Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Semester of Degree Completion
1997
Thesis Director
Mark G. Borzi
Abstract
Manoel de Oliveira is perhaps the most prestigious Portuguese filmmaker of the latter half of the 20th century. His work has influenced Portuguese society as well as the European cultural context. Oliveira's importance is the result of his work, which enhances more "quality" than entertainment, and his years of experience in making films. Three major themes are analyzed in this study, literature, German Expressionism and Existentialism, and the experiences of memory and "saudade." This is a thematic analysis, which aims to identify the themes that emerged through Manoel de Oliveira's own life experiences while being part of trends and movements that characterized the dialectics of the 20th century. The way people interpret a work of art is the way that art will be judged within a specific society. The judgment depends on the audience's willingness to participate in this intriguing process of decoding high art quality.
Recommended Citation
Saiani, Beatriz, "The Inexorable Work Life of Manoel de Oliveira: Addressing the Trends and Movements of the 20th Century as a Form of Understanding the European Film Industry" (1997). Masters Theses. 1849.
https://thekeep.eiu.edu/theses/1849
