{"id":80,"date":"2020-05-14T13:54:25","date_gmt":"2020-05-14T16:54:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ufrgs.br\/mariopeixoto\/?page_id=80"},"modified":"2022-08-31T10:38:19","modified_gmt":"2022-08-31T13:38:19","slug":"biography","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.ufrgs.br\/mariopeixoto\/en\/biography\/","title":{"rendered":"Biography"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>M\u00e1rio Peixoto<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 or\u00a0M\u00e1rio\u00a0<\/strong>Breves<\/strong>\u00a0Peixoto<\/strong>\u00a0, his complete name – was born on March 25th 1908 , the same birthday as his favorite director,\u00a0David Lean<\/strong>. Place of birth is probably Brussels, Belgium, where his father studied Chemistry. He came from a rich family: his mother was a descendent of Commendator Jos\u00e9 de Souza Breves who was a great coffee grower and slave dealer in the imperial system and his father was a descendant of the Rodrigues Peixoto family, the sugar mil owners from the city of Campos . M\u00e1rio studied at the\u00a0Santo<\/strong>\u00a0Ant\u00f4nio<\/strong>\u00a0Maria<\/strong>\u00a0Zaccaria<\/strong>\u00a0School from 1917 until 1926, then he travelled to England where he attended the\u00a0Hopedene College<\/strong>, in Willington (Sussex), near Eastbourne, from October 1926 up to August 1927.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Back in Brazil, he was introduced to Brutus Pedreira, who invited him to a theater group (Teatro<\/strong>\u00a0de\u00a0<\/strong>Brinquedo<\/strong>). He meets Sylvio and Raul Schnoor and later, their sister Eva as well as Adhemar Gonzaga and Pedro Lima. In 1928 the\u00a0Chaplin Club<\/strong>\u00a0is formed, a loose circle of friends debating the esthetics of cinema. One of the members is Oct\u00e1vio de Faria, M\u00e1rio Peixoto’s childhood friend and favorite interlocutor. Between 1928 and 1930 the\u00a0Chaplin Club<\/strong>\u00a0publishes a magazine called\u00a0The Fan:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Full text\u00a0<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

M\u00e1rio returns to England in 1929, along with his father, impelled by a strong desire to see latest movie productions and visiting London and Paris. According to M\u00e1rio Peixoto, the following photo by Andr\u00e9 Kertesz, published in the 74th edition of French magazine\u00a0VU<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

