A TALKING PICTURE
Directed & Written by: Manoel de Oliveira.
Produced by: Paulo Branco.
Director of Photography: Emmanuel Machuel.
Edited by: Valérie Loiseleux.
Released by: Kino Video.
Language: Portuguese, French & Greek with English subtitles.
Country of Origin: Portugal/French/Italy. 93 min. Not Rated.
With: Leonor Silveira, Catherine Deneuve, Irene Papas, Stefania Sandrelli, John Malkovich & Filipa de Almeida.
DVD Features: Stills Gallery. Director's filmography. "Manoel de Oliveira: A Career," an essay by Richard Peña, program director, Film Society of Lincoln Center. Trailer.

On a Mediterranean cruise, eight-year-old Maria Joana (Filipa de Almeida) and her mother Rosa Maria (Leonor Silveira), a history professor, embark on a journey from their native Portugal to Bombay, India to meet with Rosa Maria's husband. As they disembark at each port of call, they visit some of the great wonders of civilization - the Egyptian pyramids, the Acropolis, and the lost city of Pompeii - where every shot is composed like a painting.

In each place Maria Joana inundates her mother with poignantly insightful questions and thoughts. And Rosa Maria answers each one patiently and eloquently. "Were the ancient Egyptians civilized because they had slaves?" she asks somewhat confused. "No," laughs her mother, who goes on to explain the architectural marvel of the pyramids. Maria Joana nods knowingly as her mother differentiates a myth from a legend and history from the present. Back on the ship, captain John Walesa (John Malkovich) befriends and introduces them to three strong and intelligent women, who engage in sophisticated political conversation (“What is needed between East and West are convergent values.”) However the film takes a chilling turn at the end, breaking the fairy tale quality of the story.

With it's slow-pacing, beautiful cinematography, and profound dialogue, this meditative film by 95-year-old Manoel de Oliviera is part travelogue and part history lesson. Though largely devoid of drama, it should be watched more for its mesmerizing visuals and charming, insightful dialogue. (A series of stills, among the DVD extras, should be checked out for their sheer visual poetry.) Preeti Mankar
April 13, 2005