Orfeu Negro (Black Orpheus) (1959)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Pierluigi P

  
  lyricism, magic, love, death, the real flavour of latin american joy for living. A tragedy in vivid colours and heavenly notes.

• Jan Marc M

  
  Mythological love and chaos in the world's grandest carnival, Black Orpheus is a modern adaptation of the timeless tale of Orpheus and Eurydice that feasts on rhythm and visual splendor. Vibrant.

• Jason R

  
  I was skeptical -- I don't watch old movies. There's usually some anachronistic reference or humor that I don't get and then feel bad that I don't get then hate the movie for making me feel bad. And it's not that I LOVED this movie. The beginning is a little… More
  I was skeptical -- I don't watch old movies. There's usually some anachronistic reference or humor that I don't get and then feel bad that I don't get then hate the movie for making me feel bad. And it's not that I LOVED this movie. The beginning is a little slow, some of the Carnival dance scenes are a bit tedious (that's if you're not dancing along at home...which I was so no biggie) and Death is just a guy in a costume. But I was completely mesmerized by the second half of the movie. Without any cheap special effects tricks (they had movies in 1959?), this movie is, in a clichà (C)d word, beautiful. The iconic final scene might even bring a tear to your eye. (Thanks Rach!)

• First L

  
  1959's "Black Orpheus" is like some long-forgotten children's book of what the rest of the world, with it's exotic people and colorful locations might look like. Along the beautiful coast of Rio de Janeiro, we wander up through villages stacked at impossible… More
  1959's "Black Orpheus" is like some long-forgotten children's book of what the rest of the world, with it's exotic people and colorful locations might look like. Along the beautiful coast of Rio de Janeiro, we wander up through villages stacked at impossible angles against gigantic hills and mountains, as the city below litters the shoreline and paper ships dot the glimmering ocean. The story follow Eurydice, a country girl who's ship arrives in the harbor just in time for the "carnival", a fantastical time of dancing and celebration for the people of Rio. For the first 20 minutes of so of the film, there is almost no dialogue exchanged as we follow Eurydice through the city and up the side of the mountain, just the almost nonstop pulse of the samba rhythm pounding away as literally every person she passes on her journey is either dancing or performing music. Director Marcel Camus doesn't attempt to disguise his love of this culture as he packs every scene with life and color. Orpheus of greek mythology serves as the inspiration for Orfeu, the streetcar conductor who plays guitar and sings, and also charms every woman in the village. The beautiful Mira has him cornered into a proposal, but Orfeu forsakes all others the day he meets Eurydice. Eurydice arrives in town to hide out with her cousin, Serafina, away from a man dressed as death who's bee chasing her. Orfeu and Eurydice's story is told through the eyes of two young boys who see Orfeu as some sort of god (they believe his singing causes the sun to rise). Of course the tragedy parallels the original story of Orpheus and Eurydice, but the genius of this film is in the way it weaves the story into each aspect of life in Rio, from carnival and samba, to voodoo and government ineffeciancy. And even when the story turns heavy, there's just so much fairytale up on the screen it's hard to take things cynically. This is like a beautiful, arthouse version of "Slumdog Millionaire". When I watch a movie like Black Orpheus, I'm swept up in the mythology the film creates. I can't imagine there's anywhere on earth better to live than the village of Orfeu and Serafina, where you can buy groceries with a kiss and dancing cable cars roam the streets picking up stray girls.

• Ken S

  
  Gorgeous, touching, funny, beautiful and an absolute delight to watch. Marcel Camus' imaginative retelling of this Greek myth will leave you smiling, crying and dancing in your seat.

• Lenny M

  
  Set in Carnaval season of Brazil so everything is overwhelming and flamboyant. The party atmosphere is set alongside alongside a modern interpretation of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice which has a subtle progression. Very good camera work and shots for its time. For the… More
  Set in Carnaval season of Brazil so everything is overwhelming and flamboyant. The party atmosphere is set alongside alongside a modern interpretation of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice which has a subtle progression. Very good camera work and shots for its time. For the most part the movie is all smiles, dancing, romancing, and drama between the sexes which gets gets to be tiring and annoying in certain cases. But it incorporates the legend heavily at the end with a great climax. Overall a solid and innovative film.

• Tim S

  
  The characters jump off the screen and I love the ending.

• Michael G

  
  A really wild retelling of Orpheus with fantastic imagery and music. A really fun movie.

• Byron B

  
  The Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice transplanted to Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. The French director directed a mostly Brazilian cast. Like O Brother, Where Art Thou?, music plays a big role in the telling of this story. In this case, it is the bossa nova beats of lots of drums,… More
  The Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice transplanted to Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. The French director directed a mostly Brazilian cast. Like O Brother, Where Art Thou?, music plays a big role in the telling of this story. In this case, it is the bossa nova beats of lots of drums, some lyrical singing and guitar playing, and energetic dancing, which helps tell the story. Eurydice is visiting her cousin near the city because she is trying to escape death, this creeping guy in a skeleton costume. Orpheus has just become engaged to a girl who is flirty and a real looker, except his soul mate is Eurydice. The two meet by chance a couple times and quickly fall in love, death eventually catches Eurydice, and Orpheus has to symbolically go to the underworld to find her. There's a wise man sort of character who's a friend of Orpheus and a couple boys who want to be like Orpheus and assist with the romantic relationship. An at times celebratory, romantic, proud, jealous, suspenseful, always rhythmic movie.

• Lesley N

  
  1950's Orpheus set in Rio during carnival time. Lots of drama, happy music, exuberant dancing and people skipping off set; great fun to watch. A Sunday afternoon film.

• Mike T

  
  Director Marcel Camus does a great job of utilizing his tools as a visual director in this film, soaking up the colors and energy of the film's setting. As far as atmosphere goes, it's very effective... however, I felt like the film overemphasized the intensity of its… More
  Director Marcel Camus does a great job of utilizing his tools as a visual director in this film, soaking up the colors and energy of the film's setting. As far as atmosphere goes, it's very effective... however, I felt like the film overemphasized the intensity of its aesthetics and detracted from the poignancy of the story as a result. Entertaining, but frustratingly repetitive at times. It's a beloved movie, but I didn't quite grasp what all the rage is about.

• MJS M

  
  A famous Brazilian movie from the acclaimed director Marcel Camus. The film won the foreign language Oscar in 1959 and is considered a landmark for Latin American cinema. The film is loosely based on the Orpheus myth, but is set in modern Rio. The first most striking thing about… More
  A famous Brazilian movie from the acclaimed director Marcel Camus. The film won the foreign language Oscar in 1959 and is considered a landmark for Latin American cinema. The film is loosely based on the Orpheus myth, but is set in modern Rio. The first most striking thing about the film is simply how well Camus uses Rio as a character of the film. All the color and energy of Carnival is on display here, the movie simply would not be the same if it were in Black and White. Also interesting is a certain racial role reversal on display, here all of the black characters are strong and interesting, while the white characters are jolly and slightly buffoonish shopkeepers and servants, which may have been a deliberate answer to how African Americans were depicted in Hollywood films. That said, the story here isn?t wildly strong, especially when divorced from the original myth, and I also think it could have done with a little more cutting, but for the most part it?s quite interesting.

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