Remembrance of Acto da primavera in Manoel de Oliveira’s filmography

This chapter discusses how the political dimension of Manoel de Oliveira’s films is framed by his ethical stance and his interest in experimenting with the infinite possibilities of cinema as a topic, a medium and a craft. Through examining the films in which Oliveira reflects on myths of nationhood against the grain, the chapter argues that they form a polyptych that constitutes a visual program of Oliveira’s theory of cinema. The latter was initially designed in Acto da Primavera (1963) [Rite of Spring], a seminal film in Oliveira’s prolific career that was clearly informed by his Christological vision and faith. The analysis of the polyptych demonstrates how, until O Velho do Restelo (2014) [The Old Man of Belém],[his last film, Oliveira evoked the moral and aesthetic principles on which Rite of Spring was grounded.