Search - Voyage to the Beginning of the World on DVD

An act of courage

Carlos Figueiredo | Lisboa, Portugal | 12/21/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"To release a DVD containig a portuguese movie in the american market is, in fact, an act of courage. Manoel de Oliveira is, probably, the best potuguese filmmaker of all time and this movie is a fabulous example of what he can do. It's a personal voyage to the depths of the memory of a man and to the family past of another. Slow paced, very well directed and with a great script, "Voyage to the beggining of the world" is a typical portuguese movie, filled with a sense of nostalgy that defines the portuguese people. Indeed a great movie by a great director, the oldest in the world."

Swan song for Mastroianni

ana_barreto | San Juan, Puerto Rico United States | 02/10/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This exquisite movie is a swan song for Marcello Mastroianni, who plays director Manoel de Oliveira's alter ego in this film.
It is a voyage of introspection and self discovery that appeals to self reflexion and inner thoughts about the past, the present and the future."

Another 100 years....

Grigory's Girl | NYC | 04/28/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is another example of Manoel de Oliveira's brilliance. It's one of his most moving, deeply touching films. It's also the final film of Marcello Mastroianni. It's rather ironic, I think, that Marcello's final film would be in the hands of a Portuguese director, but life is completely unexpected at times. It would make better sense to say that Marcello's final film was with Fellini or Antonioni, but it wasn't. It was with another maestro of cinema, one just as good as the Italian masters and one with his own sense of cinema, style, and depth.

The film unfolds beautifully as a filmmaker named Manoel (played by Marcello) is driving around the Portuguese countryside reminiscing about his past while making a new film. It's easy to read that Marcello is playing de Oliveira himself, but this was far from Manoel's final film (he's made at least 10 films since this one, most of which are masterpieces). The film is beautifully paced, with excellent cinematography, great dialogue, and a deep understanding of art and what it's like to be human. Many people these days don't really "get" Manoel de Oliveira (both film goers and film critics), finding his films too slow, talky, and boring, but they're missing out on a master filmmaker. I think it's because we've become too snarky, smarmy, and cold, and we don't allow ourselves to feel anything when we see a film like this. We're too busy dissing something as languid and as artistic as this film, because we're too "hip" nowadays. Nonsense. De Oliveira, regardless of his age (he just turned 100, and is still active), is a true artist in every sense of the word, and I hope he continues for another 100 years."