Capitu (1968)

Based on the novel Dom Casmurro, by Machado de Assis, first published in 1899.

Man marries his childhood sweetheart. He is happy with her until he begins to suspect his only son's biological father is his deceased best friend.

One could never realize by watching Capitu that it is based on one of the best, perhaps the best, Brazilian novel of all times. This is a mediocre film, shot in a minimalist style that at times borders on the lazy. Also, the length of the film is excessively short to convey all the subtleties of the novel. The actors give passable performances, although they are all or most of them cast against type. I was especially curious about the real age of the leading actress. She looks too old for the title role, and on the Internet her birth year is variously given as 1931 or 1938. Her looks in this film point to the former date as the likelier one. One curiosity about the source novel is that in Brazil  there are heated discussions about whether the title character was really unfaithful. Critics affiliated with the left are generally dismissive about the evidence pointing to the occurrence of adultery; instead, they accuse her husband of being an agent of 19th century patriarchy. I suppose that, on the other hand, they place their unwavering trust on the "me too" accusers of today. After all, the burden of proof is always on the oppressor, and we all know who that is, right?

Rating: 32