Drama,Fantasy,Romance
France
Orpheus is a French film directed by Jean Cocteau, released in 1950. The movie is an adaptation of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, set in the contemporary city of Paris. The film is shot in black and white and is noted for its surreal and dreamlike imagery.
The central character Orphée is a celebrated poet and a member of the elite Café des Poètes, who is struggling with writer's block. He becomes intrigued by a mysterious princess, who turns out to be the personification of Death. After Cègeste is killed in a fight, Orphée is transported to the underworld in The Princess's Rolls Royce, where he and Death embark on a romantic and philosophical relationship.
In the realm of the dead, Cocteau creates a surrealistic landscape with spooky effects, where the souls of the dead are represented by a series of mirrors. Orphée is eventually returned to the living world after a difficult battle with Death. In the world of the living, Orphée becomes obsessed with the car radio, which gives him strange coded messages.
The film is notable for its visuals, with surrealistic and dreamlike landscapes and effects, such as a pool of mercury, which serve to represent the underworld. Cocteau uses several creative effects, including mirrors, special lighting, and the manipulation of time, to create a sense of otherworldliness. The film also explores themes of love and death, as well as the creative process of the artist.
Orpheus is the second film in Cocteau's Orphic Trilogy, preceded by The Blood of a Poet and followed by Testament of Orpheus. The film was a critical and commercial success, winning the Palme d'Or award at the 1950 Cannes Film Festival.