which he sees on a walk through Paris, gives rise to his film\u00a0Limite<\/strong>\u00a0and inspires him to write that same night a first outline for the movie.
\nOn returning to Brazil in October 1929, M\u00e1rio Peixoto makes contact with the local artistic scene, possibly assists in the making of two local film productions,\u00a0L\u00e1bios<\/strong>\u00a0Sem<\/strong>\u00a0Beijos<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Saudade<\/strong>. He also meets actress Carmen Santos and cameraman Edgar Brazil. Peixoto offers the scenario to the directors Adhemar Gonzaga and Humberto Mauro but both advise him to shoot the film himself. On may 17th 1931\u00a0Limite<\/b>\u00a0has its premi\u00e8re at the\u00a0Cinema<\/b>\u00a0Capit\u00f3lio<\/strong>\u00a0in Rio de Janeiro but despite Adhemar Gonzaga’s efforts does not make it into commercial circuits.
\nAt the same time M\u00e1rio begins to shoot\u00a0Onde<\/strong>\u00a0A\u00a0<\/strong>Terra<\/strong>\u00a0Acaba<\/strong>, an expensive and ambitious production financed by Carmen Santos, also the leading actress; she had made a brief appearance in\u00a0Limite<\/strong>\u00a0as a prostitute and hoped to gain higher artistic recognition under Peixoto\u2019s direction. But due to personal quarrels this together with all other efforts to finish a second film \u2013 there were several serious attempts up until the mid 80s – fails and Limite remains the only film ever completed by M\u00e1rio Peixoto.
\nAmong the unfinished projects one finds titles as\u00a0Const\u00e2ncia<\/strong>\u00a0(1936) or\u00a0Mar\u00e9<\/strong>\u00a0Baixa<\/strong>, also known as\u00a0Morma\u00e7o<\/strong>. In 1937 M\u00e1rio writes the scenario for\u00a0Tiradentes<\/strong>, on request of\u00a0Carmen\u00a0<\/strong>Santos<\/strong>, with whom he had reconciled in 1934 but Carmen does not use it and the text vanishes. In 1938, M\u00e1rio Peixoto tries to produce\u00a0Tr\u00eas<\/strong>\u00a0Contra<\/strong>\u00a0o\u00a0<\/strong>Mundo<\/strong>.
\nIn 1946, M\u00e1rio Peixoto, together with Carmen Santos and Afonso Campiglia, decides to restart filming\u00a0Onde<\/strong>\u00a0A\u00a0<\/strong>Terra<\/strong>\u00a0Acaba<\/strong>\u00a0as a talking movie. But the project is canceled. Probably in 1947, he writes for Carmen Santos the script of\u00a0O\u00a0<\/strong>ABC<\/strong>\u00a0de Castro Alves<\/strong>, based on a text by Jorge Amado but the film itself is not produced. Carmen keeps the script and it disappears. In the following year, 1948, Rui Santos and Afonso Campiglia announce two films:\u00a0Sarga\u00e7o<\/strong>\u00a0by M\u00e1rio Peixoto and\u00a0Muiraquit\u00e3<\/strong>\u00a0by Jonald, a film critic for the magazine\u00a0A\u00a0<\/strong>Noite<\/strong>.
\nSoon afterwards they declare that those films would be replaced by\u00a0Estrela<\/strong>\u00a0da\u00a0<\/strong>Manh\u00e3<\/strong>\u00a0with a script by Jorge Amado, photography by Rui Santos and direction by Jonald. But\u00a0Sarga\u00e7o<\/b>\u00a0does not go into production and M\u00e1rio changes the script into\u00a0A\u00a0<\/strong>alma<\/strong>\u00a0segundo<\/strong>\u00a0Salustre<\/strong>, another unfinished project. In\u00a01960, the magazine\u00a0Cine-Clube<\/strong> publishes an edition with focus on Limite <\/strong>including contributions from Ot\u00e1vio de Faria and Vinicius de Moraes. Full text<\/strong> <\/a>(thanks to Gl\u00eanio\u00a0P\u00f3voas).
\nIn 1964 he writes, together with Saulo Pereira de Mello, the scenario for\u00a0Outono<\/strong>\u00a0\/O\u00a0<\/strong>jardim<\/strong>\u00a0petrificado<\/strong>, based vaguely on a text by Machado de Assis called\u00a0Missa<\/strong>\u00a0do\u00a0<\/strong>Galo<\/strong>. In 1966\/67 Peixoto settles on the\u00a0S\u00edtio<\/strong>\u00a0do morcego<\/strong>, a property he gained from his father already in 1938.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

S\u00edtio do morcego<\/strong><\/p>\n

decorates it with antiques and starts to rewrite a novel he had published back in the 30s:\u00a0O\u00a0<\/strong>in\u00fatil<\/strong>\u00a0de\u00a0<\/strong>cada<\/strong>\u00a0um<\/strong>. M\u00e1rio extends the rather short original version to a six volume, 2000 pages long literary universe with strong autobiographic traces and works on it obsessively almost until the end of his life. So far only the first volume has been published (1984).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Due to financial problems Peixoto is obliged to sell his property, moves into a hotel at Angra dos Reis and spends the last year of his life in a flat in Copacabana. Here one of his last photos, taken in 1991.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

M\u00e1rio Peixoto in 1991 (on the right)<\/strong><\/p>\n

His film\u00a0Limite<\/strong>\u00a0turns into a landmark for the Brazilian cinema. In 1988, the\u00a0Cinemateca\u00a0<\/strong>Brasileira<\/strong>\u00a0named it best Brazilian film of all time and in the same year M\u00e1rio Peixoto was awarded with a special prize by the government of the State of Rio de Janeiro, as well as, one year later , with a pecuniary grant from the\u00a0Funda\u00e7\u00e3o<\/strong>\u00a0Vite<\/strong>\u00a0for him to complete the remaining volumes of\u00a0O\u00a0<\/strong>In\u00fatil<\/strong>\u00a0de\u00a0<\/strong>Cada<\/strong>\u00a0Um<\/strong>. In 1991, in an extremely weak financial situation, he fell ill and was generously assisted by Walter Salles.
\nM\u00e1rio Peixoto dies on February 2, 1992 and is buried in the cemetery of\u00a0S\u00e3o<\/strong>\u00a0J\u00e3o\u00a0<\/strong>Batista<\/strong>, Rio de Janeiro. In 1995\u00a0Limite<\/strong>\u00a0is once more considered the best Brazilian film of all time in a national inquiry held by the newspaper\u00a0Folha<\/strong>\u00a0de\u00a0<\/strong>S\u00e3o<\/strong>\u00a0Paulo<\/strong>. Again in 2015, Limite<\/strong> is considered the most outstanding Brazilian film by the\u00a0Associa\u00e7\u00e3o Brasileira de Cr\u00edticos de Cinema\u00a0<\/strong>(Abraccine).<\/p>\n

