Breno Mello, rest in peace
Breno Mello, 76, Star of ‘Orpheus,’ Dies
By DENNIS HEVESI
Published: September 5, 2008 Breno Mello, the handsome, sculptured leading man in the classic 1959 Brazilian movie “Black Orpheus,” died on July 14 in Porto Alegre, Brazil, his hometown. He was 76.
The death was confirmed on Friday by Priscilla Barroso, a press officer in the Brazilian Embassy in Washington, who said Brazilian newspapers reported that he was found alone in his home. His death was not reported in English-language papers.
Mr. Mello played the title role in what, in Portuguese, is called “Orfeu Negro,” directed by Marcel Camus and based on the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. A trolley-car motorman and gifted guitarist, amid the joyous frenzy of Rio’s carnival, he becomes enthralled with the beautiful, doomed Eurydice, played by Marpessa Dawn. (Rest of the obituary here.)
Orfeo Negro is one of my favorite movies of all time. I think I saw it for the first time when I was 12 or so, and fell so in love with the doomed lovers, love and lust and death all being celebrated at the raucous Carnivale, interspersed with moments of quiet beauty...
By DENNIS HEVESI
Published: September 5, 2008 Breno Mello, the handsome, sculptured leading man in the classic 1959 Brazilian movie “Black Orpheus,” died on July 14 in Porto Alegre, Brazil, his hometown. He was 76.
The death was confirmed on Friday by Priscilla Barroso, a press officer in the Brazilian Embassy in Washington, who said Brazilian newspapers reported that he was found alone in his home. His death was not reported in English-language papers.
Mr. Mello played the title role in what, in Portuguese, is called “Orfeu Negro,” directed by Marcel Camus and based on the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. A trolley-car motorman and gifted guitarist, amid the joyous frenzy of Rio’s carnival, he becomes enthralled with the beautiful, doomed Eurydice, played by Marpessa Dawn. (Rest of the obituary here.)
Orfeo Negro is one of my favorite movies of all time. I think I saw it for the first time when I was 12 or so, and fell so in love with the doomed lovers, love and lust and death all being celebrated at the raucous Carnivale, interspersed with moments of quiet beauty...
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