Light, shadow, twilight and the creation of meanings in A erva do rato

Abstract This paper proposes a reflection on the importance of Walter Carvalho’s cinematography to transform light, shadow and darkness into resources that create layers of meaning in the narrative of Julio Bressane’s A erva do rato. The film is a free adaptation of the short stories “Um esqueleto” and “A causa secreta”, both by Machado de Assis, and tells the story of a strange love partnership, shaken by the unexpected appearance of a rat. Elements such as voyeurism, perversion and fetishism appear in the dim light or through chiaroscuro, in a mysterious and obscure atmosphere. Light and shadow act as structuring elements of the film and dialogue with pictorial references.