Hulha Branca: A Slow Burn of Water and Wire

Okay, so, let's be real up front. Hulha Branca is not a movie for everyone today. If you're a film history nerd, someone who appreciates the very early days of cinema, or if you're just really into seeing how things were made a long, long time ago, then maybe, maybe give it a go. But if you need anything resembling a plot, characters you can follow, or even a moderately brisk pace? Just walk away. Seriously. You will hate it. This is pure, unadulterated early documentary-style filmmaking.

Manoel de Oliveira, he’s known for his long takes and quiet observations, even in his later work. And here, in one of his earliest, you see that germ. The film is pretty much what the title implies: it’s about coal (hulha) and the white power of water (branca) getting turned into electricity. It’s a very literal depiction. You watch people build things. You watch water move.

There’s this one shot, it must go on for a solid minute, of just a river. Just water flowing. And you’re sitting there, thinking, 'Okay, what’s going to happen?' Nothing happens. The water just flows. It's mesmerizing in a strange way, but also tests your patience. 🌊

Then you get these glimpses of the construction. Folks in old-timey clothes, moving earth, building structures. It’s not dramatic, not in the least. It’s just… work. The cameras are often quite still, letting the scene unfold. It feels very much like someone set up a tripod and just let the film roll, capturing whatever was in front of them.

The machinery, when it shows up, is fascinating though. All these gears and huge pipes. You really get a sense of the scale of effort. The sound design (what little there is, considering its age) seems to emphasize the *rumble* of the turbines. It really makes you think about what a big deal this was, getting power from a river.

There are these brief, almost accidental close-ups of faces. Workers, looking tired, looking focused. They don't smile at the camera. They just exist in the frame. It adds a small human element to what is otherwise a very technical, almost industrial film. One guy wipes his brow, and that's like, the most expressive moment in the whole thing. 😅

It's not trying to tell you a story. It's showing you a *process*. From the raw energy of the river to the final electrical poles. You see the sheer force of the water, then how it's channeled, then how it turns those massive gears. It's The Cycle of Fate, but for electricity.

Honestly, the film gets noticeably better once the actual power plant starts running. The shots inside the facility, with the massive dynamos whirring, are quite something. You can almost feel the air vibrating. It feels like a huge accomplishment, even if the film doesn't exactly cheer about it. It just presents it.

One moment that stuck with me: a very quick shot of a bird flying past the newly erected power lines. It’s totally fleeting, maybe two seconds. But it connects the old natural world with this new, very human invention. A nice little touch, whether intentional or not.

The pacing is… deliberate. Extremely deliberate. It's less a movie and more a moving historical record. You can almost feel the film trying to convince you that the *process itself* is the story. And sometimes, it works. Other times, your mind just wanders. Did I leave the oven on? What’s for dinner? 🤷‍♀️

So, yeah. *Hulha Branca*. Not a thrill ride. Not a tear-jerker. But if you approach it as a piece of history, an early exploration of cinema’s ability to simply *document* and observe, then it holds a certain, quiet charm. It’s a film that demands your patience, but offers a unique window into a time and a technological marvel.