Portuguese cinema started with the invention of the cinematic medium and has grown as movies and films have spread around the world. Several Portuguese actors and actresses have gained international acclaim through their talent and dedication to their profession. Just of few of these include Joaquim de Almeida, Beatriz Batarda, and Nuno Lopes. In addition to this the Portuguese cinematic industry has put out numerous entertaining films over the decades showcasing the talent of this great country. Some recent films include “A Bela e o Paparazzo,” “Bobby Cassidy,” and “A Rua.” Several famous directors, such as Manoel de Oliveira, and Alberto Jorge Seixas dos Santos have also helped define and to add to the variety of exciting films coming out of Portugal over the years.
In the early days of Portuguese cinema in the late 1890’s there were only silent films. These could be seen using the Edison Kinetograph which was one of the first types of projectors to show moving pictures. Some of these first films were simple constructs, usually showing a horse or dog running. Generally it took over 1,000 photo slides to show a short film of 20 seconds.
As people became more familiar with the medium, actors and actresses started to play important roles. Some of the earliest films to be shown at the Real Colyseu of the Rua da Palma in Lisbon were “The Train,” and “Parisian Balls.” The first Portuguese film was “Saída do Pessoal da Fábrica Confiança” by Aurélio Paz dos Reis. The first Portuguese producing house called Portugal Film was founded by Costa Veiga in Algés. The first true Portuguese movie theatre, the Salão Ideal ao Loreto, opened in 1904. João Freire Correia was one of the first Portuguese directors to have success with popular films such as “O Terramoto de Benavente,” and “A Cavalaria Portuguesa,” which featured exciting footage of the famous horse cavalry of Portugal.
Some of the early attempts at adding sound to movies started to take place in 1908. The technique used to add sound was called Animatógrafo Falado or spoken animatograph. They did this by using a group of people to make noises and read the text of the movie while it played in the background. They tried to sync everything up to the action in the film.
Through the 1910’s and 1920’s the prominent film production house in Portugal was Invicta Films, created by Nunes de Mattos. They produced many films and documentaries during this time such as “O Naufrágio do Silurian,” (The Sinking of the Silurian). Several other production houses started during the 1920’s including Caldevilla Film. Most of these hired talent from other countries to use their knowledge and expertise in Portugal.
When the roaring 20’s came to a close, Portuguese cinema started to change, inspired by the designs of the Russian, German, and French cinema. Some of the early stars during this time included Vasco Santana, Maria Matos, and Brunilde Júdice. Around this time as well, Leitão de Barros began filming on 9.5 mm in Nazaré. He eventually would produce the first Portuguese talkie, “A Severa” which was based on a novel by Júlio Dantas.
As Europe turned to war and hardship in the 1930’s and 1940’s and the right wing party rose to power in Portugal, new films started cropping up that were musicals and comedies. These lighter matters were an attempt to take people’s minds off the hardships around them. Some famous movies from this time period include “O Costa Castelo” (1943), and “O Pátio das Cantigas” (1941). Also during the decade of the 1940’s the state party of Portugal started to look towards movies as a way to move forward with its nationalist, conservative agenda through propaganda. Some of these nationalistic and period history films include “Inês de Castro” (1945), and “Capas Negras.” (1947). Featured in many films during this time was famous Portuguese singer Amália Rodrigues.
The 1950’s saw little changes in Portuguese cinema with most movies very similar to those made in previous decades. Government censorship was strong and the colonial empire was glorified. One example of this is the film “Chaimite” (1953).
The 1960’s started to see new changes in cinema and was dubbed Cinema Novo (New Cinema). Directors popular during this time include Paulo Rocha, and Fernando Lopes. They were strongly influenced by the styles of Nouvelle Vague and Italian Neo-Realism. Innovative and exciting films also emerged during this time, including “Belarmino” (1964) and “O Cerco” (1969).
The seventies generation was able to explore new freedoms and liberties, looking into politics and sexuality. Many of the former Portuguese colonies also joined in this cinematic revolution, adding to the talent pool and variety of films. Many of the styles and themes developed during this period continued into the late 1980’s.
Over the last several years many new Portuguese films have been produced and released, showcasing the variety of talent coming from the great nation of Portugal. One of the most successful recent films was “O Crime do Padre Amaro” (2005) which grossed more than 1.3 million euro. Expect many more feature films and documentaries in the coming years as Portuguese cinema continues to shine.
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