Blood

A father dies. Two sons are left: seventeen year old Vicente and his small brother Nino. They tell nobody, because if they do Nino will be taken and put in an institution. The father had debts and the creditors come to the door. Vicente works, looks after his brother and tries to keep it hidden. A woman, Clara, begins to help them. But hiding it does not last long. Pedro Costa writes and directs. The film is in black and white. It is his first feature. Costa later became known for films shot in the poor districts of Lisbon that come close to documentary; this first one is entirely stylised. The visual language belongs to classic cinema: deep shadow, night scenes and framed faces. Costa names American noir and French cinema among his influences. The narrative explains nothing; the reasons for events and the characters' pasts are not given, and the film proceeds like a fable. The subject is the end of childhood: Vicente stops being a child with no preparation for it. It attracted little interest in Portugal on release and was reassessed later; it is cited as Costa's starting point. Who it is for: viewers who like Portuguese cinema and formally severe first features. Who it is not for: the narrative is unclear, the pace is slow, and the film answers no questions.