Hour of the Star
Encyclopedia
Hour of the Star is a Brazilian film
directed by Suzana Amaral
and released in 1985. The film is an adaptation of a book
by Clarice Lispector
with the same name. In 1986, the actress Marcélia Cartaxo
won the Silver Bear for Best Actress
at the 36th Berlin International Film Festival
, for her role as Macabea.
"Macabea is an example of the mental undevelopment of the poor people of the world," the director, Amaral, has written. "Facing the solitude of the big city, she possesses the emptiness of someone who does not have the means to be cultured." But surely her case is even more extreme than that. Macabea doesn't even possess the culture of poverty; she is simply an emptiness.
The film is reviewed in Pauline Kael
's ninth collection of movie reviews, Hooked
, where she praises it, and particularly the performance of Marcelia Cartaxo. The film gets to you, " and the image of Marcelia Cartaxo's Macabea is what does it - the terrible aloneness of this mass woman, this nothing of a woman whom you wouldn't notice on the street. Umberto D stood for all the proud, angry old people who couldn't live on their pensions, but he was himself too - his own ornery old man. Macabea is most herself in her moments of contentment: she smiles serenely as she celebrates her Sunday by taking a ride in the subway. It's the director's triumph that this girl gets away from her. Numbed as she is, she's as alive as Amaral or you or I, and more mysteriously so."
Cinema of Brazil
Brazilian cinema was introduced early in the 20th century but took some time to consolidate itself as a popular form of entertainment. The film industry of Brazil has gone through periods of ups and downs, a reflection of its dependency on State funding and incentives.- Early days :A couple of...
directed by Suzana Amaral
Suzana Amaral
Suzana Amaral is a Brazilian film director and screenwriter. She had eight children when she entered film school. In 1976 she entered NYU to further her desire to make films....
and released in 1985. The film is an adaptation of a book
The Hour of the Star
The Hour of the Star is a novella by Clarice Lispector published in 1977, shortly before the author's death. In 1985, the novel was adapted by Suzana Amaral into a film of the same name, which won the Silver Bear for Best Actress in the 36th Berlin International Film Festival of 1986...
by Clarice Lispector
Clarice Lispector
Clarice Lispector was a Brazilian writer. Acclaimed internationally for her innovative novels and short stories, she was also a journalist...
with the same name. In 1986, the actress Marcélia Cartaxo
Marcélia Cartaxo
Marcélia Cartaxo is a Brazilian actress. She has appeared in over 30 films and television shows since 1985. She won the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the 36th Berlin International Film Festival for her role in Hour of the Star....
won the Silver Bear for Best Actress
Silver Bear for Best Actress
The Silver Bear for Best Actress is the Berlin International Film Festival's award for achievement in performance by an actress.-Awards:- External links :*...
at the 36th Berlin International Film Festival
36th Berlin International Film Festival
-Jury:* Gina Lollobrigida * Rudi Fehr* Lindsay Anderson* August Coppola* Werner Grassmann* Otar Iosseliani* Norbert Kückelmann* Francoise Maupin* Rosaura Revueltas* Naoki Togawa* Jerzy Toeplitz-Films in competition:...
, for her role as Macabea.
"Macabea is an example of the mental undevelopment of the poor people of the world," the director, Amaral, has written. "Facing the solitude of the big city, she possesses the emptiness of someone who does not have the means to be cultured." But surely her case is even more extreme than that. Macabea doesn't even possess the culture of poverty; she is simply an emptiness.
The film is reviewed in Pauline Kael
Pauline Kael
Pauline Kael was an American film critic who wrote for The New Yorker magazine from 1968 to 1991. Earlier in her career, her work appeared in City Lights, McCall's and The New Republic....
's ninth collection of movie reviews, Hooked
Hooked
Hooked is the ninth collection of movie reviews by the critic Pauline Kael, covering the period from July 1985 to June 1988.All articles in the book originally appeared in The New Yorker....
, where she praises it, and particularly the performance of Marcelia Cartaxo. The film gets to you, " and the image of Marcelia Cartaxo's Macabea is what does it - the terrible aloneness of this mass woman, this nothing of a woman whom you wouldn't notice on the street. Umberto D stood for all the proud, angry old people who couldn't live on their pensions, but he was himself too - his own ornery old man. Macabea is most herself in her moments of contentment: she smiles serenely as she celebrates her Sunday by taking a ride in the subway. It's the director's triumph that this girl gets away from her. Numbed as she is, she's as alive as Amaral or you or I, and more mysteriously so."
Cast
- Marcélia CartaxoMarcélia CartaxoMarcélia Cartaxo is a Brazilian actress. She has appeared in over 30 films and television shows since 1985. She won the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the 36th Berlin International Film Festival for her role in Hour of the Star....
as Macabéa - José DumontJosé DumontJosé Dumont is a Brazilian TV and movie actor, best known for his role as the family father in Behind the Sun , an award-winning film of director Walter Salles...
as Olímpico de Jesus - Tamara Taxman as Glória
- Fernanda MontenegroFernanda MontenegroFernanda Montenegro is a Brazilian stage, television and film actress, mostly recognized for her leading role in Central Station, which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, becoming the first Brazilian actor to be nominated.She is commonly revered as one of Brazil's finest...
as Madame Carlota (the macumbeira)