The Maias, a nineteenth century novel in a twenty-first century film: a reinterpretation by the Portuguese director João Botelho

Abstract

João Botelho is a Portuguese filmmaker whose filmography includes prominent filmic productions which celebrate an interpretive reunion with key authors of the Portuguese literature. Thus, it is not surprising that his latest cinematic creation is precisely a literary adaptation of the novel Os Maias by Eça de Queiroz. In this sense, this essay focuses on the analysis of the cinematic transmutation proposed by João Botelho (OS MAIAS, 2014) highlighting the canonical novel’s contemporaneousness, its cinematographic qualities and the artificial and operatic-theatrical character of this literary adaptation. The paper also emphasizes the encounter with the novel; its reinterpretation and appropriation in a gesture of respect for its author and for the novel and simultaneously underlines a purpose of artistic and authorial emancipation where the artificiality plays an important role.