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Orpheus (1949)
Rated: PG
Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins
Theatrical Release: 05-03-2004
Synopsis: Cocteau's luminous adaptation of the famous Greek myth, set in post-occupation Paris, remains one of the most stunning achievements of the auteur's career. Orpheus, now transformed from a musician into a poet, has achieved fame and wealth; still, he wants something more. When he witnesses... Cocteau's luminous adaptation of the famous Greek myth, set in post-occupation Paris, remains one of the most stunning achievements of the auteur's career. Orpheus, now transformed from a musician into a poet, has achieved fame and wealth; still, he wants something more. When he witnesses a "biker gang," led by a mysterious dark-haired woman, run over and kill his wife while speeding down the Paris streets, he follows them in hopes of retrieving her--and enters the underworld through mirrors that turn liquid at his touch. But it's more than just his Eurydice that he hopes to find there, as is revealed when he becomes enmeshed in an otherworldly love triangle. A mysterious and stylish film, with elusive and varied meanings, and a flair for the poetic surrealism. [More]
Genre: Foreign Films
Starring: Jean Marais, Maria Casares, Maria Dea, Francois Perier, Henri Cremieux
Reviews
Notable for its vivid and inventive imagery, bringing the Greek myth of Orpheus to the present day with style and passion that's both poetic and realistically gritty
This is one of the most exquisite gems of cinema history. Cocteau's film of the Orpheus myth. Many moments are enchanting such as cryptic messages broadcast from a car radio.
Few films are as magical, and none are more haunting than this monumental work.
Seeing Orpheus today is like glimpsing a cinematic realm that has passed completely from the scene.
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