Black Orpheus

This movie has long been among my favorites. Had it been in English it would get 5 stars. It is this reading that takes away from the beauty of the film. Gritty and real. For me, knowing the story, I really don't have to read, and I can focus on the unusual Beauty.There are some flaws but what it clearly does is gives you a sense of place. You ARE in Rio during carnival....and if you can watch this movie without once getting on your feet...you just don't get it. Enjoy!!

I love this movie. I am from Pittsburgh, PA, and would love to know more about Marpessa Dawn. I read somewhere that she was once a dancer with Katherine Dunham's group. I was wondering if she did speak Portuguese. Too bad there was not much work for a beautiful actress such as she at that time. The movie is haunting and much like poetry in motion. A true classic.

I, like Barack Obama's mother(ref. TIME April 21, 2008 p.38), fell in love with this movie when I first saw it in 1960. A colorful cinematic feast for the eyes filmed in Rio at Carnival time, presents a well crafted classic myth that penetrates the deepest depths of your soul and gives you an experience you've never had before. This strange, beautiful tale of native life, love and death had just as powerful an impact on me nearly 50 years later.

Black Orfeus, is not jus a movie, but an experience. Watching this movie will take you on a journey of humanity. It is a movie that can be appreciated by anyone from any culture or age group. I watched it with my 8 year old daughter and our 10 year old friend. We had a blast, now the grandmother is watching... experiencing it. I highly recommend this dvd, you're collection will not be complete without this DVD...

I saw this many years ago and the songs haunted me then. I used the film in a class to show demonstrate how a short myth can be translated to film. I worried it might seem too old fashioned. The class loved it. The music and the actors were a beautiful as I remembered them. Even the comic scenes got laughs. Some of my students are absently humming those wonderful tunes.

One of the best versions of the legend that I know of (better than Gluck and possibly Anouilh which I hardly remember). Setting in Rio magnificent, carnival scenes too. Carnival music compelling, and contrast with silent scenes is very dramatic. Keep a hanky handy.

This was an earth shattering cinema event when it was originally released. It remains a force of nature. the music, the dance, the mystery play as well today as in 1959. I first saw this film as a child. As an adult I can honestly say, little has changed. This film still is bigger than life and worthly of repeated viewing. This film Rocks...!

The film is based on the Greek fable of Orpheous and Euridice, who are pursued by death. I finally saw this movie from the beginning after years of watching pits and pieces of it. The scenes of Rio de Janiero, Brazil and the music of Bossa Nova legend, Antonio Carlos Jobim give this movie a distinct aura of beauty and mystique. It's funny and heartbreaking. The film will make you want to go to carnival next February. It is a breathtaking movie experience!

Black Orpheus, originally known as Orfeu Negro, is a retelling of the myth of Orpheus, through film in a retrofitted setting. Taking place during carnival in Rio de Janeiro, the myth is infused with magic, excitement, allure, and a sense of the dangerous and outlandish. The fusion of the myth with the carnival creates a perfect atmosphere for magic with the costumes of carnival contrasting the green hillsides to make a visually arresting setting where anything seems probable. While the use of the Orpheus myth is blatant and obvious, the characters even bear the same names; it comes off as contrived at first but moves past the love story of Orpheus and Eurydice to explore fate, magic, and the carnival.There is an ambiguous quality that so seamlessly exists in this film that it enables the scene of Orfeo searching for Eurydice in the underworld of Rio to be incredibly visually arresting. These visually surreal settings, the carnival to the underworld to our first encounter with Rio at the market, add the sense of the spiritual, inexplicable, and supernatural quality of the land. The sensual bossa nova beats of Antonio Carlos Jobin's and Luis Bonfa's music along with the constant Samba dancing and the lyrical quality of the entire piece also add to this. The film is grounded in reality but done so in a stylistic manner that creates plurality of events and a bridge across time.

Timeless.

