What It's About:

Based on a sprawling 19th-century novel by famous Portuguese author Camilo Castelo Branco, this epic film brims with period color and intrigue. When Joao, a teenaged orphan, asks his caretaker, Padre Dinis (Luz), about his origins, the kindly priest (who holds many secrets himself) discloses that the boy is actually the son of a highborn countess. The Padre even arranges a mother/son reunion when Joao gets injured. This meeting becomes the springboard for a continent-hopping, decade-spanning tale of stories-within-stories, overstuffed with tragic romance, double-crosses, shifting identities, even pirates!

Why I Love It:

Don’t let this stunning film’s four-hour-plus running time deter you from experiencing its expertly crafted pleasures. In what would turn out to be his last film, Portuguese master Ruiz orchestrates a lush, captivating experience that moves with the sort of fleetness one doesn’t normally find in stately costume dramas. Though this dizzyingly ambitious work overflows with juicy subplots and unexpected twists, Ruiz proves himself a sufficiently deft and assured filmmaker to keep us on course and hooked throughout. The result is a cinematic tour de force. By all means, unlock these “Mysteries” as soon as you can.