Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Jorge de Sena on Cinema: Some Further Insights into the Genesis of "O Físico Prodigioso?"

2004; Modern Humanities Research Association; Volume: 20; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1353/port.2004.0016

2222-4270

Mike Harland,

Brazilian cultural history and politics

Jorge de Sena on Cinema:SomeFurther Insights intotheGenesisofO FísicoProdigioso} MIKE HARLAND The modernity ofJorge de Sena'snovellais often obscured byitspseudohistorical setting anda narrative peopledwithknights anddamsels, alchemists andinquisitors tosuchan extent thattherichness ofthetextcan be mistakenly interpreted as merepoeticeffect. The present-day relevance of itsunderlying themes andthecontemporary references concealedbeneath itssurfaceoftengo unperceived, yetit is a workcentred firmly in the twentieth century anda vitalreflection ofitscreator's lifeandideals.Itis myintention in thisarticle, therefore, to demonstrate theimportance of the contemporary sourcesin Sena's writing by callingattention to a largelyunexploredarea of researchin Sena studies- his own work, SobreCinema. Certainly manyof the elements thatcombineto formthe basis for Jorge de Sena'sfantastic story, O FísicoProdigioso, wereoutlined bythe author inhisownnotestothework.He describes howhewas inspired by twoexemplary moraltalesfrom thefifteenth century, buthealso alludes to manymythical elements withwhichtheywerefused: Urncontoou novela,emque ambasas estórias se fundissem, commuitos outros mitos populares ou não,paraestudo imaginativo da comunicação subconsciente e de algumas coisasmais.1 WhatSena seemsto recognize in thereferencing of otherliterature in his own writings is a vehicleforconveying universal ideas and values commonto humanity and capableofmaintaining their relevance: Fundir coma invenção própria muito do maisprofundo da natureza humana(setal coisa existe),muitodo que é partedo inconsciente colectivo e comuma várias civilizações, muitodo que é efectivamente 'popular'ou o foi (e cornotal ainda significa), (p.9) Besidethisuseofintertexts, he also refers thereaderto theexperimental natureof the textand structural elementssuch as traditional poems inserted intothenarrative tocreate layers ofmeaning: 'o experimentalismo narrativo, jogandocomo espaço,o tempo,a repetição variadado texto, etc.,é uma das bases essenciaisdestanovela' (p. 11); 'os poemasintercalados na nossa narrativa, de que são parteintegrante e significativa' (p. 132). One of thesepoemsis takenfroma fifteenth-century author, 1 Jorge de Sena,O FísicoProdigioso (Lisbon:Edições70,1977),p. 131.Allreferences inthe textaretothisedition. 170 MIKE HARLAND Jorge da Silva,butinfactall recreate traditional verseforms and renew popularthemes fora modern audience. Severalcriticshave followedup thesehintsby theauthoras to the genesisof his workand have suggested manypossiblesourcessuchas ancient myths, medieval epics,as wellas religious andpsychological parallelsin theChristand Faustmyths.2 It is therefore fairly wellestablished thattheFisicois a complexnarrative concealing manyliterary references which enable multiplelevels of interpretation, based on parallelistic anddualistic structural devicescreating paradoxand ambiguity arounda central allegorical intent. Literature isnottheonlyartform thatinspired Jorge de Sena,however, sincemusicand fineartare constantreferents in his versecollections. In factitwas theintense emotioncausedbya pieceofmusic,Debussy's La Cathédrale Engloutie, thatoriginally setJorgede Sena firmly on his journey as a poet.Jorge FazendaLourenço,inhisilluminating collection ofessays,O Brilhodos Sinais,rightly emphasizes thesyncretic natureof Sena'scultural formation: Da literatura às artesplásticas, do teatro e do cinemaà musica, da historia e das cienciasà filosofia, para este humanista crítico'a culturaé livrediscussãoe esclarecimento e conquista pessoalda liberdade de reflexão e expressão' [. . .] numa visãode mundo integradora detudo.3 The importance ofcinemainthewriting ofJorge de Senahasnotbeen commented on inanygreat detail,withthenotableexception ofan article byEmmanoeldos Santos;4but it is probablyMécia de Sena herself in theintroduction to his collectionof talks,Sobre Cinema,who informs us mosteloquently ofhisloveforthecinema, a fascination thataccompaniedhimthroughout hislife, providing whatI willshowis an important inspiration forhisowncultural and humanistic output.5 His grandmother was thefirst to instilin himherlove forthenew medium and,havinga seasonticket, sheor hismother wouldfrequently takehimto seewhatwe nowlook uponas theclassics.Whilea childhe collected theusualpicture cardsaboutfilmstarsand as an adultbought bookson cinemawhenever hecould. 2See amongstothers:HarveyL. Sharrer, 'Temas e motivosmedievaisem O Físico Prodigioso', inO Corpoe osSignos: ensaios sobreO FísicoProdigioso deJorge deSena,ed.by MariaAlzira Seixo(LisbomComunicação, 1990), pp.85-98.On theChrist myth seeFrancisco Cota Fagundes, 'O artista comummalho:umaleitura d'O FísicoProdigioso', inStudies on Jorge de Sena,ed. byHarvey L. Sharrer and Frederick G. Williams (SantaBarbara:UCSB/ Bandanna, 198 1). On FaustseeJorge FazendaLourenço, O Brilho dosSinais- estudos sobre Jorge deSena(Porto: Caixotim, 2002),pp. 117-23;andOrlandoNunesde Amorim, 'O Físico Prodigioso', a novelapoéticade Jorge de Sena (Araraquara: Centrode EstudosPortgueses 'Jorge deSena'.UNESP,1966). Lourenço, p. 17. nEmmanoel dosSantos,Jorge de Senae o Cinema , boletim do òtLftLòf, 6 U995J>. I45~54D Jorge de Sena,SobreCinema, ed. byM. de SenaandM. S. Fonseca(Lisbon:cinemateca Portuguesa, 1988). JORGE DE SENA ON CINEMA AND O FÍSICO PRODIGIOSO I71 His father's ambition forhimto followa navalcareerwas frustrated when, as a navy cadet,hebecamedeeply affected bywhathesawofSpanish fascism, so thaton beingdischarged he tookup a...