The first time I saw Black Orpheus, I was a child. My parents took me to the Thalia Theatre in Upper Manhattan. This film has haunted me since that time many years ago. It was good to see it again. My perceptions have not changed. It is art on flim.

This is one of the most beautiful romantic movies I have ever seen.
The cinematography is very poetic and the culture is rich and people are gorgeous!

Marcel Camus's rich, vibrant film takes your breath away. The dazzling ritual of Carnival is captured in a swirl of breathtaking color and kinetic energy. The actors are uniformly excellent, with Dawn's Eurydice a particular stand-out, and Camus manages to build considerable suspense as the tragic tale plays out. A.C. Jobim and Luis Bonfa's pulsating soundtrack helped launch the Bossa Nova craze at the dawn of the sixties.

Very touching and unforgettable film! I am so thankful it is now available on DVD. This is truly a love story beyond Romeo and Juliet...It is not just about death but about life, love and the rebirth of life. It encompasses so many emotions and feeling and the physical beauty in the film by the actors is breathtaking! :) I fell in love with Orpheus. True love is never ending. If you have never been in love this film with make you believe and if you have ever loved and lost this film will make you remember and if you are currently in love this film with make you appreciate your love so much more!!!
Truly Amazing Film!!!

I had seen BLACK ORPHEUS (1959) in the late 1980s, and remembered being underwhelmed, but I procured a copy from my library to see it again as I've just discovered that I've been in love with Bossa Nova music most of my life. (A long story and not worth retelling.) But my impression of the film remains mostly unchanged.

BLACK ORPHEUS is of course based upon the Greek myth in which Orpheus - the offspring of the god Apollo and Calliope - is able to tame beasts and alter nature with his music, but is unable to save his true love. In this movie, the "beasts" are represented by roosters, goats, kittens, song birds, and puppy dogs (they ALL taste like chicken), and the manipulation of nature is the belief amongst the poor children residing in the hills above Rio de Janeiro that the sound of Orpheus' guitar and songs cause the rising of the sun.

The story takes place in the days leading up to Rio's famous Carnival, and thus, the sights and sounds of that festive event just explode on the screen. The cinematography is a delight, featuring imaginative camera angles, compositions, and movements, and gorgeous panoramic shots above and around Rio de Janeiro. I have very little desire to travel outside of the U.S. (Egypt and The Holy Land being my dream destinations), and other than a couple of misadventures South-Of-The-Border, I've stayed "home." (The accommodations in a Mexican calaboose leave EVERYTHING to be desired - another long story not worth retelling ... or reliving.) But my second viewing of BLACK ORPHEUS has convinced me that an all-expenses-paid trip to Rio offered by a wealthy Brazilian woman desiring a (tired & old) kept man/love slave isn't something I would automatically reject. ; ) Additionally, this is one of the most colorful movies I've ever seen; there's enough color on the screen to turn Walt Disney from blue to green with envy in his cryogenic tube!

Most of the acting is of the amateur variety and it's apparent (in ANY language). BLACK ORPHEUS sports two of the more annoying female film characters in my recent memory: Mira (played by Lourdes de Oliveira) and Serafina (played by Lea Garcia). But despite the non-professional status of their performances, Breno Mello (as Orpheus) and Marpessa Dawn (as Eurydice) are watchable: Mello for his charisma and handsome looks, and Dawn for her innocent charm and exotic attractiveness (pretty features and dark skin dressed in a crisp, virginal white dress. Yikes! Put me on her dance card!)

Orpheus' true love, Eurydice, is pursued by a mysterious man (the personification of Death) throughout the picture, but nobody - including Eurydice - bothers to inquire why. (Ah, them Greek myths - never overburdened by genuine character motivations.) And there are a few other problems: during the Carnival, it goes abruptly from morning light to the black of night while we're in the midst of a single dance (man, the days are short in Rio, and when its sun falls, it falls FAST!), and the story (what there is of it) periodically bogs down in excessive lingering over some sequences. (Say what you will about what a moral cesspool the U.S.A. has become, but when we tell stories well on the silver screen - an increasingly uncommon occurrence in recent decades - no country tells `em better.)

