Review of Mysteries of Lisbon (2010) by Gary M — 31 Jan 2012
3: It is easy to get a bit lost over the four and half hours or so of meandering that is the Mysteries of Lisbon. It is by no means a typical epic, as there are very little grand gestures, either visual or aural.
The music is often nonexistent and rarely noticeable. There basically is no action, nor are there sweeping shots of wide landscapes. It does contain innumerable shots of majestic and beautiful interiors of 19th century Europeans homes, palaces, and monasteries, but these remind one more of a chamber piece than a grand epic.
The narrative is somewhat disjointed and hard to follow as well, as we are constantly being thrust forwards and backwards in time and introduced or reintroduced to a fairly broad range of characters. Ruiz doesn't seem to be so much concerned with narrative thrust, which I'd say can partially be explained by the fact that this was originally a television miniseries.
I'd say it makes a bit more sense if one approaches it from that aspect. It's an interesting and unique film that, more than anything else, made me think more about the differences between continental society/aristocracy and the British version.
Based on virtually everything I've read, in novels like Vanity Fair or Barry Lyndon, or seen in innumerable films, there really do seem to be some rather remarkable differences between the two. I'd say I prefer the British style more than any other.
I wouldn't have enjoyed this picture nearly as much as I did if not for the ending moments. Whether one takes this literally or not, it is a remarkable conclusion. It gave me goosebumps and made me consider the similarities between dreams, life, and film.
They all seem to be jumbled together in the end to the point where one is indifferentiable from the other. It's as if Raoul Ruiz, who made 113 films over the course of his career, knew that this would be his final film and that he was approaching death.
All we see is white at the very end. It seems somehow very profound, apt, and omniscient.
This review of Mysteries of Lisbon (2010) was written by Gary M on 31 Jan 2012.
Mysteries of Lisbon has generally received positive reviews.
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