Two couples, two escapes to the sea, and one Manoel de Oliveira staring directly into your soul.
The battle of the sexes? The forces of despair and seduction? On S. Miguel in the Azores, Rogério, a young man with old money, and his enigmatic wife Leonor host a garden party at their villa. The intriguing guests are an older unmarried couple, the philosophical and observant Irene, and Michel, a roué. While Rogério and Irene talk, Michel and Leonor go down to the sea. The conversations upset Rogério and capture Leonor's imagination. Five years later, the four dine at the villa. Michel and Leonor again leave the other two. Intentions and undercurrents are subtle. One of the four proves strong, one weak, and two must choose. Wind and rain bring down the curtain on both acts.
Acting
Piccoli's roué charm vs. Papas's volcanic restraint.
Direction
At 88, Oliveira makes cinema feel like architecture.
Cinematography
Azorean light that judges everyone equally.
Director
Manoel de Oliveira
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Oliveira was 88 when he directed this, making it part of his astonishing late-career burst that continued until his death at 106.
The film adapts a play by Jacques Natanson, but Oliveira opens it up just enough — those trips to the sea — to make cinema's voyeurism complicit in the seduction.
FR
