Black Orpheus

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Robert R Evocative of both time and place above all else (to a fault, a lot of the time), "Black Orpheus" starts as a frenetic, slice of life piece before morphing into something much more to my liking: this weird, almost phantasmagorical acid trip in the second half, where things become much more expressionistic and even metaphorical in stature. I only wish the bulk of the movie adhered to this bleak aesthetic. I dunno, man, that shot of Orfeu and the janitor walking down those spiral steps made me feel some type of way about everything I'd watched up until that point. Not that all of it was bad or anything (in fact all the Chico scenes put quite a smile on my face), but once things take. . .a turn, we'll say. . .the movie starts firing on a whole different level of RPMs. As for some of the problematicism that's come about as of late regarding this movie? I honestly don't know where to start and I'm certainly not an authority on any of the cultures represented here. If there are legitimate grievances in play here, I'm not opposed to folks lending a more critical eye to the material here. That said, I'm still glad I watched. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/28/25 Full Review Sharon K Very captivating film! I have watched it three times Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 05/31/24 Full Review harwee h Loved the cinemgratophy, photographically ahead of its time. Narrative didn't quite reach the same level. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/16/24 Full Review John S One of my all time favorite movies. Just rewatched it with my granddaughter, who is now in grad school in NOLO and loves carnival. The music is classic. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/06/23 Full Review Billie A A mesmerizing adaptation of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice brought to the streets of Brasil in living color, with an infectious soundtrack and lascivious colors that make it hard not to fall in love -- and lust. Truly a cinematic masterpiece that falls short only in its final moments wherein its most tragic moment aged absolutely comedically. This film is also a blunt reminder that diversity in all its forms -- race, body types, genders, classes, etc., as a concept onscreen is not new, and that Carnaval (and Brasil) is a celebration of multiculturalism at its core. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/22/23 Full Review reuben m I'll admit I put on my Criterion BluRay of BLACK ORPHEUS with scant enthusiasm. I honestly knew nothing about the film and the brief description on the box didn't really sell the film to me. But I am working my way through the films of Criterion and have an agreement with myself not to skip any just because they don't sound great. I've exposed myself to some great films with that approach; movies like THE ASCENT, which I never would have watched otherwise and which now are among my favorites. BLACK ORPHEUS proved to be entertaining and fairly enjoyable, without really grabbing me. The Criterion bonus features were essential viewing for an uninformed viewer such as myself, so that I could understand the context of this film a little better. That it is widely considered responsible for bringing the excitement of Carnaval in Rio to the world in general is well worth knowing. That it is credited for popularizing the bossa nova is great to know. But does this background make it a great movie to view today? Yes and no. Black Orpheus is a retelling of the tragic Greek myth of the love between Orpheus and Eurydice (although it's actually based on a play that is this retelling), set against the background of Carnaval. The characters are now citizens of the poorer outskirts of Rio, preparing to celebrate in the big city. Orfeu, his town's lead dancer in the samba school which is going to be parading during Carnaval, is unenthusiastically engaged to Mira. When the enchanting Eurydice comes to town to stay with Serafina (another dancer), Orfeu is immediately drawn to this naïve but lovely young lady. They embark on an affair, stirring up all sorts of domestic turmoil. But in addition, Eurydice is apparently being chased by a strange man she believes wants to kill her (a man dressed in a Death costume, of call things). The plot of the movie, though neatly related to the Greek story, is really not that terribly interesting, truth be told. The character actions and motivations are often sketchy, and the "death" character is not even remotely adequately explained. What gives this movie life is the almost constant music and the nearly as constant background of dancing. The drumbeats of the bossa nova are almost always at least in the background if not in the foreground. The villagers wear wild costumes for the festive occasion. The locale is humid and everyone sweats all the time. The atmosphere created by the film is one of frenetic forward movement. One can certainly see why the film popularized the music. It's in the blood, the DNA of the film. What would be a silly drama becomes something actually akin to myth with the addition of all this music. It heightens passions. It creates forward momentum even during introspective moments. And the dance sequences, though filmed in a stagey manner by today's standards, are prolonged and come close to drawing the viewer in to their ecstatic nature. The people in this film can't help but dance; it's palpable. Without spoiling anything, the latter sections of the film require Orpheus to travel through the underworld of Rio, to some strange locales. These sequences are almost from another film, which is actually totally appropriate. He's gone from the happy, sensuous world of his village and the celebrations on the street to the mysterious and foreboding dark alleys of a sometimes unfriendly city. In the end, I was very content to have seen the film. The music is sensational. There are ample moments of light and fun. But while it captured my tapping feet and my musical brain, it didn't grab my heart, at least not enough to overlook the sometimes half-baked melodrama. It's tough to recommend the film on its own merits. Criterion has done a great job, as usual, and their version is the one to see. Allow yourself another 45 minutes or so to enjoy some of the terrific little documentaries that accompany the film. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Black Orpheus

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