O ébrio

Released in 1946, Gilda de Abreu’s O ébrio is the story of Gilberto Silva and his successes and eventual downfall. A melodrama that is centered on this man and the various facets of his life, Abreu manages to touch upon many subjects that are of interest. The first influence that is seen all throughout the film is that of religion and the church. When we first meet Gilberto, the place where he finally finds solace is in the chapel with Father Julio Simão. Thus, the charity and helpfulness that comes with being a priest is what initially sets Gilberto back on track to straightening out his life. This becomes even more obvious when Gilberto performs a song he composed, Open Door, on the radio for a competition. Heavy with religious symbolism, mentions of Jesus, and openness for religion, Gilberto seems to have come back to religion when he previously stated that he didn’t believe in God anymore. Another important theme that goes along with this is the significance of the radio. By performing in this competition through the radio, Gilberto was able to become wealthy and popular, thus allowing him to return to medical school to become a doctor. This also allowed him to help out Father Simão to fix up the chapel, thus shedding a positive light onto both religion and radio.

A theme to really discuss in the film is the role of women, as a woman directed this film. The main women of the film are Marieta, Gilberto’s wife, Palomé, Gilberto’s servant, and Lola, José’s girlfriend. Two of the women end up betraying Gilberto during the film (Marieta and Lola), while Palomé remained his confidant and friend. By having these two women betray Gilberto, it seems that Abreu is critical of the female character. Yes, there is Palomé and her trustworthiness, but she is a minor character that is overshadowed by Marieta and Lola. So, even though a woman directed the film, Abreu offers no leniency to the female character. Marieta and Lola are just as corrupt and misguided as José, Leão, and Rego.

But the most obvious theme that runs throughout the main part of the film is the corruption that money causes. When Gilberto first tells Father Simão his story, he tells of how his relatives have shunned him because of his poverty. But, when Gilberto becomes famous through the radio, and later rich because he’s a doctor, his family is chomping at the bits to get into his good graces. And with the montage of the courtship between Gilberto and Marieta, the main focus is all the gifts that Gilberto showers upon her, whether it is flowers, chocolates, or jewelry. So, the downfall of Gilberto begins with all of his family scheming against him to somehow get money from him, the main one being José. Because of their greed and selfishness, Gilberto’s marriage is sabotaged, and he reverts back to being a drunkard (o ébrio) just like he was at the beginning of the film, i.e. perfect symmetry.