Mistérios de Lisboa

  • 330'
  • Portugal
  • 2010
Ageing Chilean master Raúl Ruiz previously created a mosaic labyrinthine narrative in his film version of Proust’s Le temps retrouvé (1999). The four-and-a-half hour, breathtaking Mysteries of Lisbon, announced by Ruiz himself as possibly his last film, is also based on a 19th-century epic novel, by Camilo Castelo Branco.
The pivot of an ingenious plot is the bastard son Joao, who wants to know who his parents are. The priest who cares for him reunites him with his mother, a stunningly beautiful duchess. Then a spiral of narrative lines unravels in which countless characters pass by. Their fates come together, fall apart and flow back together again. All turn out to have a secret identity - even Joao is not who he seems.
With the aid of majestic camerawork and opulent compositions of aristocratic interiors, Ruiz makes an imposing mammoth film, elegant costume drama and sparkling fairytale.
  • 330'
  • Portugal
  • 2010
Director
Raúl Ruiz
Countries of production
Portugal, France
Year
2010
Festival Edition
IFFR 2011
Length
330'
Medium
DVD
International title
Mysteries of Lisbon
Languages
Portuguese, French
Producer
Paulo Branco
Production Company
Clap Filmes
Sales
Alfama Films
Screenplay
Carlos Saboga, based on the novel by Camilo Castelo Branco
Cinematography
André Szankowski
Editor
Valéria Sarmiento
Production Design
Isabel Branco
Sound Design
Ricardo Leal
Music
Jorge Arriagada, Luís Freitas Branco
Cast
Joana de Verona Correia Vilela Machado, Rui Miguel Alves Neto, Adriano Luz
Website
http://www.misteriosdelisboa.com
Director
Raúl Ruiz
Countries of production
Portugal, France
Year
2010
Festival Edition
IFFR 2011
Length
330'
Medium
DVD
International title
Mysteries of Lisbon
Languages
Portuguese, French
Producer
Paulo Branco
Production Company
Clap Filmes
Sales
Alfama Films
Screenplay
Carlos Saboga, based on the novel by Camilo Castelo Branco
Cinematography
André Szankowski
Editor
Valéria Sarmiento
Production Design
Isabel Branco
Sound Design
Ricardo Leal
Music
Jorge Arriagada, Luís Freitas Branco
Cast
Joana de Verona Correia Vilela Machado, Rui Miguel Alves Neto, Adriano Luz
Website
http://www.misteriosdelisboa.com