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Movies / On DVD / Orpheus
Orpheus

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Orpheus (1949)

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Reviews Counted:14

Fresh:14

Rotten:0

Average Rating:9.5/10

Rated: PG

Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins

Genre: Foreign Films

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... 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]

Starring: Jean Marais, Maria Casares, Maria Dea, Francois Perier

Starring: Jean Marais, Maria Casares, Maria Dea, Francois Perier, Henri Cremieux, Juliette Greco, Roger Blin, Edouard Dermithe

Director: Jean Cocteau

Director: Jean Cocteau
Screenwriter: Jean Cocteau
Producer: André Paulvé
Composer: Georges Auric

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Orpheus

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1 - 20 (sorted by critic A-Z; UK critics are listed first)
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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

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
02/01/04
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

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Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
03/16/04
Jamie Russell
Jamie Russell
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
04/01/06
Empire Magazine
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
04/09/04
Guardian [UK]
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
05/24/03
Channel 4 Film
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/11/06
Time Out
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Seeing Orpheus today is like glimpsing a cinematic realm that has passed completely from the scene.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Few films are as magical, and none are more haunting than this monumental work.

Full Review Source: Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) | comment Comment
08/21/02
Ken Hanke
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Comes as close as cinema can to poetry.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
10/20/06
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

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Full Review Source: MovieMartyr.com | comment Comment
03/05/02
Jeremy Heilman
Jeremy Heilman
MovieMartyr.com

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Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
07/30/03
TV Guide's Movie Guide
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N/R

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Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
03/25/06
Bosley Crowther
Bosley Crowther
New York Times
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
01/01/00
Dave Kehr
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
N/R

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Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
03/26/09
Variety
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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.

comment Comment
07/05/03
Moira Sullivan
Moira Sullivan
Movie Magazine International

No review available.

comment Comment
03/09/03
Rob Blackwelder
Rob Blackwelder
SPLICEDWire

No review available.

comment Comment
06/15/03
Walter Chaw
Walter Chaw
Film Freak Central

No review available.

comment Comment
10/08/04
Robin Clifford
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews

No review available.

comment Comment
02/25/04
Carol Cling
Carol Cling
Las Vegas Review-Journal

No review available.

comment Comment
06/11/05
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
 
 
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