Resoluções Cinematográficas 2023 / 12 classics for 2023

 

Depois de um intervalo de cinco anos, elas voltaram: minhas resoluções de Ano Novo, consistindo em assistir a 12 clássicos que ainda não vi. Este ano, além de preencher alguns buracos relativos aos meus conhecimentos sobre cinema, eu decidi duas coisas.

After a five-year hiatus, they are back: my New Year’s Resolutions to watch 12 classics I haven’t already checked. This year, besides diminishing the gap of my film knowledge, I decided two other things.

A primeira é que vou escolher filmes que podem não ser clássicos “obrigatórios”, mas que mesmo assim estão ao meu redor em DVDs que não vi ou em gravações. É uma chance d tirar títulos da minha watchlist... para dar lugar a mais filmes! E, escrevendo sobre um deles todo mês, evito um problema que sempre acontecia: eu chegava em dezembro com vários dos 12 clássicos ainda por assisitir.

The first one is that I’ll choose films that may not be “mandatory” classics, but nevertheless are around me on DVDs I haven’t touched or DVR recordings. It’s a chance to get things of my watchlist… to have more room for more films! And, by doing one every month, I don’t have the problem that always happened: I arrived in December with still several of my 12 classics to watch.

A segunda coisa é, já disse, que vou escrever sobre um filme da lista por mês aqui no blog. Conforme minha carreira como crítica de cinema evoluiu, passei a escrever menos neste blog, focando mais nos filmes que estreavam e escrevendo para outros sites. Mas o Crítica Retrô é o começo de tudo, e meu amor pelos clássicos não mudou. Esses artigos são também uma maneira de sacudir as coisas neste blog, pois venho escrevendo aqui principalmente para blogathons.

The second one is that, as I said, I’ll review one film from the list every month here on the blog. As my career as a film critic evolved, I’ve written less on this blog, focusing more on films that are premiering now and writing for other websites. But Crítica Retrô is the beginning of everything, and my love for classics hasn’t changed. These reviews are also a way to shake things up on this blog, as I’ve been writing here mainly for blogathons.

Então aqui estão: os meus 12 clássicos para 2023:

So here they are: my 12 classics for 2023:

The End of the World / Verdens Undergang (1916)

Madame DuBarry (1919)

O Mosqueteiro / The Three Must-Get-Theres (1922)

Nana (1926)

Vozes do Coração / Torch Singer (1933)

Como Gosteis / As You Like It (1936)

Seu Último Refúgio / High Sierra (1941)

Uma Aventura em Paris / Reunion in France (1942)

Os Contos de Hoffmann / Tales of Hoffmann(1951)

O Almoço sobre a Relva / Picnic on the Grass (1959) 

Por que deu a louca no Sr R? / Where Does Herr R. Run Amok? (1970)

A Cicatriz / The Scar (1976)

Lost in Translation: odd classic film titles in Portuguese – film noir edition

 

Noirvember has arrived and with it the urge to watch foggy detective stories or films with iconic femme fatales. That’s why we bring for you today another post in the “Lost in Translation” series. This time, with good news: “Lost in Translation” was nominated for Best Classic Movie Series in the latest Classic Movie Blog Association Awards. We didn’t win, but it’s truly an honor to be nominated. Now, let’s go on with the list – remembering that titles that do not appear here were translated verbatim:

 

“Double Indemnity” (1944) became “Blood Pact” (“Pacto de Sangue”)

 

“Murder, my Sweet” (1944) is here “See You, Darling” (“Até a Vista, Querida”)  

 

“Detour” (1945) is known as “Destiny’s Curve” (“Curva do Destino”)

 

“My Name is Julia Ross” (1945) was called here “Tragical Alibi” (“Trágico Álibi”)

 

“The Big Sleep” (1946) was translated as “On the Verge of the Abism” (“À Beira do Abismo”)

 

“Out of the Past” (1947) is here “Fugue from the Past” (“Fuga do Passado”)

 

“Criss Cross” (1949) received the title “Meanness” (“Baixeza”)

 

“Caught” (1949) is here “Prisoner Heart” (“Coração Prisioneiro”)

 

The historical noir “Reign of Terror”(also known as “The Black Book”, 1949) was called here “The Shadow of the Guillotine” (“A Sombra da Guilhotina”)

 

“The Asphalt Jungle” (1950) is known as “The Secret of the Jewels” (“O Segredo das Joias”)

 

“In a Lonely Place” (1950) was translated as “In the Silence of the Night” (“No Silêncio da Noite”)

 

“Sunset Boulevard” (1950) became “Dawn of the Gods” (“Crepúsculo dos Deuses”)

 

“The Big Heat” (1953) received the title “The Corrupts” (“Os Corruptos”)

 

“Kiss Me Deadly” (1955) is here “Death in a Kiss” (“A Morten um Beijo”)

 

“The Big Combo” (1955) received the title “Crime Empire” (“Império do Crime”)

 

Stanley Kubrick’s “The Killing” (1956) is here “The Great Coup” (“O Grande Golpe”)

 

“Sweet Smell of Success” (1957) is known as “The Inebriation of Success” (“A Embriaguez do Sucesso”)

 

“Touch of Evil” (1958) is here “The Mark of Wickdness” (“A Marca da Maldade”)

Lost in Translation: odd classic film titles in Portuguese - Hitchcock edition

 

August is a very Hitchcockian month. It marks Alfred Hitchcock’s birthday- on August 13th - and also the birthday of his wife and constant collaborator, Alma Reville - on August 14th. They were both born in 1899, which means that Alfred was only one day older than Alma!