In 1996 Walter Salles founds the\u00a0M\u00e1rio Peixoto Archives<\/strong>\u00a0located in his firm\u00a0videofilmes<\/strong>\u00a0in Rio de Janeiro where Saulo Pereira de Mello (who passed away in 2020) \u2013 one of the restores of\u00a0Limite<\/strong>\u00a0and friend of M\u00e1rio Peixoto – took care of the original manuscripts and objects from the film. He also edited publications by and on Peixoto.\u00a0Onde<\/strong>\u00a0a\u00a0<\/strong>terra<\/strong>\u00a0acaba<\/strong>\u00a0(At the edge of the earth), the title of one among M\u00e1rio\u2019s unfinished projects, is also the name of a documentary film on M\u00e1rio from 2002, directed by S\u00e9rgio Machado.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Bibliography<\/strong><\/p>\n

Castro, Emil de.\u00a0Jogos de armar<\/b>. Rio de Janeiro: Lacerda, 2000.<\/p>\n

Estudos sobre Limite de M\u00e1rio Peixoto<\/b>. Laborat\u00f3rio de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o Audiovisual-LIA da Universidade Federal Fluminense; CD-ROM (2000).<\/p>\n

Mello, Saulo Pereira de.\u00a0Limite<\/b>. Rio de Janeiro: Rocco, 1996.<\/p>\n

Mello, Saulo Pereira de.\u00a0M\u00e1rio Peixoto<\/b>. Rio de Janeiro : Casa de Rui Barbosa, 1996.<\/p>\n

Mello, Saulo Pereira de.\u00a0M\u00e1rio Peixoto \u2013 Escritos sobre cinema<\/b>. Rio de Janeiro: aeroplano, 2000.<\/p>\n

Peixoto, M\u00e1rio,\u00a0O in\u00fatil de cada um<\/b>. Rio de Janeiro : Record, 1984.<\/p>\n

Peixoto, M\u00e1rio.\u00a0Limite. \u201cscenario\u201d original<\/b>. Rio de Janeiro: Sette Letras. 1996.<\/p>\n

Peixoto, M\u00e1rio.\u00a0O in\u00fatil de cada um<\/b>. Rio de Janeiro : Sette Letras, 1996. (reedi\u00e7\u00e3o da vers\u00e3o de 1931, 153p.)<\/p>\n

Peixoto, M\u00e1rio.\u00a0Mund\u00e9u<\/b>. Rio de Janeiro: Sette Letras, 1996.<\/p>\n

Peixoto, M\u00e1rio e Mello, Saulo Pereira de.\u00a0Outono \u2013 O jardim petrificado<\/b>\u00a0(scenario<\/i>). Rio de Janeiro: aeroplano, 2000.<\/p>\n

Peixoto, M\u00e1rio.\u00a0Poemas de permeio com o mar<\/b>. Aeroplano, 2002.<\/p>\n

Peixoto, M\u00e1rio.\u00a0seis contos e duas pe\u00e7as curtas<\/b>. Rio de Janeiro: aeroplano,2004.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

M\u00e1rio Peixoto\u00a0\u2013 or\u00a0M\u00e1rio\u00a0Breves\u00a0Peixoto\u00a0, his complete name – was born on March 25th 1908 , the same birthday as his favorite director,\u00a0David Lean. Place of birth is probably Brussels, Belgium, where his father studied Chemistry. He came from a rich family: his mother was a descendent of Commendator Jos\u00e9 de Souza Breves who was a great … Continue reading Biography<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ufrgs.br\/mariopeixoto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/80"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ufrgs.br\/mariopeixoto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ufrgs.br\/mariopeixoto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ufrgs.br\/mariopeixoto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ufrgs.br\/mariopeixoto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=80"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/www.ufrgs.br\/mariopeixoto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/80\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":422,"href":"https:\/\/www.ufrgs.br\/mariopeixoto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/80\/revisions\/422"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ufrgs.br\/mariopeixoto\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}