Black Orpheus (1959)

PG06/12/1959Drama, Romance1h 40m
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The film that introduced Bossa Nova to the world...

Overview

Young lovers Orfeu and Eurydice run through the favelas of Rio during Carnaval, on the lam from a hitman dressed like Death and Orfeu's vengeful fiancée Mira and passing between moments of fantasy and stark reality. This impressionistic retelling of the Greek legend of Orpheus and Eurydice introduced bossa nova to the world with its soundtrack by young Brazilian composers Luiz Bonfá and Antonio Carlos Jobim.

Top Billed Cast

  1. Cast 1

    Breno Mello

    Orfeo

  2. Cast 1

    Marpessa Dawn

    Eurydice

  3. Cast 1

    Lourdes de Oliveira

    Mira

  4. Cast 1

    Léa Garcia

    Serafina

  5. Cast 1

    Adhemar Ferreira da Silva

    Death

  6. Waldetar De Souza

    Chico

  7. Cast 1

    Alexandre Constantino

    Hermes

  8. Jorge Dos Santos

    Benedito

  9. Aurino Cassiano

    Zeca

I reckon this was always going to be a bit of a creatively risky venture and for me: a Frenchman moving a Greek myth to the culturally diverse Brazil was always going to be quite an ask. It's colourful and well cast, but I am afraid the story just muddled up too many themes for me. The premiss is the same as the ancient story, with this time "Eurydice" (Marpessa Dawn) having fled her home town to avoid the unwelcome attentions of a suitor. She encounters tram driver "Orfeu" (Breno Mello) and pretty much instantly they hit it off. He serenades her with his carousing guitar music - despite the f...