I’ve written about Hitchcock’s life and work in several occasions over the years - I even wrote the opening article for a book about the Master of Suspense. He may not be my all-time favorite director - the soft spot in my heart belongs to my almost alter-ego Orson Welles - but, like many cinephiles and most classic film fans, I hold Hitchcock dearly. Now let’s take a look at how the titles of his movies were translated to Portuguese! As always, the titles not mentioned here were translated verbatim.

 

“Downhill” (1927) became “Decadence” (“Decadência”)

 

“Easy Virtue” (1927) is here “Public Woman” (“Mulher Pública”)

 

“The Manxman” (1929) received the title “Between the Law and the Heart” (“Entre a Lei e o Coração”)

 

“Blackmail” (1929) is known as “Blackmail and Confession” (“Chantagem e Confissão”)

 

“The Skin Game” (1931) became “Dirty Game” (“Jogo Sujo”)

 

“Number 17” (1932) is here “The Mystery of Number 17” (“O Mistério do N° 17”)

 

“Sabotage” (1936) received, on the original release, the title…. “The Husband was Guilty” (“O Marido era o Culpado”)

 

“The Lady Vanishes” (1938) is known as “The Hidden Woman” (“A Mulher Oculta”)

“Jamaica Inn” (1939) became “The Damned Inn” (“A Estalagem Maldita”)

 

“Rebecca” (1940), Hitchcock’s first Hollywood movie, received here a subtitle: “Rebecca, the Unforgettable Woman” (“Rebecca, a Mulher Inesquecível”)

 

“Mr and Mrs Smith” (1941) got a slang as a title that can be translated as “A Naughty Couple” (“Um Casal do Barulho”)

 

“Lifeboat” (1944) is known as “One Boat and Nine Destinies” (“Um Barco e Nove Destinos”)

 

“Spellbound” (1945) became “When the Heart Talks” (“Quando Fala o Coração”)

 

“Notorious” (1946) received the title “Interlude” (“Interlúdio”)

 

“The Paradine Case” (1947) is here “Love Agony” (Agonia de Amor”)

 

“Rope” (1948) is known as “Diabolical Feast” (“Festim Diabólico”)

 

“Stage Fright” (1950) got the title “Terror Backstage” (“Pavor nos Bastidores”)

 

“Strangers on a Train” (1951), my favorite Hitchcock movie, is here “Sinister Pact” (“Pacto Sinistro”)

 

“I Confess” (1953), became “The Torture of Silence” (“A Tortura do Silêncio”)

 

“Rear Window” (1954), is known here as “Indiscreet Window” (“Janela Indiscreta”)

“To Catch a Thief” (1955) received the title “White Collar Thief” (“Ladrão de Casaca”)

 

“The Trouble with Harry” (1955) is here “The Third Shot” (“O Terceiro Tiro”)

 

The masterpiece “Vertigo” (1958) received the title “A Body that Falls” (“Um Corpo que Cai”)

 

“North by Northwest” (1959) is known here as “International Intrigue” (“Intriga Internacional”)

 

“Psycho” is here “Psychosis” (“Psicose”)

 

“Marnie” (1964) also received a subtitle: “Marnie, Confessions of a Thief” (“Marnie, Confissões de uma Ladra”)

 

“Family Plot” (1976), Hitchcock’s final movie, is known as “Macabre Plot” (“Trama Macabra”)

Quatro filmes noir que eu amo / Four favorite noirs

 

Feliz Dia do Cinema Clássico! O Rick do blog Classic Film & TV Café adora propor para nós, blogueiros, um desafio para celebrar este dia. Este ano ele pediu para nós elencarmos nossos quatro filmes noir favoritos... espere, só quatro? Sim, só quatro, e “favoritos” é modo de dizer. Ele pediu para indicarmos quatro noirs de que gostamos, ou que achamos subestimados, ou que devem ser vistos muitas vezes...Você entendeu. Então aqui estão, os quatro noirs que eu gostaria de indicar:

Happy National Classic Movie Day! Rick from the blog Classic Film & TV Café loves to give us, bloggers, a challenge to celebrate this day. This year he asked us for our four favorite noirs... wait, only four? Yes, only four, and “favorites” is a way of saying. He asked us to highlight four noirs that we like, or we think are underseen, or are worth watching several times... You get it. So here they are, the four noirs I want to highlight: 

A Dama de Xangai (1947): Não apenas um dos meus noirs favoritos, mas também um dos meus filmes favoritos da vida. Lindamente fotografado, ele conta a malfadada história de Michael O’Hara (Orson Welles, que também foi diretor, produtor e roteirista), contratado por um advogado manco, Arthur Bannister (Everett Sloane). Michael se envolve com a esposa de Bannister, Elsa (Rita Hayworth, em processo de divórcio de Welles na época) e... bem, há derramamento de sangue. Eu adora a parte sobre os tubarões brasileiros vistos em Frotaleza por um jovem Michael, e também o clímax numa sala de espelhos. Leia mais sobre “A Dama de Xangai” AQUI.

