Movies by Manoel de Oliveira

Manoel de Oliveira was a true cinematic visionary, whose prolific career spanned over eight decades and defied the conventional norms of filmmaking. As one of the world's oldest working directors, Oliveira's singular approach to cinema challenged audiences with its avant-garde sensibilities and deep contemplation of the human condition. Emerging from the city-symphony tradition of the 1930s, Oliveira's early documentaries, such as the acclaimed Douro, Faina Fluvial, showcased his keen eye for capturing the rhythms and textures of urban life. However, it was with his feature film debut, the lyrical Aniki-Bóbó, that Oliveira began to develop the meditative, slow-paced style that would become his trademark. Influenced by the philosophical musings of figures like Dostoyevsky and Proust, Oliveira's films often unfolded at a deliberate pace, inviting the viewer to engage deeply with his characters and their intricate emotional landscapes. From the poetic reverie of The Strange Case of Angelica to the historical tableaux of The Panels of São Vicente de Fora, Oliveira's diverse body of work stands as a testament to his unwavering artistic vision. Even in his later years, the director continued to push the boundaries of cinematic form, as evidenced by thought-provoking works like Gebo and the Shadow and The Conquered Conqueror. By seamlessly blending the real and the imagined, the past and the present, Oliveira's films invite us to contemplate the very nature of existence, leaving an indelible mark on the medium he so passionately devoted his life to.