简介：In1992OliveiramadeODiadoDesespero,whichdealswiththelastdaysandsuicideofRomanticnovelistCamiloCasteloBrancoandisbasedlargelyonthewriter'sletters.MostofitwasfilmedinthehousewhereCasteloBrancoinfactcommittedsuicide.Thefilmopens,midwaythroughthecredits,witha50-secondstaticshotofapen-and-inkportraitofthewriter.Otherportraits,alwaysshotwithastaticcamera,punctuatethefilm'snarrative,lendingitadocumentarytonefromtheoutset. Thespectatormightexpect,atthispoint,thatthe“story”willnowbegin.However,themanseatedatthedeskstandsup,facesthecamera,andintroduceshimselfastheactorMárioBarroso,whowillbeplayingtheroleofCamiloCasteloBranco(andwhoplayedCasteloBrancointheearlierFrancisca),andoffersinformationaboutthewriter.Abitlaterinthefilm,AnaMadruga,theactresswhoplaysCasteloBranco'scompanionAnaPlácido,doesthesamething,atthesametimebrieflyservingasa“guide”totheCasteloBrancomuseumwherethefilmwasshot.Despitetheexistenceoftheseostensibly“documentary”elements–thehouse,theportraits,theactorspresentingthemselvesassuch–ODiadeDesespero,Oliveirainsists,isafictionfilm,butitisonethatrefusestodeceivethespectator(inBaecqueandParsi,56)bypretendingtobewhatitisnot.InODiadeDesesperoandotherfilms,ManoeldeOliveiraquestionstheontologicalstatusofsuchtermsas“fiction”and“documentary”andchallenges,throughthepursuitofhisowncinematicvision,someofthefilmicandnarrativeconventionsthathavecometodominatemainstreamcommercialcinema.Hisfilmsalsochallengethespectatortothinkabout,ratherthanpassivelyaccept,thatwhichisshownonthescreen.…