movie review
Orfeu Negro (Black Orpheus)
Quick Info
Director: Marcel Camus
Starring: Breno Mello, Marpessa Dawn
Year of Production: 1959
Country: Brazil, France, Italy (filmed in Brazil, director from France, production companies from all three)
Language: Portuguese
Awards: Palme d’Or (Cannes), Best Foreign Film (Golden Globe), Best Foreign Language Film (Oscar)
Genre: Romantic Tragedy
MPAA Rating: not rated
My Rating: **** (meaning?)
Synopsis
A retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, set in Brazil against the backdrop of Carnival. Here Orpheus is a poor streetcar conductor and Eurydice a poor country girl who is the cousin of his neighbor. They fall in love and are able to enjoy it for only a brief moment before it is gone.
Review
Orfeu Negro is a beautiful film, with lush, vibrant Technicolor and a gorgeous Bossa Nova soundtrack. As a retelling of the myth it is a tragedy, with an extra bleak side that reinforces the idea that no amount of merriment can deny the sting of poverty. Orpheus sings it to us at the end of the film, that the poor work all year, and for what … for one day of celebration that is only an illusion of happiness?
You need to know the myth to appreciate the film, because otherwise the romance doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense to the unknowing it may seem like they barely know each other, when in fact they do, and have known each other for eternity). If the ending seems extra sad, thinking of the children taking their place in the cycle of life and death, remember that we are all doomed to die and life is transient, so it is to be lived.
Orfeu Negro is well worth seeing and highly recommended, at least by this viewer. Yes, it is a bit dated, and the story is thin and ends tragically, so it isn’t for everyone. You should appreciate the myth, the symbolism, the concepts of rebirth and continuity, the cycles of life and death. If you’re looking for pure escapist entertainment, look elsewhere. But if you want to see a beautiful, well-made film, then you might want to give Orfeu Negro a watch.