Portuguese Movies & Films Resources
De Oliveira is respected throughout Europe as the father of the Portuguese Movies. He is also a source of inspiration to a large number of Portuguese directors due to his long, illustrious career, and most importantly his steadfast refusal to compromise his art in any way.
One of the greatest ironies of international cinema is that popular audiences within Portugal itself have generally ignored the films of De Oliveira and other famous Portuguese directors. Fortunately, since the 1974 revolution, the central government and other organizations have supported film production as a cultural imperative. This has given the Portuguese directors the much-needed opportunity to remain free from commercial pressures and to be able to pursue their own interests.
One interesting example of this artistic exploration in Portuguese Movies is Pedro Costa's 1984 film O Sangue (The Blood). This movie tells a story of an attempt to bond between two brothers - Nino and Vicente after their father mysteriously dies. This little world of theirs is shattered when the brothers' uncle forcibly takes Nino away to adopt him. The major part of the movie deals with eerie encounters which the two brothers face as they try to reunite with one another. The director has achieved most of the desired effects through high-contrast black-and-white photography. In fact with this movie Costa demonstrates his tremendous talent for shaping cinema to his will.
Another brilliant example, which outlines how Portuguese directors have pursued their individual artistic visions, is Botelho's 1985 film Um adeus Portugues (A Portuguese Farewell). This movie movingly reflects the brave efforts that a family makes in order to come to terms with the death of the oldest son Augusto, who was killed while fighting in Angola 12 years earlier. Each frame in the movie emanates a mood of sadness in the movie.
Portuguese Movies it seems are well on their way toward establishing their international reputation.
Go Back To Main Movies Index Page