Five out of
Five stars
Running time:
266 mins
An exquisitely crafted, multi-stranded period epic from the master of dream cinema, Raúl Ruiz.
What’s it all about?
Raúl Ruiz, that singular force in arthouse cinema who died earlier this year, will be sorely missed. One of his last projects was the mammoth Mysteries of Lisbon, a sprawling adaptation of 19th century Portuguese writer Camilo Castelo Branco’s novel. The opening titles set the tone: “It is not a work of fiction,” they warn “but a diary of suffering.”
The story opens on 14 year old Joao (Joao Arrais), a lonely, bullied orphan desperate to learn about his past. With the help of his guardian, Father Dinis (Adriano Luz) he becomes acquainted with his mother (Maria Joao Bastos), a countess who has been brutally treated by her husband. She in turn recounts the story of Joao’s father, an impoverished nobleman who was forbidden by her father from marrying her. In this epic family puzzle, we are catapulted from one story to another, as Ruiz spins a web of mysteries that takes us across generations and from one tragic romance to another.
The Good
As one tale of doomed love and tortured lives gives way to another, and narrators are usurped by other storytellers, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the four hour long period marathon has a bottomless narrative. This is a film to lose yourself in. Despite its extremely long running time, it is an utterly intriguing and beautifully-shot labyrinth, with a lyrical voiceover, serene cinematography and stellar arthouse cast. All the tropes and themes of melodramatic period epics are here – thwarted romance, jealous husbands, lost love, vengeance – but Ruiz stamps them with his uniquely delirious and theatrical touch.
The Great
This is a truly elegant piece of filmmaking. Ruiz works his optical magic, ensuring that the adventurous and sumptuous cinematography more than matches his beguiling, swirling plot. His camera delights in mirrors and reflections, spying on characters through doorways and curtains, taking full advantage of unusual angles. In one particularly memorable scene, the camera even swings like a pendulum above the action. The word painterly is often bandied about when discussing lavish cinematography, but here with Ruiz’s shadowy, candle-lit interiors, it’s totally justified.
Worth Seeing?
Mysteries of Lisbon is a poetic and phantasmagoric tale of 19th century intrigue, passion and heartache, and a fairytale and dream all rolled into one; and this four hour, retina-entrancing odyssey offers the perfect refuge as winter descends.