The truth (according to Stephen T.) is that, really, unless the viewer is paying their admission fee to vicariously experience Rio's Carnival and/or to enjoy the complex rhythms of the Bossa Nova beat and the simple beauty of composer ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM's melodic lines, there isn't a great deal of reason to spend 107 minutes with BLACK ORPHEUS. The score, however, is the main attraction here, and the payoff is rewarding if you're a fan of Brazil's great music. (I myself would be willing to view this movie yet again someday.)

I'll add that the final scene wherein three small children begin to reprise the Orpheus/Eurydice story theme while the sun rises to illuminate them gave me a wistful, inarticulate joy - a kind of Saudade. Their enthusiasm was infectious, making a lovely ending to a so-so movie. But of course, we know that ultimately Enduring True Love, the "Happily Ever After", will slip through their hands like a ... well, like a myth ... as it does to us all. (But I suppose that for me, living in Rio and listening to Bossa Nova daily as a wealthy Brazilian woman's kept man/love slave would be the next best thing.)

GOT BOSSA NOVA?
Bossa Nova for Lovers
Nova Bossa: Red Hot on Verve

Colorful and joyous, this movie is a pure pleasure to watch. Not only is it beautiful, but the mythical story and characters are excellent as well.

This marvelous 1959 update of the tragic Greek legend of Orpheus and Eurydice is set in the sultry streets of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Orpheus, the ill-fated lover (Breno Mello), is a trolley car operator and his beautiful Eurydice (Marpessa Dawn) has fled her home in the country to stay with a cousin away from the vengeful advances of a man dressed as Death. Orpheus is already betrothed to jealous Mira (Lourdes de Oliveira), but that doesn't stop him from falling for the beautiful and naive Eurydice, who puts his fiancee to shame with her looks and gentle personality. Orpheus woos Eurydice with his beautiful samba (original music composed by the legendary Brazilian composer, Antonio Carlos Jobim), and the little children in his favela (barrio) believe that he makes the sun rise with his music, every morning. His music is part of the heartbeat of his community, and when he smiles it's as though sunbeams radiate from his dimples.

This film is so beautiful and I don't know where to begin (or end) in describing how timeless and artistic it is. The uptempo dance scenes are hypnotic and terrifying (you'll see for yourself--I won't ruin it for you), the actors are wonderful and it's amazing to me that they didn't go on to have stellar careers in the industry. French director Marcel Camus did a masterful job bringing this treasure to the screen. I can see why it was the recipient of an Academy Award in 1960. I can still hear "A Felicidade" and "Orfeo Negro" (some of the most popular samba and latin jazz standards) ringing in my ears as I write this. Don't miss out on this....

Black Orpheus (Marcel Camus, 1959)

Marcel Camus' 1959 Palme d'Or-winning retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice is certainly not without its problems, but for all that, it's quite an attractive little movie. Whether "attractive" is enough to make the movie worth watching is another story.

The story, of course, concerns Orpheus (Breno Mello), here a poor musician from the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. Eurydice (Marpessa Dawn) comes to town to see her cousin Serafina (Lea Garcia) for Carnivale, but upon arriving tells Serafina that she's being followed by a man who wants to kill her (Ademar da Silva). Death has his way, of course, and Orpheus must descend into hell (here represented by a police station so overrun with bureaucracy it's been deserted-- except for a helpful janitor-- for years) to get her back. Complicating matters is the Orpheus is already in a relationship with Mira (Lourdes de Olveira), who's not altogether happy about this new girl coming in and stealing her man.

Much has been said of the film's undercurrent of racism and the illusive (and incorrect) pastorality of the whole thing, so there's no reason to go into it here. Suffice to repeat that the movie does have its problems. Add to those the lack of chemistry between Orpheus and Eurydice, who manage to fall so in love in the space of one night that Orpheus is ready to lay down his life for her? Not buying it.

