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IMDb > Vale Abraão (1993)

Vale Abraão (1993) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
7.3/10   318 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 22% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Manoel de Oliveira
Writers:
Agustina Bessa-Luís (novel)
Manoel de Oliveira (adaptation)
Contact:
View company contact information for Abraham Valley on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
1 September 1993 (France) more
Genre:
Drama more
Plot:
Ema is a very attractive but innocent girl, so pretty that cars crash in her presence. Young marries Dr... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
2 wins more
User Comments:
The masterpiece of Portuguese cinema more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Leonor Silveira ... Ema Cardeano Paiva
Cécile Sanz de Alba ... Ema (young)
Luís Miguel Cintra ... Carlo Paiva
Ruy de Carvalho ... Paulino Cardeano
Luís Lima Barreto ... Pedro Luminares
Micheline Larpin ... Simona
Diogo Dória ... Fernando Osorio
José Pinto ... Caires
Filipe Cochofel ... Fortunato
João Perry ... Pedro Dossem
Glória de Matos ... Maria do Loreto
António Reis ... Semblano
Isabel Ruth ... Ritinha
Dina Treno ... Branca
Dalila Carmo ... Marina (as Dalila Carmo e Sousa)
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Abraham Valley (International: English title)
Abraham's Valley (International: English title)
Val Abraham (France)
Valley of Abraham (USA) (festival title)
more
Runtime:
187 min | Portugal:203 min (director's cut)
Language:
Portuguese
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.66 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby
Filming Locations:
Peso da Regua, Portugal more

Fun Stuff

Soundtrack:
Clair de Lune (Mondnacht) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful:-
The masterpiece of Portuguese cinema, 3 October 2008
10/10
Author: Marc from Buenos Aires, Argentina

"Abraham's Valley" may be the most extraordinary achievement for Portuguese cinema, and puts Manoel de Oliveira on a level with the world's greatest directors who were equally able to create an unmistakably personal style on their exploration of the human condition. I agree with the first commentator that one cannot speak of an adaptation of Flaubert's novel, but it should also be pointed out that de Oliveira – maybe comparable to Robert Bresson's film versions of Dostoyevsky – conveys the theme into his very own perception of the world, and leaves behind the source in his search for the profound depths of it to create something likewise outstanding, like only a true genius can. The rigid and formal aestheticism which de Oliveira had been developing in more than 60 years as a filmmaker transcends into a perfect composition, which owns a lot to the original marvel of static shots in early silent cinema and the eclectic rigours of Dreyer and Straub/Huillet, so that the few times the camera actually moves it creates an amazing effect on the viewer. The antique decoration as well as spellbinding landscapes of the Portuguese valley reshape the baroque feeling of "Abraham's Valley", a film which is guided by an omniscient voice over but nonetheless always centering around the stunning beauty of main actress Leonor Silveira. Alongside Béla Tarr's "Sátántangó" and Edward Yang's "A Brighter Summer Day" this might be the greatest masterpiece of the 90s, but since the critical world still doesn't seem to be willing to give credit to Portuguese films which doesn't star international actors one might just be lucky to catch this film during a retrospective in some hidden cinematheque.

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