Mysteries of Lisbon (2010-Portuguese)
****1/2 out of *****
Like others, I go to the movies hoping to lose myself for a few hours. But I also look to be engaged and intellectually stimulated. I do not like a movie that insults my intelligence and spells out everything for me, but, neither do I like a film that is so elliptical I leave the theater baffled and frustrated. Mysteries of Lisbon, as its title implies, is not the kind of movie that answers all questions or explains all of its characters' actions. But, it is the kind of film that creates its own world and never once broke its magical hold over me. However, be warned, the plot can be almost like a 16th century garden maze if you are not paying close attention.
I will admit that I am not familiar with the film's director, Raul Ruiz. However, on the basis of having just seen his latest film, I am convinced that he is a master of the medium. Ruiz has taken a clearly labyrinthine 19th century novel by Portuguese author Camilo Castelo Branco and made a film that, while occasionally confounding, is as involving as anything I have ever seen. Considering the film's gargantuan length (4 1/2 hours), I was surprised to find that I never checked my watch once and was even sad to leave the theater when it was over.
Without giving away any of its rich secrets, the film's plot revolves around a young orphan's quest to understand his identity, a secret carefully guarded by the priest who is raising him in 19th century Portugal. What begins as a kind of coming of age mystery actually snowballs into a series of stories within stories that ultimately come together to reveal more about the ironies of fate and destiny than any single story ever could. In other words, this is not everyone's cup of tea. But for more adventurous filmgoers, this is most certainly a work of ART.
Shot on high definition video with as steady a hand as I have ever seen, Mysteries of Lisbon is an absolute wonder to behold. Director Raul Ruiz has crafted each image as if it were a classical painting. Each scene plays out in long, languid takes that are jam packed with incident. Even though not every of the sub-plots is as engaging as the central story, there was so much going on in the story and in each frame that I never had time to be bored. I already want to see it again.
When I found out that the film was actually adapted from a 6 hour Portuguese mini-series, I feverishly searched the internet to see if I could find it. Fortunately, the entire series is available for download from the film's official website. The film, though, was just so beautiful, that I just can't bring myself to watch it on a computer. This is one of those films that needs to be seen on a big screen. Here is a film for the ages. Catch it while you can.
I will admit that I am not familiar with the film's director, Raul Ruiz. However, on the basis of having just seen his latest film, I am convinced that he is a master of the medium. Ruiz has taken a clearly labyrinthine 19th century novel by Portuguese author Camilo Castelo Branco and made a film that, while occasionally confounding, is as involving as anything I have ever seen. Considering the film's gargantuan length (4 1/2 hours), I was surprised to find that I never checked my watch once and was even sad to leave the theater when it was over.
Without giving away any of its rich secrets, the film's plot revolves around a young orphan's quest to understand his identity, a secret carefully guarded by the priest who is raising him in 19th century Portugal. What begins as a kind of coming of age mystery actually snowballs into a series of stories within stories that ultimately come together to reveal more about the ironies of fate and destiny than any single story ever could. In other words, this is not everyone's cup of tea. But for more adventurous filmgoers, this is most certainly a work of ART.
Shot on high definition video with as steady a hand as I have ever seen, Mysteries of Lisbon is an absolute wonder to behold. Director Raul Ruiz has crafted each image as if it were a classical painting. Each scene plays out in long, languid takes that are jam packed with incident. Even though not every of the sub-plots is as engaging as the central story, there was so much going on in the story and in each frame that I never had time to be bored. I already want to see it again.
When I found out that the film was actually adapted from a 6 hour Portuguese mini-series, I feverishly searched the internet to see if I could find it. Fortunately, the entire series is available for download from the film's official website. The film, though, was just so beautiful, that I just can't bring myself to watch it on a computer. This is one of those films that needs to be seen on a big screen. Here is a film for the ages. Catch it while you can.
