Blood

This is what so-called "neo-noir" could have been: a condensed, semi-expressionistic journey into tragic worlds usually hidden from view. Leaving aside the obvious cinematic virtues (which are, indeed, remarkable for such a small, debut film from 1989), this is also much more successful than most at conveying a believable understanding of the motives and decisions of characters who act against what, for those not dwelling in such worlds, inevitably seems their own self-interest.

A gorgeously shot black and white film that I found extremely hard to relate to mostly due to it's excessively oblique way of letting the story unfold.

Told in the shadows, THE BLOOD follows two brothers caught up in a desperate attempt to reorganize their lives after the death of their father. So much is left unsaid it's hard to piece together the specifics of the plot, but the film is so evocative and gorgeously rendered you put up with the confusion regardless. Really promising debut. Some of the best B&W photography I've seen in recent memory.

The most obviously 'filmic' of all of Costa's features, 'Blood' plays like a strange, dreamlike amalgam of both classic American and European cinema, yet it's unlike any other film ever made. While it mines somewhat similar thematic territory to Costa's later films--it bares more than a superficial resemblance to the expressionism of Horse Money--the focus is less on capturing 'materiality' than it is about establishing a certain kind of enigmatic mood. It's arguably the best debut of the 80's.

A fascinating and enigmatic film that often communicates in a unique symbolic language. Again, Costa's cinematographer really steals the show.

Há exatos 30 anos estreava no Festival de Veneza. É quase impensável que este seja o primeiro longa de alguém, a única explicação para quando isso acontece é a de praxe e que se viu potencializada em todos esses anos em que o diretor vem filmando: Pedro Costa é, de fato, um gênio do cinema. DVDRip no MakingOff.

Unbelievably inventive noir visuals accompany an enigmatic story of protection, family, escape. The new restoration is truly gorgeous and demands to be seen!

Avrupa sanat sinemasıyla, klasik Hollywood döneminin yaratıcı bir karışımı. Dokunaklı ve bir ilk filme göre oldukça derli toplu.

Damn, talk about a filmmaker evolving backwards...