Dona Flor And Her Two Husbands
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''Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands'' () is a 1976 Brazilian
comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...
directed by
Bruno Barreto Bruno Villela Barreto Borges (born 16 March 1955) is a Brazilian film director. Biography Born in Rio de Janeiro, Barreto has been making feature-length films ever since he was 17 years old and remains one of Brazil's most accomplished and pop ...
. Based on the 1966 novel of the same name by
Jorge Amado Jorge Amado ( 10 August 1912 – 6 August 2001) was a Brazilian writer of the modernist school. He remains the best-known of modern Brazilian writers, with his work having been translated into some 49 languages and popularized in film, includi ...
, it takes place in 1940s
Bahia Bahia () is one of the 26 Federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Mina ...
and has
Sônia Braga Sônia Maria Campos Braga (; born 8 June 1950) is a Brazilian actress. She is known in the English-speaking world for her Golden Globe Award–nominated performances in ''Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985 film), Kiss of the Spider Woman'' (1985) a ...
, José Wilker and Mauro Mendonça in the leading roles. The screenplay was adapted by Barreto, Eduardo Coutinho and
Leopoldo Serran Leopoldo Augusto Bhering Serran (6 May 1942 – 20 August 2008) was a Brazilian screenwriter best known for the 1976 film '' Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands'', based on the novel by Jorge Amado. Serran frequently collaborated with directors Carlos ...
. When initially released, ''Dona Flor'' became the most successful film in Brazilian history. Internationally, the film received nominations for a
Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Januar ...
and a
BAFTA Award The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTAs or BAFTA Awards, is an annual film award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to f ...
. In 1982, an American remake titled '' Kiss Me Goodbye'' starred
Sally Field Sally Margaret Field (born November 6, 1946) is an American actress. She has performed in movies, Broadway theater, television, and made records of popular music. Known for her extensive work on screen and stage, she has received many accola ...
,
James Caan James Edmund Caan ( ; March 26, 1940 – July 6, 2022) was an American actor. He came to prominence playing Sonny Corleone in ''The Godfather'' (1972), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, Academy Award an ...
, and
Jeff Bridges Jeffrey Leon Bridges (born December 4, 1949) is an American actor. He is known for his Leading actor, leading man roles in film and television. In a career spanning over seven decades, he has received List of awards and nominations received by ...
in the leading roles. A 2017 remake starred
Juliana Paes Juliana Couto Paes (born 26 March 1979) is a Brazilian actress and former model. She became nationally known in telenovelas and modelling. She also starred in a local version of the musical ''The Producers'', as Ulla. Career An actress, mo ...
,
Leandro Hassum Leandro Hassum Moreira (born 26 September 1973) is a Brazilian actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He is well known for having played Jorginho in the TV Show humorous '' Zorra Total'' and '' Os Caras de Pau''. In 2012, he starred in the f ...
and Marcelo Faria and was directed by Pedro Vasconcellos. In 2015, the Brazilian Film Critics Association aka Abraccine voted ''Dona Flor and her Two Husbands'' the 39th greatest Brazilian film of all time, in its list of the 100 best Brazilian films.


