Orphee
1950
Cocteau's luminous adaptation of the famous Greek myth, set in post-occupation Paris, remains one of the most stunning achievements of the auteur's career. Orphee (Jean Marais) is a successful Parisian poet, whom--despite popular acclaim--feels isolated and uninspired. When his wife Eurydice (Marie Dea) is stricken down by .. Read more
| Starring | Jean Marais, Maria Casares, Francois Perier |
|---|---|
| Director | Jean Cocteau |
| Genres | Drama, World Cinema |
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Orphee
Cocteau's luminous adaptation of the famous Greek myth, set in post-occupation Paris, remains one of the most stunning achievements of the auteur's career. Orphee (Jean Marais) is a successful Parisian poet, whom--despite popular acclaim--feels isolated and uninspired. When his wife Eurydice (Marie Dea) is stricken down by leather-clad bikers, he pursues them into the underworld, where he falls into a romantic entanglement with the dark-haired beauty Death (Casares). Stunning cinematography and surrealist flairs punctuate this beautiful, hypnotic masterpiece.
| Starring | Jean Marais, Maria Casares, Francois Perier |
|---|---|
| Director | Jean Cocteau |
| Studio | BFI VIDEO |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 35 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama, World Cinema |
| Language | DVD: French |
| Subtitles | DVD: English |
| Released | DVD: 30 Sep 2003 Production year: 1950 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews
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Jean Cocteau's updating of the Orpheus myth to post-Liberation Paris is one of cinema's great artistic masterpieces, a piece of Méliès-like magic that is intensely powerful and moving even at its most bewildering. Jean Marais plays the poet who falls in love with Death (Maria Casarès); her assistant, the angel Heurtebise (François Périer), snatches the poet's wife and forces him to enter the underworld to get her back. The use of images, especially the looking-glass that turns into water, is still daring and — it might be said — rich in gay iconography. When Cocteau showed his financiers his script, they said: “If an unknown young man submitted such a script to us, we'd throw him out.” Said Cocteau later: “This terrible sentence seems to sum up the sole advantage of having a reputation. For the rest, I had to proceed exactly as though I was a newcomer.” In 1960, Cocteau made a sequel, Le Testament d'Orphée.
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Most helpful member's review
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11 out of 11 people found this review helpful
Wonderfully odd and original
This is an incredibly inventive and original movie that still feels new 50 years on. There's simply nothing around like it.
Orpheus begins a mutual obsession with Princess Death who has his wife killed (by weird motorpsycho assasins) so he travels into the Underworld to save her by putting on some gloves which mean he can walk through mirrors. However when he brings her back he must never look at her again otherwise she'll die, again. No description will really do this film justice, it has to be seen to be believed, if only for their sheer gall it has for trying to get away with what it does. The sense of magical unreality veers between enchanting and crass, but this is a film with more ideas in five minutes than many film-makers manage throughout their entire career.
The effects range from the primitive to the perfect, even more astounding given the age of the movie. This is essential viewing for cineastes or just those who fancy something a little different. -
Most recent members' review
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7 out of 7 people found this review helpful
Poetry in motion?
Orphee is quite rightly considered to be Cocteau’s finest film: a Surrealist retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus, transposed to a contemporary 1940s France.
The themes of love and death are enhanced by most striking imagery: mirrors connect the underworld to the living, and the recently deceased are re-animated through simple yet highly effective special effects that have stood the test of time.
This poetic and intriguing film by one of France’s most talented artists is definitely worth a look. -
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Orphee
Cocteau's luminous adaptation of the famous Greek myth, set in post-occupation Paris, remains one of the most stunning achievements of the auteur's career. Orphee (Jean Marais) is a successful Parisian poet, whom--despite popular acclaim--feels isolated and uninspired. When his wife Eurydice (Marie ...
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