Weighed against all that is the simple fact that the film is, from first frame to last, almost unparalleled in being visually compelling. Camus' ability to shoot pretty pictures is on full display here. This is a man who knows what he's doing, from the overwrought-- but gorgeous-- early pastoral scenes to the controlled chaos of Carnivale to Orpheus' frenzied search for Eurydice, this is beautiful. And add to that the gripping climax of the film, which is modernized with perfection, and is suspenseful even when the rest of the movie's story has rung false (and, of course, the fact that we already know how this ends up, don't we?), and you've got a pretty good argument that despite its flaws, Black Orpheus is still worth watching. Is it one for the ages? I don't think so. But it's enjoyable, for what it is. ***

a beautiful movie shot before the jesus statue was built on the top of that mountain. death followed the heroine all around...such a sad but very romantic story turned out to be in the end. great cinematography, beautiful original songs, poor but beautiful brazilians, young or old. watching this movie and compared it to the 'city of god', the world seemed to become worse and less hope after half a century.....what a shame.

Greek mythology was something I've never paid much attention to. Having said that, I knew nothing about the legend of Orpheus and Eurydice. It wasn't until I got this from the library (after noticing it had won the Palme d'or at The Cannes Film Festival and had won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film) and read the little booklet included in The Criterion release that I found out about the whole story. Needless to say, I found the whole idea intriguing. The filmmakers took this Greek myth and transferred it to Rio de Janeiro in the middle of Carnival and, in doing so, created a colorful and beautiful movie. That's not to say Black Orpheus is a very entertaining film, but the lush scenery and music make it a masterpiece. The story is pretty simple; Eurydice has arrived in Rio to stay with her cousin Serafina. Eurydice is running from a masked man (Death) and is in a frequent state of fear. When she gets onto a streetcar, she meets Orpheus; Orpheus is a streetcar operator and a ladies man who has just become engaged to Mira. When they're getting a license, the man jokes to Mira..."Let me guess. You're Eurydice." Orpheus, is popular around his community for his musical talent. It's said that when he plays his guitar and sings, he makes the sun rise. Anyway, the story is a Greek "tragedy" so you can guess that the love between Orpheus and Eurydice doesn't quite go as planned. The film's tragic ending is quickly lifted by a beautifully photographed scene. This movie is, technically, a love story...But the Orpheus-Eurydice is merely the foundation of the story. It's the music and art direction and cinematography that makes this so good. The music, especially, plays a huge part in the film. The look of the movie gets even better when you realize how long ago it was made. Look at the film "Some Like it Hot" (released the same year, 1959) and then look at this film. This movie will not entertain the masses for years to come, but movie/Greek mythology buffs might want to check it out. Or just people who appreciate beauty in film.

ENTERTAINMENT: B
ART DIRECTION: A
MUSIC: A
CINEMATOGRAPHY: A
OVERALL: A-

This movie is worth buying and watching over and over, the passion is felt between the characters and the setting. I just love the movie and it takes you to another world, another era.
Five stars is not enough more like 10x10

I hated this movie because it had no nudity...and bossa nostra music annoys me. If you wanna see nekkid girls, don't watch this movie. Mind you, I only watched the first 3 minutes before I figured I needed something more substantial...a TRUE masterpiece like "Back To The Beach". Buy THAT movie instead of 'Black Orpheus' because at least you get Frankie Avalon and Annette FunnyChello and PeeWee Herman. I just flicked through "Black O" and watched the first 5 seconds of each chapter but that was enough to tell me that this movie stinks.

"Morning, such a pretty morning.
A new song is born,
Singing of your eyes, your laughter, your hands.
There will be a day when you come
From the strings of my guitar
That only your love sought.
A voice comes and talks about kissing,
Kisses lost in your lips.
Sing, my heart, happiness is back
In the dawn of this love."

