A Casa das Sete Mulheres

A singular moment of Brazilian television. This is a "novel" in chapters, high quality, with excellent actors and actresses, and with an extremely competent direction Jayme Monjardim. The story is centered in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, at the time of what is called the "Farroupilha Revolution", which had the great Giuseppe Garibaldi as one of its greatest heroes. The playback time is very careful, demonstrating the high level of production ever in Brazil, mainly by Globo TV that had previously held other exceptional works, however, this stands out for greatness and credibility of his scenes. It's definitely a series that will always be remembered and revised because its unquestionable quality.

For those who enjoy a soap opera, Brazil is fertile ground, as the overwhelming majority of general TV channels in the country transmit, on average, four soap operas daily. Invariably, much of this material eventually goes around the world, being bought and broadcast in other countries. One of the most permeable markets for Brazilian teledramaturgy is, of course, my country, due to its cultural and linguistic proximity. I watched this dramatic mini- series twice. The first was at the premiere in Portugal in 2003, and the second was about six years ago, when it was reprised.

The plot runs entirely during the so-called Ragamuffin War, which was a dramatic historical event in which, during the years following Brazil's independence, the southern provinces of the Brazilian Empire attempted to separate and form a new country, the Republic of Rio Grande do Sul, with capital in the city of Porto Alegre. This conflict lasted ten years and had profound political repercussions for Brazil, being itself a direct consequence of the Brazilian defeat in Cisplatine War, which resulted in the independence of Uruguay. In fact, even today the affected Brazilian states (Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina) feel different from the rest of the country, and sometimes the subject of independence is discussed again in the region. In this mini-series, the events are observed in the eyes of the seven women of the family of Bento Gonçalves, leader of the rebels, who watch everything while confined to their country house, a cattle ranch where, often, the rebellious troops camped.

About the cast, I highlight the good performance of Giovanna Antonelli, Camila Morgado, Daniela Escobar, Mariana Ximenes, Eliane Giardini, Bete Mendes, Samara Felippo and Ana Beatriz Nogueira. On the male side, I really liked Werner Schünemann, Luís Melo, Tarcísio Filho, Murilo Rosa and José de Abreu. I confess that I didn't like the performance of Thiago Lacerda, either by the Republican idealism of his character, the Italian fighter Garibaldi, or by the terrible Italian accent he kept. I also didn't like Marcello Novaes, Thiago Fragoso and Bruno Gagliasso, who received bad and poorly constructed characters.

Overall, however, this series is good and deserves to be seen because it will certainly be pleasant, as well as being a good opportunity to think about a painful moment in Brazilian history... perhaps the moment when Brazil was closer to, really, know what a real civil war is.

A CASA DAS SETE MULHERES (The House of the Seven Women) is a mini-series loosely based on a part of Brazilian history (the Farroupilha War) and some very dynamic historical characters.

The Farroupilha War began when the Gaúchos, people who lived in the Rio Grande do Sul region of Brazil wanted independence from the Portugal Empire. They were unhappy with the Portuguese rule (Imperials) and started a revolt that lasted ten years, from 1835 to 1845.

The name of the civil war comes from the Portuguese word "Farrapos" which means, ragged or tattered clothing. With the exception of their leaders, who were wealthy land owners, the rebels (lower-class people, slaves, free blacks, and Indians) were poorly dressed, poorly fed and in poor health.

The historical figures in this mini series include the following: Bento Gonçalves da Silva (Werner Schünemann) - leader of the rebels, Giuseppe Garibaldi (Thiago Lacerda) - an Italian adventurer and revolutionary, Ana Maria de Jesus Ribeiro better known as Anita Garibaldi (Giovanna Antonelli) - a revolutionary and abolitionist, and Manuela Ferreira (Camelia Morgado) - the narrator of the story.

Against the background of this war, the story introduces the viewers to seven women (all related to Bento Gonçalves) - Dona Ana Joaquina (eldest sister of Bento Gonçalves), Caetana (wife of Bento Gonçalves), Perpétua (Caetana's daughter), Maria (sister of Bento Gonçalves), Manuela, Rosario, and Mariana (Maria's daughters). Dona Antônia (Jandira Martini), another sister of Bento Gonçalves, is not officially considered part of the "Sete Mulheres" (Seven Women) group but deserves a special mention.

While the men are away fighting, the women move into one house (Dona Ana Joaquina's house) on a ranch for safety reasons. Each woman has a different personality and absorbing storyline of love, grief, courage, desire, hate, despair, hope, bitterness, and determination.

A CASA DAS SETE MULHERES (The House of the Seven Women) presents a splendid story. Directed by Jayme Monjardim, it follows his other successful works like "Terra Nostra" and "O Clone." The actors give a strong performance. The scenery of the southern part of Brazil is breathtaking. The music, directed by Marcus Viana, is moving.

The action, drama, and romance will keep you glued to your T.V.