Mysteries of Lisbon [Blu-ray]

This is not my story to tell...
Thanks to my Spaniard friends, this epic masterpiece of a film didn't go unnoticed by me. It's truly tragic that films this glorious will most likely slip through the fingers of many Americans, simply because it has subtitles and because the distribution here in the States is merely a whisper. Honestly, if I happened to see this without the foreknowledge that it was worth watching, I may have passed it over for something more widespread. Instead, thanks to a few friends overseas, who happened to have indulged in this film months ago and have been chatting it up ever since, I scooped this up the second it was available on DVD.

Thank you GOD!

At four and half hours in length, `Mysteries of Lisbon' may be the longest film I've ever watched; but in all realities it is most likely the most rewarding. Without much background information (my friends were wise enough to keep details to a minimum) I sat back to soak in this film almost blind, only knowing that I was...

Beautiful, but not for everybody
I saw this movie based on the two disc blu-ray format. It was a pleasure to watch and was not "long" as many reviewers complain.

It must be said, however, that this is not a movie for everyone. It is a successful adaptation of a classic novel. Complex novels typically get a short shrift in film format. I would say that the best way to treat a great novel is to see it in installments. Charles Dickens wrote most of his novels as a series of installments. The same can be said of Camilo Castelo Branco, the author of the novel this movie is based on.

This movie will appeal to lovers of world literature. If you are comfortable curling up with the "Brothers Karamazov" you will appreciate (if not like) this movie. Even the staunchest critics admit it is gorgeous to look at. But the strength of this movie is the literary work itself. Yes, it is difficult to follow which requires effort on the viewers part. And the languages are difficult to follow as well. Whereas the...

The labyrinth of memory
Raul Ruiz's extraordinary MYSTERIES OF LISBON is almost certainly one of the greatest cinematic achievements of recent years, a sumptuous epic that marries old-fashioned story with decidedly contemporary storytelling. In bringing these melodramatic tales to life with such insightful visual direction (which pays homage to its forebears, films like CITIZEN KANE, THE LEOPARD and BARRY LYNDON), Ruiz unearths great depth of emotion and insight, exploring questions of sin, grace, and identity.

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