Orpheus and Eurydice: *die*The children: 🕺🕺🕺
Cinemas
Directed by Marcel Camus
Black Orpheus
Orfeu Negro
An acclaimed, atmospheric drama.
Drama
Romance
1959
1h 40m
Young lovers Orfeu and Eurydice run through the favelas of Rio during Carnaval, on the lam from a hitman dressed like Death and Orfeu's vengeful fiancée Mira and passing between moments of fantasy and stark reality. This impressionistic retelling of the Greek legend of Orpheus and Eurydice introduced bossa nova to the world with its soundtrack by young Brazilian composers Luiz Bonfá and Antonio Carlos Jobim.
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Cast & crew
6What people say
As a Brazilian, I must say it took me a while to recognize my own land and people under Camus' foreign, exoticized gaze. This mythical romance is best viewed as a musical of sorts, unless audiences believe that poor Brazilians dance all the time, Carnival time or not. The numerous samba sequences are absurdly long, the soundtrack often veers into cacophony, and the acting is mostly unconvincing. It gets better as it becomes darker, more tragic and more ethereal, though it takes its time getting there. Overall, for a winner of the Palme d'Or and the Oscar, it leaves a lot to be desired.
About 10 years after Cocteau’s masterful modern telling of this ancient myth comes another more radical retelling from a French director.I’m glad this movie was shot in color. The majority of foreign films at the time were in black and white and the colors of Brazil and the Carnival enhance the mystery of the myth. Additionally, the backdrop of carnival allows for exaggerated costumes without detracting from realism. (Did Bond steal the death costume from this for the opening of Spectre?)On the cusp of bossanova’s popularization in the US, it was fun to hear some early developments in the genre. I’m a huge fan of Joao Gilberto and Antonio Carlos Jobim as well as Sergio Mendes who drifts more into the carnival style seen in this film.The depictions of black culture are far from perfect, yet having an all black cast in the 50s was extremely radical and is a breath of fresh air.It is a beautiful and creative telling of a classic tale with a lot of heart and style.
Common questions
What is Black Orpheus about?+
The film is a tragic romance that reimagines the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice amidst the vibrant energy of Carnival in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro.
Who directed Black Orpheus?+
Marcel Camus directed this 1959 film, which won the Palme d'Or and introduced Bossa Nova music to international audiences.
Has Black Orpheus won any awards?+
Yes, it won the Palme d'Or at the 1959 Cannes Film Festival and the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Full awards history on Mood.