Plot

Vadinho ( José Wilker), Flor's irresponsible husband, drops dead while dancing in a street carnival party. Only Flor (
Sônia Braga Sônia Maria Campos Braga (; born 8 June 1950) is a Brazilian actress. She is known in the English-speaking world for her Golden Globe Award–nominated performances in ''Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985 film), Kiss of the Spider Woman'' (1985) a ...
) expresses remorse after his death. Flor's friends and family see Vadinho's death as a chance for Flor to find happiness after the misery brought upon her by Vadinho's spendthrift ways and near-total lack of respectability. Roughly the first half of ''Dona Flor'' recounts Flor's marriage with Vadinho in an extended flashback. What is made clear is that Vadinho was a great lover who admired his wife's respectability, but enjoyed protracted foreplay until she begged him to continue. Not only was he generally an inattentive husband who would rather go to the casinos and whore houses, but he beat Flor and stole the savings she made from her cooking school. Despite this, his seductiveness changed a formerly inhibited girl into a wife who experienced carnal joy regularly. The second half of ''Dona Flor'' involves Flor's meeting the respectable but extraordinarily dull pharmacist Teodoro ( Mauro Mendonça), his courtship of her, and her marriage to him. Flor's friends consider Teodoro the exact opposite of Vadinho. Teodoro belongs in superior circles within Bahia's society, dresses elegantly, and treats Flor like a lady. What Flor's friends do not know is that Teodoro is also the opposite of Vadinho in one more respect: in bed, Teodoro is as lacking as Vadinho was accomplished. Flor finds herself unfulfilled, and wishes for her late husband to return. On the anniversary of Vadinho's death, Vadinho reappears to Flor in the nude and explains that she called him to "share her bed" with him. Only Flor can see and hear the nude spirit of Vadinho, but he still manages to create chaos through his spiritual presence at casinos. She protests because she is now remarried and has pledged to be faithful to Teodoro, but after Vadinho laughs during Teodoro's pathetic attempts at love-making that night, Flor gives in and lives happily with both husbands. The last two shots depict Flor in her new marital bliss. A shot toward the end of the film shows Teodoro lying in bed next to Flor, who kisses him on the cheek. The camera then pans to the left to show Vadinho on Flor's other side and she kisses him on the cheek too. Then (presumably the next day) as a large crowd exits Sunday Mass, we see Flor linking arms with both Teodoro and Vadinho, the latter completely in the nude without shame. Flor is seen to be very content.


Production

Director Bruno Barreto said that in the sex scenes José Wilker was really uncomfortable, while Sonia Braga was at ease. "Actually as soon as I said 'cut,' an A.D. would cover her with a robe, and she would say, 'No, no, no, if you don't mind I want to stay naked, so I get used to it.' So she was very casual about it, very relaxed about it," Barreto said.


Reception

The film was the most popular Brazilian film of all-time with 10.73 million admissions and was not surpassed until '' Elite Squad: The Enemy Within'' in 2010. It was the second most popular film in Brazil after '' Jaws'', which had 13 million admissions. By 1998, it became the third most successful film, with only ''Jaws'' and ''
Titanic RMS ''Titanic'' was a British ocean liner that sank in the early hours of 15 April 1912 as a result of striking an iceberg on her maiden voyage from Southampton, England, to New York City, United States. Of the estimated 2,224 passengers a ...
'', with 16 million admissions, ahead of it. In the United States, it was the highest-grossing Brazilian film with a gross of $3 million until the 1998 release of ''
Central Station Central stations or central railway stations emerged in the second half of the nineteenth century as railway stations that had initially been built on the edge of city centres were enveloped by urban expansion and became an integral part of the ...
'' which grossed $6 million. ''Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands'' holds a 78% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on nine reviews.


Awards and nominations

BAFTA Film Awards The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTAs or BAFTA Awards, is an annual film award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best Cinema of the United Kingdom, British and Worl ...
* Best Leading Newcomer
Sônia Braga Sônia Maria Campos Braga (; born 8 June 1950) is a Brazilian actress. She is known in the English-speaking world for her Golden Globe Award–nominated performances in ''Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985 film), Kiss of the Spider Woman'' (1985) a ...
(nominated)
Golden Globe Awards The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual Awards ceremony, award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally ...
* Best Foreign Language Film (nominated)
Gramado Film Festival The Gramado Film Festival () is an international film festival held annually in the Brazilian city of Gramado, Rio Grande do Sul, since 1973. In 1992, the festival began to award Latin American films produced outside of Brazil. It is the biggest ...
*Best Film – Bruno Barreto (nominated) *Best Director – Bruno Barreto (won) *Best Film Music – Francis Hime (won) *Special Jury Award – Anisio Medeiros, production designer (won)


References

*Bergan, Ronald and Robyn Karney. ''The Faber Companion to Foreign Films''. Boston: Faber and Faber, 1992. *Creed-Miles, Jo. "''Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands'' (''Dona Flor e Seus Dois Maridos'')." ''TimeOut Film Guide''. Ed. John Pym. London: Penguin Books, 2003.


External links

* * {{Bruno Barreto 1976 films 1970s fantasy comedy films Brazilian comedy films 1970s Portuguese-language films Films based on Brazilian novels Films based on works by Jorge Amado Films set in the 1940s Salvador, Bahia in fiction Films directed by Bruno Barreto 1976 comedy films Cockfighting in film 1970s Brazilian films