Black Orpheus

Composite Score: 81.47

Starring: Breno Mello, Marpessa Dawn, Lourdes de Oliveira, Léa Garcia, Adhemar Ferreira da Silva, Alexandro Constantino, Jorge Dos Santos, and Aurino Cassiano

Director: Marcel Camus

Writers: Marcel Camus, Jacques Viot, and Vinicius de Moraes

Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Music, Romance

MPAA Rating: PG

Box Office: $750 thousand worldwide

Why should you Watch This Film?

                A retelling of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, Black Orpheus tells the story of a streetcar operator and entertainer who loses his true love during Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro. Marcel Camus’s adaptation of Vinicius de Moraes’s play won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 1960. It features an innovative take on the classical myth, solid cinematographic choices, and exciting musical numbers. The film’s unique overall feel and the energy of Carnaval make for an entertaining backdrop to explore the story of doomed lovers in the city of Rio.

Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?

                The film’s protagonist, Orfeu (played by Breno Mello), is difficult to root for at times. He is an open womanizer, which is certainly also part of the mythological aspect, as Orpheus was a son of Apollo, gifted with the ability to charm just about anyone he encountered; but Orfeu has less of a mythologized charm and more of a conniving charm, unwilling to commit to relationships, even after becoming engaged. Basically everyone in the slum village where he lives knows of his womanizing ways and loves him despite it. His treatment of Eurydice is more positive, but that doesn’t inherently excuse his “use ‘em and lose ‘em” treatment of the other women in his life. I guess it’s supposed to show character development and set up for the final death in the film, but introducing a romantic protagonist with such problematic treatment of women is difficult to swallow in a modern setting.

                The film’s portrayal of Death as a character is interesting and makes for a compelling mythological parallel, but the actual costuming of the character does not age overly well. Death is basically just a guy in a black and white morph suit with a stylized skull mask on, chasing Orfeu and Eurydice around for the first hour and a half of the film. Death with a physical form is an interesting concept, but the execution in this case took me out of the fiction pretty consistently.

                The film’s third act also feels a little bit disjointed. Certain parts work as mythological parallels with solid cinematography and set design, while other aspects feel more forced. In particular, the way that Orfeu “meets” and then loses Eurydice in the “afterlife” feels longer than it needs to be and sticks out as an openly spiritual moment within an otherwise grounded narrative. The final scenes also come across as forced to some extent, attempting to bring closure, catharsis, and a complete circle in a rapid series of wild occurrences. The film’s last shot of the children dancing as Zeca plays Orfeu’s guitar to make the sun rise works well, but the moments leading to it do not necessarily.

So wait, why should you Watch This Film?

                Placing the myth in Brazil at the time of Carnaval felt like a fun take to me. The entire story is set against the music and costumes of the event, creating a festive atmosphere and an almost frenetic pace. Character names like Eurydice, Orfeu, and Hermes remind you that although the setting is Brazil, the story is still drawing on Greek myth. Death’s costume, while underwhelming, is played off by characters not in the know as simply one of the Carnaval costumes, highlighting Eurydice’s knowledge of her impending doom through her terror at seeing the costumed figure. The film foreshadows the events of the tragedy well, placing parallels to the myth in the setting. Orpheus’s lyre becomes Orfeu’s guitar; Hermes is not a god, but a well-connected guard of the streetcar line, and Cerberus is a guard dog for a spiritual gathering, rather than the Underworld. For mythology buffs, the film is an exciting fountain of references and allegories.

                Adding to the mythological atmosphere is the use of set design and cinematography to help create an almost fantasy setting in the midst of Rio. Use of red lighting in scenes in the film’s third act when Orfeu is trying to find Eurydice after her death parallels Orpheus’s descent into the Underworld in the original myth. The oppressive and ominous color lends an immediately noticeable and otherworldly glow to the scenes of Orfeu’s pursuit, ended when he identifies his love’s body at the morgue. Use of light and darkness in scenes when Death is pursuing Eurydice highlights the conflict between the two well and adds to the audience’s understanding of both the real and mythological stakes of the scenes.

                Finally, the film’s use of exciting Carnaval dance numbers engages the audience in the film’s setting and introduces the culture of the story well. Orfeu organizes their village’s Carnaval parade performance, and the audience gets to view both the rehearsal and the final performance. The dance numbers serve as both establishing set pieces and catalysts for further occurrences in the film’s plot. On the one hand, they provide connections between characters and explanations of certain characters’ backstories thanks to the character of Benedito. At the same time, each dance number is followed by Death’s appearance and his attempts to finally make Eurydice his, culminating in a chase through the streetcar station.

Dance numbers with purpose, intentional cinematography, and innovative developments of a classic myth help make Black Orpheus a Great Film and are no doubt what won it its Oscar. At the same time, flaws in its protagonist, poorly aged villain costuming, and a disjointed third act keep it from rising higher in the overall list of Great Films. If you have time while it’s still on HBO Max, it’s worth checking out, but it doesn’t have to be an immediate watch.