Orpheus (1949)

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]