And so Orpheus (Breno Mello), a happy-go-lucky trolley conductor in Rio de Janeiro, and Eurydice (Marpessa Dawn), a young girl from the country who has come to stay with her cousin in a Rio slum high on a mountain overlooking the city, fall in love. Please note that elements of the plot are discussed. Orpheus is handsome, confident and loves women as much as they love him. When he discovers Eurydice, however, she becomes all he has ever wanted. But Eurydice, caught up in her joy with Orpheus, still is frightened of a man masked as Death who she is convinced intends to kill her. But carnival is starting. There are costumes to buy and masks to wear, dancing to practice, life to be enjoyed. Through it all, the hot, sensual bossa nova beat of Antonio Carlos Jobin's and Luis Bonfa's music permeates everything.

The movie is so lyrical, so innocent and so joyous as it starts that it's easy to hope that in this version of the Greek myth there will be a different ending. There is not. But the intensity of carnival carries us along. The happiness and spirit of the friends and neighbors of Orpheus captures us just as much as the music. The almost child-like passion of Orpheus and Eurydice is so open and true, we realize that it can't last.

One of the most lyrical passages is early in the movie when Orpheus begins to play on his guitar a song he has written. Two scruffy little boys are with him. They believe Orpheus can make the dawn come by playing his guitar at daybreak. As Orpheus plays, one boy holds a baby goat and the other a rooster to keep them quiet. "Morning, such a pretty morning, a new song is born..." Orpheus sings. Next door, Eurydice hears him and stops to listen. In that moment the myth becomes a real thing. And Orpheus, after he and Eurydice have slept the night together, sings another song while Eurydice dreams on...

"My happiness is dreaming in the eyes of my lover.
It's like this night, passing,
Seeking the dawn.
Speak low, please,
So she might wake up happy,
Offering a kiss of love.
Sadness has no end. Happiness does.
Happiness is like a drop of dew on a flower's petal,
Brilliant and tranquil, then grieving,
Then falling like a tear of love."

Then carnival arrives, and so does Death. At the end of the movie Orpheus and Eurydice are joined for eternity. On the mountain top as dawn breaks, the two little boys bring the new sun as one plays Orpheus' guitar and Orpheus' song "...Morning, such a pretty morning. A new song is born..." They are joined by a little girl, dressed in white, who begins to dance around them, and they join her.

At this point, I didn't know whether to smile or cry. I think I did both.

The film was shot in color with wonderful views of Rio streets, nighttime carnival and the poor neighborhood where Orpheus lives. The Criterion DVD transfer looks fine. There are no significant extras. There is a brochure in the case which gives an appreciation of the film.

If I had to choose my favorite movie over my lifetime it would have to be Black Orpheus. Simply put, it is a poem on film.
The excellence of the soundtrack matchs the movie.

This movie is a feast for the eyes and the ears. The color and the music are intoxicating, the love story haunting and unforgettable

I am beyond pleased with this purchase.
Pretty fast too.
Thanks

One of the best foreign films of all-time. A non-stop descent into a tragic love affair, with Rio as a backdrop. When viewing this film for the first time over 25 years ago, it was like nothing I'd ever seen before. The excitement of Carnival, and two people drawn together by chance. He engaged to another, she on-the-run from a mysterious evil pursuer. Marpessa Dawn dominates the screen with a presence few others have even approached. If not for the color of her skin, she would have gone on to become one of Hollywood's most popular imported leading ladies. But alas, this was 1959, and Hollywood just didn't know what to do with beautiful black actresses. An Academy Award winner for Best Foreign Film of 1959. The DVD comes in the original Portugese language, or the English translation.

This is one of the best movies (for it's music) of all time. The samba and the dance bring the watcher into a place we would all love to enter. Of course it's not all good, with death stalking pretty girls and other pretty girls being jelous, but I think given the chance, we'd all step into this mostly idyllic Carnival world. I just wish they could have done something with the volume inconsistencies on this DVD. The songs (especially Orfeo's song) are much softer than the samba drumming and dancing scenes.

