MANOEL DE OLIVEIRA
It’s not the age, it’s the quality!
Thank you, thank you, dear sardines. We take such beautiful (and from their point of view, sadly edible) creatures for granted. Maybe Oliveira even has an undersea film in him, a la Cousteau?
Latest being filmed: Gebo et l’Ombre
Set in the late 19th century, about an honoured but poor patriarch who sacrifices himself to protect his fugitive son.
with Claudia Cardinale (a mere kid of 73), Jeanne Moreau (just 83) and Michael Lonsdale (only 80), also Leonor Silveira ( a babe in arms)
Also still awaited: A Igreja do Diabo:
Three connected stories set in Brazil following a visit of devil to earth, a case of adultery and the delusions of an ornithologist.
Wow Kenji,
I can’t wait to see Leonor Silveira again!
I would love to meet her. (Oliveira too of course). Apursansar supplied a great picture of her, i was gonna say what a lovely pear but then on closer inspection saw it was an apple.
Nice.
Happy Birthday to the world’s greatest director! He’s now 103 years old.
He’s already shot «O Gebo e a Sombra» which will premiere at the next cannes film festival, and he’s ready to begin shooting on «A Igreja do Diabo».
AMAZING
still have to catch up on his most recent film
happy birthday MdO!!!
looking forward to this!:
Also still awaited: A Igreja do Diabo
Three connected stories set in Brazil following a visit of devil to earth, a case of adultery and the delusions of an ornithologist
♥♥♥
103 and still going strong! I had some sardines the other day, thinking of him, having also read latest research on the benefits of fish for a healthy mind as well as body
wow he is a living legend. hurray for youtube.
I was pleased to see Strange Case of Angelica was picked as #2 film of the year by Cahiers du Cinema- the French critics have always thought more of him than the British
Angelica is one of his finest films. A romantic poem about love and death with quotations to Oliveira’s favourite directors, like Straub or like John Ford (this vagabond who looks like Francis Ford…). And the way he shoots the religious acts and the peasant work, popular rituals almost forgotten…
I don’t know if Oliveira will be able to do A Igreja do diabo. He wanted to shoot in Brazil, but I guess his age and his health won’t allow him. But well… he’s going to do Gebo et l’ombre and I’m sure he’ll do more films between France and Portugal…
Parabéns, Manoel de Oliveira!
103 and ready for another… Possibly the greatest filmmaker alive.
Happy Birthday Manoel!
Atrasados mas sentidos. Parabéns Mestre Manoel. Mais uma década de si, eh pá vá lá.
Seriously keep it up. Still the best among the best.
@ Kenji “Maybe Oliveira even has an undersea film in him, a la Cousteau?” Seriously? That statement was too cute for words; ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥
@ Dust In Love: o maior ainda é nosso e ainda mexe. Só podemos agradecer aos santinhos. Aha.
@ Twodeadmagpies: he does not have the time to waste on “being fed up with people’s opinions”. He’s better than that. He’s above all that crap. Sure people patronize him a little, but he does not really care. He told Paulo Rocha. “Don’t let anyone tell you how to shoot a film. Do not let yourself be influenced by anyone at all. It’s YOUR film”. That right there made me cry. (When “Angélica” avant-premiered in Lisboa.) He does not fret. He shoots films. Period. That is why he’s the man. The main man. The ultimate survivor. A man with a dream is immortal. Hence why he’s still alive and kicking and well and doing things. He does not stop because my country robbed him too much. Now it’s payback and not even wild horses could “remove” him. Too bad the age card is always mentioned. He could use a little more hype. After all he’s proven himself worthy of that. i wish he’d receive a freakin’ Palme d’Or while he’s still alive and no, honorary awards are no good. That is so ew. Let’s hope.
Chanandre:
Grandes posts aí acerca do Oliveira.
É raro ver alguém que compartilhe o respect que tenho pelo artista.. anda sempre no ar um certo respeitinho pelo velhote e o desdém profundo pela obras, o que me deixa um bocado fodido. Para mim não é o melhor entre os melhores… mas ninguém é melhor do que ele. Penso que o problema em relação à aceitação da obra tem a ver com ideias formatadas de como deve ser um filme, um actor, um diálogo, um plano… Depois há que ver os filmes com alguma ATENÇÂO caralho, um gajo tem que olhar para os filmes com o corpo todo, não é só com os olhos ou só com a parte do cérebro percebe as narrativas, enfim…. Só para acabar… tenho o Kiarostami na mais alta consideração, mas aquela diluição das fronteiras do documentário já o Oliveira tinha feito há muito, com, por exemplo, “Benilde ou a virgem mãe”, e repete a atitude com o “O dia do desespero”… já para não falar do “Douro…” a propósito, em que ano foi isso….? Ainda acerca do tema Kiarostami-Oliveira, veja-se as ultimas cenas de “O sabor da cereja”(1997 )e do “Benilde ou a virgem mãe”(1974?)..
