Characters & Themes
Past and Present (1972) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained
- Release, runtime and language
- 1972 · 115 mins · Portuguese
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- Directed by
- Manoel de Oliveira
- Starring
- João Bénard da Costa, Pedro Efe, Manuela de Freitas, Carlos de Sousa, Agostinho Alves, António Machado
An avant‑garde portrait of Portugal’s idle classes, Manoel de Oliveira sets the drama in a spacious country house where a widowed matriarch receives condolences for her husband’s death. She goes upstairs, meets his ghost, and faces his accusations about the past. The encounters expose the petty, self‑serving and romantic motives of the eclectic guests and servants sharing the home.
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Characters, themes & setting
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Past and Present (1972) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters
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- Past and Present Timeline Every key event in chronological order, ideal for flashbacks and time jumps.
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