By Michael Colford
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Jean Cocteau
Starring: François Périer | Henri Crémieux | Jean Marais | Juliette Gréco | María Casares | Marie Déa | Roger Blin
Original language title: Orphée
Country: france
Year: 1950
Running time: 112
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041719/reference
Michael says: “Based on the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, ORPHEUS was the sixth of only eight narrative films that Jean Cocteau directed, the most famous of which, of course, is BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Cocteau’s ORPHEUS revolves around poetry and the death that becomes involved with Orpheus’ affairs is a beautiful woman. This puts a bit of a tragic spin on the myth, so when Orpheus follows his wife, Eurydice, into the underworld to saver her, he really does so because he has fallen in love with Death, and worse, Death returns his feelings. This complication is not allowed, and it causes all sorts of problems, including the central conceit, taken from the much, where if Orpheus should lay eyes on Eurydice, she will instantly be spirited back to the underworld. Trying living with your wife, but not being able to lay eyes on her! Jean Marais plays Orpheus, and he is clearly Cocteau’s muse, as he also played the Beast and starred in six of Cocteau’s eight films. What is so outstanding about Cocteau’s work is the visual artistry in which he approaches everything. In ORPHEUS, the practical special effects used for Death’s abilities, and the trek to the Underworld, are mystifying and beautiful. Now, I am looking forward to going back and watching BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. 4 cats”