An outstanding film from the Brazilian silent era

One of the rarest and earliest surviving films from Brazilian silent era, "Aitaré da Praia" is an interesting romantic drama filmed in the coastal area of Recife, showcasing its landscapes, the ocean and a small portion from the city area. It tells the story of the title character (played by Ary Severo, also co-director of the film), a hard working fisherman who falls in love with Cora (Almery Steves), an innocent girl from the place. Their romance is doomed due to the disapproval of her mother (Rosa Temporal) and her prejudices against fishermen, and also the dangerous animosity from Zeno (Claudio José) and his best mate Trahyra (J. Soares, one of the film's writers), rival fishermen of whom they have constant fights and disagreements, reaching violence. Aitaré's best friend Amaro (Mario Cardoso) is very loyal to him and tries to warn his friend whenever there's some danger coming his way, either about the other man or the fury of the ocean.

It's a very good film, with romance, thrills and a great deal of dramatic sequences (such as the rescue of a couple of shipwrecks or the fight between Trahyra and Aitaré on the beach), and a film that deals about the clash of social classes and the miscomunication between both which makes them drift apart from each other and the powerful forces of love and respect are simply not possible in this environment. And the couple struggle a great deal with themselves and the people around them. It was beautifully filmed, mostly well preserved with some flaws and glitches here and there, and I'm glad it survived through all those 100 years. Also impressive and worthy of view is the acting from the cast, they're all good (especially the lead and Cardoso playing Amaro), the framing of their faces allows us to see highly expressive faces of powerful dramatic effect, never forced and always believable.

Only disappointments come from the downer ending (but it's kind of predictable) and a strange use of blackface during the party sequence, a common trend in the American cinema, but I wasn't aware that Brazilian cinema had those issues too - it's a quick moment and far from being offensive, but it's really weird.

Here's a forgotten classic from the silent era of Brazil, still available for new audiences to discover and a film that deserves attention a century later. 9/10.

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)

The romance genre features the theme of romantic relationships and emotional connections between characters. These stories focus on the development of love, desire, and intimacy between protagonists, often exploring the challenges, conflicts, and triumphs that arise in their relationships.

Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca (1942)

The fisherman Aitaré courts Cora, an innocent girl from a small village. Several disagreements separate the heroes, until the expected happy ending.

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood's perfect pairs.

Hollywood Power Couples

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood&#39;s perfect pairs.

See which big screen releases you can watch from the comfort of your couch.

Theatrical Releases Coming to Streaming

See who dazzled on the red carpet and took home gold at the 78th Primetime Creative Emmy Awards.

Aitaré da Praia

Photos17

Top Cast16

User reviews1

Related interests

Storyline

Did you know

Top picks

Details

Tech specs

Contribute to this page

More to explore

Recently viewed