ODETE

Portugal, 2005, 101 minutes, Colour.
Joao Carreira, Anna Cristina de Oliveira.
Directed by Jao Pedro Rodrigues.

The publicity caption reads, ‘Love can conquer death’. The way that it works out in Odete is not what audiences would be expecting.

Director Rodrigues is interested in gay themes as in his Cannes 2000 entry, O Fantasma. Odete begins with the accidental death of a gay lover (Pedro) and his partner’s grief. However, the action centres on a supermarket clerk, Odete, who is desperate to have a baby but her boyfriend refuses. Something snaps and when she learns of the death of the young man, a neighbour, she creates a new life for herself, claiming a close relationship with his mother, taking his ring, throwing herself on his grave and then her hysteria creates a phantom pregnancy. Meanwhile the partner grieves, picks up one night stands, and is suicidal (to the frequently played melody of Moon River).

The encounter between Odete and the partner, Rui, is initially one of clash. Something of a friendship begins – but she moves into Pedro’s room, wears his clothes, styles her hair and becomes Pedro. It is the kind of film that has a bizarre sexual ending between Odete as Pedro with Rui and the ghost of Pedro looking on – which is followed by the dedication of the film by the director to his parents.

1.Portuguese cinema? For Portuguese audiences, worldwide audiences? The cities of Portugal, the people?

2.The blend of realism and fantasy? Passion and madness? The use and recurring use of Moon River?

3.The title, the focus? Pedro and Rui?

4.The kiss – leading to the accident – leading to Odete and watching? Waking, ringing, the grief?

5.Odete at the market, the babies, touching? The boyfriend? Ousting in hysteria?

6.The grave, jumping into the grave? The mother? Pregnancy and care? Rui, the cemetery, anger?

7.Odete and the pregnancy, buying the pram, the clothes, the experience in the shop? Moving into the house, moving into the room and making it her own? The phone and the calls? Her clothes – and changing her hair?

8.Rui and the baths, the pick-up club? Odete, the grief? Breakfast? The death? The cemetery and the slashing? Hospital?

9.The return, anger, hospital? The truth? Running?

10.Her turning into Petra? The ring and giving it?

11.The characters of the men, relationships, homosexuality? Odeta and her madness, watching? Each of the characters? Odete intruding into the man’s life? The effect on him?

12.The image and reality? Passion and madness?