FILM · 1931 · BRAZIL

Limite

Directed by

Mário Peixoto

Runtime

120 min

Studio

Cinédia

10 archived facts · 1 topic · 1 source · Last reviewed Oct 2026

Adrift in the vast expanse of the ocean, a solitary boat carries three castaways—a man and two women. Stranded and devoid of any glimmer of rescue, they find solace in recounting the tales of their lives to one another. As they delve into their personal narratives, reminiscing about the circumstances that led them to this desolate predicament, they navigate through the depths of three distinct destinies. Bound by…

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All facts (10)

1. #001

   Limite, a two-hour silent experimental film by novelist and poet Mario Peixoto, who never completed another film, is regarded by some as the greatest Brazilian film ever made and has won the admiration of many, including Georges Sadoul and Walter Salles. In 2015, 100 Brazilian professional critics voted it number one on Abraccine's list of the 100 best Brazilian films. It is considered a cult film.

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2. #002

   In August 1929, Mario Peixoto was in Paris on a summer holiday from his studies in England when he saw a photograph by Andre Kertesz showing two handcuffed male hands around the neck of a woman looking at the camera. This became the film's 'generative' or 'variable' image. The film's unusual structure has kept it largely on the margins of most film histories, where it is known as a provocative and legendary cult film.

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3. #003

   Limite appears in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, edited by Steven Schneider.

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4. #004

   The film was re-released on 17 October 1931 at the Chaplin Club in Rio de Janeiro for a special screening in tribute to Charlie Chaplin. Charles Chaplin appears briefly in the film in an insert taken from The Adventurer (1917).

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5. #005

   When Raul Schnoor was seen screaming repeatedly, the actor was instructed to keep saying director Mario Peixoto's name out loud.

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6. #006

   After its premiere at the Capitólio Theatre in Rio de Janeiro, the film was never commercially released. In later years it was shown at exhibitions and became better known.

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7. #007

   Although it is seven times longer, the film has been called the Un chien andalou (1929) of Latin cinema.

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8. #008

   Limite is part of spine number 877 of the Criterion Collection.

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9. #009

   Shooting began in mid-1930 in Mangaratiba, Rio de Janeiro, where the Fundação Mário Peixoto, a museum dedicated to the director, stands today. Mario Peixoto was the first in Brazil to use high-sensitivity panchromatic film stock for grey tones. Stills from the film were soon circulated and occasionally presented as images from a new Vsevolod Pudovkin film in order to raise public anticipation.

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10. #010

    Olga Breno, Raul Schnoor and Tatiana Rey had previously appeared in Ambição Castigada (1927).

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