery.
If you are not interested in the theological debate, don’t waste your time here. But if you’re not interested, you’re already wasting your time. (Dionysis) Continue reading →

Plot: Manoel de Oliveira wrote and directed this historical drama about the lives of some of his wife’s ancestors who were active in the first half of the 19th century. In order to put across this slower-paced era before automobiles, planes, instant television and radio news, and computers, Oliveira uses a series of tableaus to emphasize the drama of each setting and the lifestyle of the protagonists. The feckless, wealthy Jose Augusto (Diogo Doria) and Fanny Owen (Teresa Meneses), a young English woman, are attracted to each other. A perennial love triangle is created when the author Camilo Castelo Branco (Mario Barroso) also falls in love with Fanny (Francisca), but is placed in a bind because he is a friend of Jose Augusto. In the end Fanny opts for the wealthy young man, and Camilo (who would eventually die by suicide) loses the love of his life. Now that the rich young man has succeeded in the chase, he has no interest in the result, and he and Fanny are married by proxy. Although she goes to live in his mansion, he does not stay with her and she is left alone — and untouched. The triangle has come apart, and Fanny and Camilo have been separated, almost by the whim of the rich and disinterested Jose Augusto. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide Continue reading →

“Film4″ wrote:
One of the earliest features by Portugal’s most renowned director, it was also one of De Oliveira’s best-known works for many years. Using the actual children of the area, the film follows the adventures of street urchins growing up in the slums of Oporto and on the banks of the river. Much simpler in style and more approachable than many of De Oliveira’s later films, it has excellent location photography and natural performances from the kids. Coincidentally it was made in the same year as Vittorio de Sica made his first Italian neo-realist film, The Children Are Watching Us. Continue reading →

Plot: Isaac is a young photographer living in a boarding house in Régua. In the middle of the night, he receives an urgent call from a wealthy family to come and take the last photograph of their daughter, Angelica, who died just a few days after her wedding. Arriving at the house of mourning, Isaac gets his first glimpse of Angelica and is overwhelmed by her beauty. As soon as he looks at her through the lens of his camera, the young woman appears to come back to life just for him. Isaac instantly falls in love with her. From that moment on, Angelica will haunt him night and day, until exhaustion. Continue reading →