*Good* literature is not an asset that belongs to just one nation, but rather, it belongs to all mankind. Portuguese writer Eça de Queiroz is one of those whose wit and fluency can be appreciated by anybody, wherever he is or wherever he is from. "Os Maias" is a masterpiece, definitely not one of those works that is easy to be produced, a great challenge to any actor or director. Fortunately, for everyone, the production of this miniseries could manage to overcome all and every obstacle in a way to present us with one of the best works ever on TV, that can be enjoyed by anyone, anywhere. Some of the most beautiful Potuguese landscapes, in a perfect re-creation of a time when romantic views started to fall to be replaced with a harder, not so pleasant reality. A must watch.
4 Reviews
A competent and well-made miniseries that, however, has some minor flaws to consider.
filipemanuelneto8 December 2022
I don't think I'm saying anything new if I say that Brazilian series and soap operas are one of the best and most interesting in the South American universe, and the best known internationally, in Portuguese language. This does not denote any demerit of Portuguese or even Angolan TV productions..., but it does show the strength of the Brazilian TV market and the Brazilian capacity to export and sell what is made by its television stations. Things that Portuguese dramatic production insists on not learning, despite the excellent actors and technical staff.
This miniseries, in about fifty episodes, is already a few years old, but it was one of those that made an impression on me for its continuous nods to Portugal, despite having been a great failure in its country of origin. Personally, it doesn't surprise me: based on literary works by the outstanding Portuguese writer Eça de Queirós ("Os Maias", the author's masterpiece, and also "A Capital" and "A Relíquia"), the series brings content that Portuguese know very well because the writer is Portuguese and his books are a mandatory subject to study in Portuguese schools! I don't know if Eça de Queirós has the same weight and importance in Brazilian classrooms, but I do know that Brazilians are not particularly fond of reading, especially if such a book is as long, as massive and as intricate as "Os Maias". Therefore, just for this, the series was doomed in its own country.
The series is quite good, and it's worth spending an hour a day to watch it in full. Despite dealing with quite intense themes, such as adultery and incest, I didn't see particularly inappropriate scenes (perhaps because Portuguese TV makes some cuts to the intense scenes that Brazilian material brings?) and I was quite pleased with the overall quality. The only thing that really disappoints me is including plot and characters from other books, instead of devoting all the attention to "Os Maias". I think it would have been a better rewarded effort, and one that would do more justice to the literary work of Eça de Queirós who, in this book, not only tells a good novel, but also criticizes the thought, customs and way of life, indolent and decadent, of Lisbon's high society, which he, as a nobleman and diplomat, knew very well.
The actors are good, with the best interpretations given by Ana Paula Arósio, Fábio Assunção, Walmor Chagas, Selton Melo, Simone Spoladore and Osmar Prado. Personally, I didn't like Otávio Muller, I think he made his character excessively caricatured and forced. I believe that the series would have gained in quality if some of the actors (the most relevant ones) were Portuguese and spoke without an accent, but I can understand the reasons why this did not happen: Brazilians, in general, have a huge difficulty in understanding Portuguese when they speak. They are not used to listening to us!
Although most of the series was filmed in a studio, it features several scenes set in filming locations near Rio and Minas Gerais, as well as in Portugal. The temporal details were meticulously thought out, and the recreation of the environments and times is well done, especially if we consider that it is material for TV. Finally, and before finishing, a word about the soundtrack, by John Neschling: if the incidental music is excessively dramatic and that can be kitsch, the good songs and melodies of the disappeared Portuguese group Madredeus largely compensate for it, and they end up imposing themselves in songs like "O Pastor", "Ilhas dos Açores" or "Haja o que Houver". I only missed one thing: more period songs, which would insert us more into the 19th century atmosphere.
This miniseries, in about fifty episodes, is already a few years old, but it was one of those that made an impression on me for its continuous nods to Portugal, despite having been a great failure in its country of origin. Personally, it doesn't surprise me: based on literary works by the outstanding Portuguese writer Eça de Queirós ("Os Maias", the author's masterpiece, and also "A Capital" and "A Relíquia"), the series brings content that Portuguese know very well because the writer is Portuguese and his books are a mandatory subject to study in Portuguese schools! I don't know if Eça de Queirós has the same weight and importance in Brazilian classrooms, but I do know that Brazilians are not particularly fond of reading, especially if such a book is as long, as massive and as intricate as "Os Maias". Therefore, just for this, the series was doomed in its own country.
The series is quite good, and it's worth spending an hour a day to watch it in full. Despite dealing with quite intense themes, such as adultery and incest, I didn't see particularly inappropriate scenes (perhaps because Portuguese TV makes some cuts to the intense scenes that Brazilian material brings?) and I was quite pleased with the overall quality. The only thing that really disappoints me is including plot and characters from other books, instead of devoting all the attention to "Os Maias". I think it would have been a better rewarded effort, and one that would do more justice to the literary work of Eça de Queirós who, in this book, not only tells a good novel, but also criticizes the thought, customs and way of life, indolent and decadent, of Lisbon's high society, which he, as a nobleman and diplomat, knew very well.
The actors are good, with the best interpretations given by Ana Paula Arósio, Fábio Assunção, Walmor Chagas, Selton Melo, Simone Spoladore and Osmar Prado. Personally, I didn't like Otávio Muller, I think he made his character excessively caricatured and forced. I believe that the series would have gained in quality if some of the actors (the most relevant ones) were Portuguese and spoke without an accent, but I can understand the reasons why this did not happen: Brazilians, in general, have a huge difficulty in understanding Portuguese when they speak. They are not used to listening to us!
Although most of the series was filmed in a studio, it features several scenes set in filming locations near Rio and Minas Gerais, as well as in Portugal. The temporal details were meticulously thought out, and the recreation of the environments and times is well done, especially if we consider that it is material for TV. Finally, and before finishing, a word about the soundtrack, by John Neschling: if the incidental music is excessively dramatic and that can be kitsch, the good songs and melodies of the disappeared Portuguese group Madredeus largely compensate for it, and they end up imposing themselves in songs like "O Pastor", "Ilhas dos Açores" or "Haja o que Houver". I only missed one thing: more period songs, which would insert us more into the 19th century atmosphere.
Very difficult to watch, but worth the time if you can handle it
danielll_rs14 November 2001
OS MAIAS was a big flop here in Brazil, probably because audiences can't handle a production like this, turned to an intellectual side. Based on a novel by the great Portuguese writer Eça de Queiros, it was a sumptuous, richly textured production. However, it was very difficult to watch, especially if the person hadn't read the novel. It was great to look, very well acted and directed, carefully adapted, but it was hard to follow all the chapters.
Eça de Queiroz (the novelist) must be rummaging beyond the grave
jgcorrea11 January 2024
The official motto of the Brazilian flag is ¨Order and Progress¨. The unofficial motto, however, is ¨Carnival, Soccer and Telenovela¨. Brazilian soaps are seen even across borders. This one has around 50 chapters and is inspired by the greatest novel in Portuguese literature, Os Maias. Sometimes film critics are right. Other times, it's the audiences who are right. Like in this case. Maias was a huge public failure. Personally, I wasn't surprised. I know that Brazilians don't really like reading (especially classics). Despite dealing with sensational themes such as adultery and incest, its focus is poor, its cinematography is too dark.
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