grande abraço
@ João Oliveira 10: ena ficaste todo enervado a falar do nosso Campeão Cinematográfico. Sem dúvida que ele é o maior, não sei se concordo que ele não seja o melhor entre os melhores, mas por outro lado percebo o teu argumento, ele não inventou nada per se, mas por outro lado, não existem dois Oliveiras o que diz rios sobre ele. Ainda não se ama Oliveira e provavelmente nunca se amará, aquelas cenas só nossas. Até o César Monteiro (pelos Mubis) tem ganho muito apreço mas o César sempre teve o factor choque o que é óptimo o Oliveira, já ninguém o vê com olhos de ver há 20 anos…o que é mal feito, pois ele depurou o seu cinema de uma maneira notável. Acho que faz bem à saúde ver filmes dele, é outra montagem, outra paixão pela palavra, outro tempo, outro saber, é outro mundo. Eu espaireço muito. É uma ida ao campo Renoiriano ver um filme dele… Palavras justíssimas: "Penso que o problema em relação à aceitação da obra tem a ver com ideias formatadas de como deve ser um filme, um actor, um diálogo, um plano… " muito bem dito. Neste país de novelas e folhetins um Oliveira é como floresta virgem. É pena. É pena. Sobre o Kiarostami-Oliveira não comento gosto muito de ambos…houve dois episódios caricatos aquando da estreia do Angélica. Uma troca de palavras épica-doce entre o Paulo Rocha e o Oliveira onde o último diz “nunca deixe que ninguém lhe diga o que mudar num filme” e o tom acintoso e fascizóide de uma senhora ao meu lado quando acaba a sessão (entre dentes) “eu gostava de perceber como é que ele faz isto” (ou ainda…). bah. não o merecemos. só dois o amaram à bruta paulo branco e bénard da costa. o resto é tudo falsos aduladores ou haters de serviço. vê o doc da azevedo gomes com ele e e o bénard muito muito bom. este país nunca merece os seus génios. bah. abraço para ti também, óptimo ver outro fãzaço do homem, vou ver o Porto da Minha Infância que é falha minha…tou em pulgas…ainda não vi tudo tudo dele, mas só quero ver em cinema, daí demorar tanto tempo…
:(
On the previous Friday, July 13, he had been admitted to the clinic’s Cardiology Intensive Care Unit for treatment of “congestive heart failure in the context of respiratory infection.” The movie maker remarked that he planned to leave the clinic, because he had “too much to do.” – from here
He is out now! His health is not completely recovered (and I doubt it will be again) but he has been in some events, last week receiving an homage made by the government in Lisbon, today he will be in Guimarães with Claudia Cardinale presenting O Gebo e a Sombra (great great great great great movie)… Oliveira’s health is weak, after 103 years of strenght. I’m not sure if he will still film A Igreja do Diabo. I hope so. THE MASTER, the world’s greatest filmmaker! As Chanandre said, still the best among the best.
Ah, so O Gebo e a Sombra is one of his best?!
Every day, every film is a gift
He’s gonna bury us all. But in all seriousness now, he looks very weak. We’ll see. The man is 103 and still filming…let’s hope for the best. Gebo e a Sombra on Cinemateca, please please. 30 minute standing ovation! I want that so so so so so so so so bad. Coragem Manoel. Precisamos de ti! <3
What a rare pleasure Gebo e a Sombra gives with its lighting, superb performances and masterful use of static camera and confined space. Intimate and riveting rather than claustrophic. Ricardo Trepa’s French was less convincing than the others, and that section lost a little for me, but then he was playing the alienated prodigal son. Opening credits not finished and we already have Leonor Silveira in an Oliveira film, to the sublime music of Sibelius’ Violin Concerto (a work itself in 3 movements/acts)! Rapture enough.
No surprise it’s based on a play. Some might find the film boring, uncinematic and intolerably depressing, but it’s actually quite audacious. Oliveira is far above limited ideas of what is cinema, once again comes up trumps when mixing artforms- few films make theatre so compelling. Hats off to Cardinale, Moreau and Lonsdale- terrific work by those renowned elders- and again Silveira excels, combining integrity, elegance, beauty, intelligence and emotional power. Yes, as i said before, I would love to meet her. The cast speaking in French as Portuguese characters seems a bit incongruous- when 3 are Portuguese- but Oliveira has a knack for rich play with incongruity.
Claudia Cardinale, Leonor Silveira and Jeanne Moreau in a cheerful section of the film
The opening shot of Gebo is so ridiculously beautiful.
And i do love Sibelius! Impeccable taste, Oliveira.
Oooh, it is orgasmic
Being so pared down, most of the film taking place in one room and especially at a table, with a lamp and candlelight, little pleasures count for more; not just the lighting and colour coordination with the golden-yellow crockery and brownish-olive background and clothing, but also the shifts in movement, and how we see the characters, in varying numbers, sometimes aware of a couple sitting behind us/the camera, sometimes one or more off-screen, in a back room or having moved off to the side. Sometimes characters are unaware of being overheard by someone we can see behind them, just as we have characters behind us or out of sight. The shadows come not only from the lighting in the room, but the prodigal son is glimpsed outside as a passing shadow, and Leonor Silveira casts a darker (though not troubling) figure when listening behind Cardinale and Lonsdale.
The lack of camera movement, far from making the film uncinematic, draws our attention to the differences between theatre and cinema- in the latter, awareness of characters behind us (with so much occurring on a straight frontal view across the table). Film can take us for an outside view that could be achieved rather differently with set design in theatre. The long takes, as in carefully rehearsed theatre, are beautifully handled and acted, quietly drawing us in, enabling concentration without rupture. This is no mere shot-reverse shot a la Hollywood; the effect of the long takes before switching to a reverse view is completely different. Why quick editing or throwing the camera around when there’s no need, or an interesting impression can be created otherwise? And the concerto opening complements the “acts” of the film. So the qualities of the film offset the largely doleful atmosphere and emotions- however dismal plot or outcome may be, i don’t think masterful films are really depressing when there is so much to appreciate. And rather than cold nihilism there’s a welcome sense of compassion and decency here.
I’m very keen on seeing The Satin Slipper, but no longer have availability to it :(
toodead
i wonder if he gets fed up about people going on about his age. i wonder at what point it stops being amazing. wonderful man.