Lady from Shanghai (1947): Not only one of my favorite noirs, also one of my favorite movies ever. Beautifully shot, it tells the ill-fated story of Michael O’Hara (Orson Welles, who also directed and produced the film and wrote the screenplay), hired by a lawyer with a limp, Arthur Bannister (Everett Sloane). Michael becomes involved with Bannister’s wife Elsa (Rita Hayworth, divorcing Welles at the time) and…well, there’s blood. I love the bit about the Brazilians sharks seen in the city of Fortaleza by a younger Michael, and also the climax in a room full of mirrors. Read more about “The Lady from Shanghai” HERE.

A Sombra da Guilhotina (1949): O filme noir é parte da História, mas este é ainda mais histórico que a maioria. Ambientado nos anos 1790, no Período do Terror da Revolução Francesa, em inglês ele é conhecido pelos títulos “Reign of Terror” e “The Black Book”. O tal livro negro é onde estão escritos todos os nomes dos “inimigos da França”, um livro que precisa ser recuperado por Robespierre (interpretado por Richard Basehart). Se Robespierre conseguir o livro, ele terá tudo de que precisa para se tornar um ditador, por isso uma rede de resistência é formada por toda a França, e entre os membros desta rede temos Madelon (Arlene Dahl). O uso de sombras e a iluminação são os destaques deste noir histórico. Leia mais sobre “A Sombra da Guilhotina” AQUI.

Reign of Terror (1949): Film noir is part of History, but this one is more historic than most. Set in the 1790s, the time of the Reign of Terror in the French Revolution, it is also known by the title “The Black Book”. That book is where all the names of the “enemies of France” are written, a book that needs to be recovered by Robespierre (played by Richard Basehart). If Robespierre gets the book, he will have everything needed to become a dictator, so a resistance network is formed all over France, and among the members of this network we have Madelon (Arlene Dahl). The use of shadows and the lighting are the highlights of this historical noir. Read more about “Reign of Terror aka The Black Book” HERE.

Na Senda do Crime (1954): Este noir brasileiro é uma mistura de “O Segredo das Joias” (1950) com “A Força do Mal” (1947) – filme este que é evocado no tensto clímax. “Na Senda do crime” conta a história do bancário Sergio (Miro Cerni), que roba uma mansão com três amigos. Sergio coloca o dinheiro roubado numa conta que pertence à garota que gosta dele, mas ao mesmo tempo Sergio está saindo com uma cantora e decide que é uma boa ideia presenteá-la com uma joia roubada. O diretor de teatro Flaminio Bollini Cerri dirigiu apenas este filme no Brasil antes de voltar para a Itália, sua terra natal.

Na Senda do Crime (1954): This Brazilian noir is a mix of “The Asphalt Jungle” (1950) with “Force of Evil” (1948) – a film evoked in the tense climax. Translated as “Road to Crime”, it tells the story of bank clerk Sergio (Miro Cerni), who robs a mansion with three friends. Sergio puts the stolen money in an account that belongs to a girl who likes him, but at the same time Sergio goes out with a singer and decides it’s a good idea to give her a stolen jewel as a gift. Theater director Flaminio Bollini Cerri only made this movie in Brazil before going back to his native Italy.

Los Tallos Amargos (1956): Este noir argentino nos ensina que o jornalismo pode ser mortal – mas não como em “A Montanha dos Sete Abutres” (1951). Em “Los Tallos Amargos”, dois homens começam um esquema corrupto vendendo cursos de jornalismo por correspondência. Esses dois homens são o desiludido Alfredo (Carlos Cores) e o imigrante grego Liudas (Vassili Lambrinos), ambos interpretados por dois atores extremamente populares na Argentina na época. Um noir incomum, ele não tem femme fatales, mas sim um pobre coitado como protagonista – Alfredo – e muita paranoia e mentiras – e até uma fantástica sequência de sonho! É um filme único, que todos os amantes de filmes noir devem assistir. Mais sobre ele e um neo-noir argentino AQUI.

Los Tallos Amargos (1956): This Argentinian noir teaches us that journalism can be deadly – but not like “Ace in the Hole” (1951). In “Los Tallos Amargos” (translated as “The Bitter Stems”), two men start a corrupt scheme by selling courses of journalism by mail. These two men are the disillusioned Alfredo (Carlos Cores) and the Greek expatriate Liudas (Vassili Lambrinos), both played by extremely popular actors of the time in Argentina. An uncommon noir, it has no femme fatales, but a poor devil as a lead – Alfredo – and a lot of paranoia and lies – and even a fantastic dream sequence! It’s a unique film, one that all lovers of film noir should watch. Read more about “Los Tallos Amargos” and also an Argentinian neo-noir HERE.