“Cesar Valente, a political militant working for an underground movement, returns clandestinely to Portugal after an exile abroad. The police discover his whereabouts, but decide to allow him to remain free. Cesar, meanwhile, re-establishes his links with his comrades, led by a wild-eyed Slav. They assign him the task of blowing up an important bridge, but Cesar, visibly moved by the progress in (the dictator) Salazar's ‘Estado Novo,' is unable to complete his mission.
“Blatant propaganda for the regime which produced it, The May Revolution invites Portuguese of all political stripes to drop their differences and unite behind a vision of national development. Superbly crafted and deeply touching, the film recalls the work of Blasetti and other contemporary Italian directors in its easy combination of Soviet-style montage and an upbeat, documentary-like shooting style. Along with Manoel de Oliveira, director Lopes Ribeiro is the key figure of the pre-1974 Portuguese cinema.” Richard Peña