On the day of the first anniversary of their marriage, an upper class man leaves his wife alone again to go to a "conference". Their butler gives an advice to her, proposing "an eye for an eye" to save their marriage. The husband receives a note written by her and comes back home, finding his pleased wife drinking and smoking with the butler. From this night on, he stays at home with his beloved wife.
"Exemplo Degenerador" is one of the oldest Brazilian complete movie, available only in the Cinematec of MAM (Modern Art Museum of Rio de Janeiro). It is a conservative melodrama about the marriage as an institution in the beginning of the Twentieth Century in Brazil. These moral values in the present days make this movie laughable as if it were a comedy, but indeed it is a drama. The director José Medina worked with D.W. Griffith in "Intolerance" and was completely influenced by this great director. Medina followed the American standards of production and brought the model of Griffith to Brazil, feeling the need of changing the aesthetic of the national movies. However, he is neither ripping off Griffith nor being colonized, adopting only the technique and style in the Brazilian culture. My vote is nine.
Title (Brazil): "Efeito Regenerador" ("Regenerating Effect")