Francisca

Manoel de Oliveira's 1981 Portuguese film, adapted from Agustina Bessa-Luís's novel, is set in the nineteenth century. The relationship between the writer Camilo and his friend José Augusto turns into a reckoning through Fanny, whom José marries and never touches. Oliveira builds the film entirely theatrically: the actors speak to the camera, the scenes are long and there is little movement. That brings it close to the experience of reading. Its subject is not desire but possession; marriage is used as an instrument of revenge. The director made this film at seventy-three, and it is taken as the start of the longest period of his career. It is difficult to watch and runs long. Who it's for: viewers interested in Portuguese cinema and theatrical formal experiment. Who it's not for: anyone wanting cinematic flow, or put off by dense literary dialogue.