Lourdes de Oliveira Movies
- 1960
A typical Brazilian drama with plenty of folklore, music, dance, and local, provincial color, Os Bandeirantes is about Jean (Raymond Loyer), a Frenchman who heads upriver looking for the man who unsuccessfully tried to kill him -- his partner in a shared diamond-mining operation. Jean starts out with vengeance in mind, but by the time he is very far along in his journey he has already been detoured into a series of mini-adventures. Religious processions and their music, several attractive women, fiestas, and other events distract him from his original purpose. By the time he gets anywhere near his goal, he has fallen in love with one of the women he met along the way, and his life and its purpose have changed considerably -- but that does not mean he will not come face-to-face with his treacherous "friend." ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Raymond Loyer, Lourdes de Oliveira, (more)
Black Orpheus (Orfeu Negro) is literally what its title suggests: a retelling of the "Orpheus and Eurydice" legend enacted by black performers. This time the setting is the annual Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Orpheus (Breno Mello) is a streetcar conductor; Eurydice (Marpessa Dawn) has just jilted her lover and is attempting to escape his wrath. Orpheus himself falls in love with Eurydice, whereupon her ex-lover, disguised as the Angel of Death shows up and kills Eurydice. To reclaim his lost love, Orpheus enters "Hell" (the Rio morgue) and uses supernatural methods to revive the dead girl. A multi-award winner on the international film scene, Black Orpheus features a samba musical score by Luiz Bonfa and Antonio Carlos Jobim. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Breno Mello, Marpessa Dawn, (more)
