Orfeu Negro (Black Orpheus) (1959)
Average Rating: 7.8/10
Reviews Counted: 21
Fresh: 19 | Rotten: 2
Colorful, atmospheric, and infections, Black Orpheus takes an ancient tale and makes it fresh anew, thanks in part to its bewitching bossa nova soundtrack.
Average Rating: N/A
Critic Reviews: 4
Fresh: 4 | Rotten: 0
Colorful, atmospheric, and infections, Black Orpheus takes an ancient tale and makes it fresh anew, thanks in part to its bewitching bossa nova soundtrack.
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Movie Info
Black Orpheus (Orfeu Negro) is literally what its title suggests: a retelling of the "Orpheus and Eurydice" legend enacted by black performers. This time the setting is the annual Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Orpheus (Breno Mello) is a streetcar conductor; Eurydice (Marpessa Dawn) has just jilted her lover and is attempting to escape his wrath. Orpheus himself falls in love with Eurydice, whereupon her ex-lover, disguised as the Angel of Death shows up and kills Eurydice. To reclaim his lost
PG,
Romance, Art House & International, Classics, Comedy, Drama, Musical & Performing Arts, Science Fiction & Fantasy
Jan 1, 1959 Limited
Jun 8, 1999
GAGA Communications
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Cast
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Breno Mello
Orpheus -
Marpessa Dawn
Eurydice -
Léa Garcia
Serafina -
Lourdes de Oliveira
Mira -
Aurino Cassanio
Zeca -
Alexandro Constantino
Hermes -
Adhemar de Silva
Death -
Waldetar De Souza
Chico -
-
Jorge Dos Santos
Benedito -
-
-
-
-
-
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All Critics (25) | Top Critics (7) | Fresh (22) | Rotten (2) | DVD (8)
One of the great musicals.
Top CriticEven when the streamers, confetti, and brass bands aren't there, you can see and hear them.
A riotous, rapturous explosion of sound and color.
Swarms of sinuous girls and children shimmy and race to the samba beat, which is insistent through most of the footage. That's what makes the picture alive.
The samba and bossa nova beats arent just score; they comprise the very environment of the film, as fundamental a force as the wind or the sun
its romanticized perspective makes it all seem in hindsight a bit shallow and facile
Marcel Camus's rousing Black Orpheus gets a celebratory re-release from Criterion, a beautifully rendered double disc celebrating the film's sensational vision of unrequited love and colorful saturation of classic Greek mythology.
The vibrant color of the costumes and settings and the energetic beat of the music and dance creates an intoxicating atmosphere...
Seductive blend of mythology and travelogue...there's still sensual pleasure in the urban scenery, colorful visions, and music and dance, most of it defined by joyful abandon. [Blu-ray]
O belo conceito de Vinícius e a magnífica música de Tom Jobim não conseguem salvar este filme que, apesar de esteticamente impecável (ou talvez por isso), confunde alegoria e caricatura.
Infectious Samba and Bossa Nova rhythms permeate the beautifully filmed earthy Brazilian atmosphere of Carnival. "Black Orpheus" is an unforgettable classic of cinematic poetry, music, and myth.
Despite that, Black Orpheus, while not being a cinematic full meal nevertheless is a sweet piece of candy, and thus has to be judged more on its entertainment value than its artistic value; mindful that, unlike the Orphic films of Cocteau, it, at least su
Dated, to put it mildly. But still colorful, with charming lead performances and that wonderful score.
Dated in its sentimentality but timeless in splendor.
What gives the film its mesmerising atmosphere is cinematographer Jean Bourgoin's discrete contrasts between the vibrancy of the daylight revels and the looming malevolence of the nocturnal sequences.
Audience Reviews for Orfeu Negro (Black Orpheus)
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Foreign Titles
- Orfeo Negro (DE)
- Black Orpheus (UK)
