Last night I watched their presentation of 1959's Black Orpheus. This is a film shot on location in Rio de Janerio during the carnival. It is a retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus. Orpheus was a mortal who was an expert lute player. He was madly in love with Eurydice. On their wedding day she was bitten by a snake and died. Orpheus played a song so sad it made all the gods cry. They allowed Orpheus to go into the underworld and confront Hades in an attempt to get Eurydice back. He played a song for Hades and they agreed to allow Eurydice to leave on one condition. Orpheus couldn't look back at Eurydice until they had both left the underworld. The instant Orpheus exited the underworld he was overwhelmed with passion and looked back at his love, but she hadn't made it out yet. She was cast back into Hades control and Orpheus never saw her again.
In this film the story is basically there with some changes. Orpheus is sort of the village playboy. He seems to have several girlfriends or at least girls that would like to be his woman. He is actually engaged to Mira at the start of the film. But once he lays his eyes on Eurydice he falls deeply in love with her. He serenades her with his guitar. The second act is spent trying to convince her to fall in love with him and keep the entire affair away from Mira.
This movie is electric from start to finish. The Brazilian music almost never stops through out the entire film. It is almost like the pulse of the picture. The performances are fantastic. There is singing and dancing in the streets. The attitude is through the roof even though the characters live in what is basically a slum. The color in this films is so brilliant. I would love to see and hear this on Blu Ray. This movie must be what the inside of a pinata looks like.
Then the third act gets very serious. There has been a man stalking Eurydice through out the movie. He is dressed in a skeleton costume of sorts. He wreaks havoc during the Carnival. No spoilers here, but the third act totally breaks from the pacing of the rest of the film. I didn't really like this at first, but once I saw what they were going for I fell in love with this movie. The myth the film is based on is a tragic one of the lengths one will go to for love. Black Orpheus embodies this with every frame.
It was written, directed and produced by a French crew, but this is a South American film 100%! Black Orpheus won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film in 1960 for France. The director is Marcel Camus. I am not familiar with any of his other films. The Criterion Collection re-released this film on Blu Ray last year. I think this is the first film on the year to get added to my wish list. I give Black Orpheus a 4.5/5 stars. Check out the Trailer Park to see for yourself.
