José Miguel Nicolau Pinto

Biography

José Pinto holds a degree in Music with a specialization in Musicology from the University of Minho. He completed a Master’s degree in Musicology at the School of Social and Human Sciences of NOVA University Lisbon, with a thesis titled “Music and Sound in João César Monteiro’s ‘Trilogy of God'”. He is currently a PhD candidate in Musicology at NOVA FCSH as and FCT fellow. His research focuses on the music and sound in the films of João César Monteiro, positioning the director’s “sonic and musical” work within the context of Portuguese and European cinema of the second half of the 20th century. His latest publication on this subject appeared in  Studies in European Cineama: “João de Deus’s musical perversions: a case study on the music and sexuality in two films by João César Monteiro“.

Doctoral Project

Title “Music and sound in the work of the film director João César Monteiro”

Advisor Manuel Deniz Silva

Abstract

This research aims to study the music and sound in the cinematic work of João César Monteiro. In recent years, the director has gained considerable recognition within academia. However, the study of music and sound in his films, which is particularly illuminating of Monteiro’s cinematic poetics, has not yet been the central focus of any research work. This study seeks to understand how musical elements interact with other cinematic components to shape the narrative of his various films. Thus, through analysis and reflection on each particular work, stylistic affinities and disparities are uncovered that, beyond offering an innovative interpretation of César Monteiro’s cinematography, contribute to defining the director’s musical trajectory and situating it within the artistic landscape of the 20th century.

Keywords: João César Monteiro; Music and sound in cinema; Portuguese cinema; Cinema and opera; Music and humor in cinema.