Of course the music from this film is amazing: who can forget "Manha de Carnaval"? But I prefer "A Tristeza" which captures so perfectly the spirit of and the reason for having Carnaval as a release from the drudgery, the indignity, and general ugliness of the lives of the very poor. Antonio Carlos Jobim and Luiz Bonfa created masterpieces which have endured.

Oh, no, I haven't even mentioned the striking images of Carnaval, the breathtaking views from far above the city and the descent into darkness, into the bowels of hell.

This film, directed by Marcel Camus and based on a play written by Brazilian writer Vinicius de Moraes, updates the tragic Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, setting that hauntingly beautiful and tragic story in Brazil against the vibrant backdrop provided by the Carnival of Rio de Janeiro.

In "Black Orpheus", Orpheus (Bruno Mello) is a trolley car conductor, a samba dancer and outstanding musician. He is also a womanizer who is being dragged into marriage by his latest girlfriend, Mira (Lourdes de Oliveira). Something unexpected happens, though: Orpheus meets a newcomer to Rio, Eurydice (Marpessa Dawn), and falls in love with her. Eurydice arrived to Rio seeking refuge in the house of her cousin from a stalker that wants to kill her. However, when she meets Orpheus, Eurydice also falls in love with him and his songs.

The story of the two lovers develops during the Carnival, and despite the problems provided by Mira, the discarded girlfriend, and the stalker that frights Eurydice and represents Death. The musical score, composed by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Luis Bonfa, provides an excellent support to the story and adds just the right finishing touch. It is something that along a great plot, a wonderful cast, and a very good director, manages to make this film something that you will enjoy, remember, and probably recommend to others.

I think that this is one of the best films I have seen, and I regret the fact that is not more well-known. Of course, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Belen Alcat

In the early 60's I remember seeing the original theatre release around nine times. I have since wore out my VHS copy. It is good to see a nice crip version now on DVD. I was captivated by the music then and I have remained a life long fan of Brazilian music and in particular the music of Luis Bonfa. The only negative comment is that the acting now appears a little amateurish and so it should. The actors were amateurs.

Totally agree with all the 5 star reviewers. Really nothing more I can add, it's all been said.
It's an old time classic and like other great classics like e.g. "Una Giornata particolare" or "West Side Story" this is a movie I have to watch again from time to time. Absolutely Worthwhile.

Beautiful and interesting, this movie takes you on a journey through the secrets of love and passion. A beautiful movie with beautiful characters.
I must add this to my collection. Watch it without the subtitles and just enjoy the beauty of this film. It would be impossible to make a film like this today probably, it is just too beautiful.

I saw this film on a date a few years ago and saw it again last week on this new DVD. Much has been said about the plot and the likeable cast, so I won't retread that ground. It is interesting to see the manner in which the people of the film live in obvious poverty, but yet they have this zest and joy for life that spills over to the viewer. Undoubtedly, there is much more to Black life in Brazil than this, but one can take the film for what it is, which is a very good story. One does not need to be familiar with the Greek myth of Orpheus and Euridyce or the life of Black Brazilians to understand and enjoy the film. The ending with the dancing children will cause you never to look at a sunrise in the same way again. See it (with a date) and you'll see what I mean.

I am a fan of unique foreign films, but I'm astounded by these 5 star reviews. Being that's a retelling of a classic Greek tale, I expected an interesting story, but it's pretty much a bore from start to finish. The setting and cinematography are the only thing it has going for it. The acting is mostly theatrical and downright laughable at times, I felt like I was watching a soap opera. Unless you like seeing people dance non-stop, skip it. I haven't seen such an overrated foreign film since Fellini's "8 1/2."

I've seen this film over 40 times, and moved to Rio de Janeiro because of it!!