Comments on: ORPHEUS by Jean Cocteau http://www.altfg.com/blog/classics/orphee-orpheus-1950-dvd-review/ thinking film Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:21:28 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Kyle Retter http://www.altfg.com/blog/classics/orphee-orpheus-1950-dvd-review/#comment-475868 Kyle Retter Tue, 05 May 2009 18:40:28 +0000 http://www.altfg.com/blog/archives/2006/11/17/orphee-orpheus-1950-dvd-review/#comment-475868 I just watched this film and was doing some research on it and came across your article. I very rarely feel the need to comment on things like this but I couldn't resist. I didn't think the movie was all that great either...but you made it sound like the worst movie ever made, which it isn't, and you really did a bad job of supporting your argument. I am more annoyed at myself for spending the time to read your article than I was when watching the movie. I just watched this film and was doing some research on it and came across your article. I very rarely feel the need to comment on things like this but I couldn’t resist. I didn’t think the movie was all that great either…but you made it sound like the worst movie ever made, which it isn’t, and you really did a bad job of supporting your argument. I am more annoyed at myself for spending the time to read your article than I was when watching the movie.

]]> By: tomasz http://www.altfg.com/blog/classics/orphee-orpheus-1950-dvd-review/#comment-472497 tomasz Fri, 06 Feb 2009 22:47:08 +0000 http://www.altfg.com/blog/archives/2006/11/17/orphee-orpheus-1950-dvd-review/#comment-472497 jest mi przykro, ?e w tak suchy sposób kto? wydaje opini? na temat spraw...które J. Cocteau podejmuje z trudem...i które jak by? mo?e podpowiada?a mu intuicja s? fundamentalne dla ludzkich spraw... Sama ekranizacja mitu mówi o szale?czej podró?y do ciemnych stron ludzkiej osobowo?ci...i o odwadze, której potrzebujemy, nie za? - obawiam si?, ?e zbyt szybkich - ocen pod k?tem technicznym i tre?ciowym o filmie p. Cocteau. Proponuj? rozwa?y? fakt, ?e jest to jeden z pierwszych filmów ukazuj?cy podró? na tamt? stron? lustra...tak jak Neo w Matrixie. Film ten jako jeden z pierwszych odnosi? si? do w?tków mitologicznych. Porusza sprawy odwieczne, tak jak ?mier?, któr? trzeba pokona?, by si? jej nie ba?...oby nie zanik?a w cz?owieku potrzeba szukania prawdy i odwaga. jest mi przykro, ?e w tak suchy sposób kto? wydaje opini? na temat spraw…które J. Cocteau podejmuje z trudem…i które jak by? mo?e podpowiada?a mu intuicja s? fundamentalne dla ludzkich spraw… Sama ekranizacja mitu mówi o szale?czej podró?y do ciemnych stron ludzkiej osobowo?ci…i o odwadze, której potrzebujemy, nie za? – obawiam si?, ?e zbyt szybkich – ocen pod k?tem technicznym i tre?ciowym o filmie p. Cocteau. Proponuj? rozwa?y? fakt, ?e jest to jeden z pierwszych filmów ukazuj?cy podró? na tamt? stron? lustra…tak jak Neo w Matrixie. Film ten jako jeden z pierwszych odnosi? si? do w?tków mitologicznych. Porusza sprawy odwieczne, tak jak ?mier?, któr? trzeba pokona?, by si? jej nie ba?…oby nie zanik?a w cz?owieku potrzeba szukania prawdy i odwaga.

]]> By: Alexander http://www.altfg.com/blog/classics/orphee-orpheus-1950-dvd-review/#comment-455388 Alexander Mon, 08 Dec 2008 20:40:25 +0000 http://www.altfg.com/blog/archives/2006/11/17/orphee-orpheus-1950-dvd-review/#comment-455388 “the original Greek myth Orpheus was a poet whose wife Eurydice died and was taken to the underworld. Orpheus went to rescue her, to lead her back to the land of the living. He could do so only if he dared not turn to look at her while they journeyed back to life.” In the original myth Orpheus was a musician. It is his music that softens the heart of Hades. In this adaptation he is a poet, yes. “Thus, Orpheus wins Eurydice back but he cannot look at her. It takes three quarters of the 95 minute film just to get to where the myth really starts.” The myth began when he was introduced as Orpheus at the start of the film. Orpheus, Eurydice, and Death are clearly identified in their roles. We can even go farther to say the car may have represented the riverboat in part and the motorcycles possibly Furies. Read the myth and watch the film again. Give yourself a chance to interpret it and find the meanings. Try to check out a few other adaptations of the myth and perhaps you’ll notice more recurring themes and garner a greater understand of it. I recommend… Films – Black Orpheus, a Brazilian film. What Dreams May Come shares many similarities to the myth. Poetry – Orpheus.Eurydice.Hermes. A poem by Rainer Maria Rilke. Theater – Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl. The film is an adaptation of classic mythology. You may feel this is a trite attempt but it sounds like you just haven’t made a significant effort to analyze it. It may have bad special effects by today’s standards but this is not the mark of a bad movie. You make a great effort to write a bad review but almost none to analyze the film and myth. Jean Cocteau may be hard to meet when it comes to his vision but to trash his work because you don’t understand it is just arrogant. I challenge anyone, including you Dan, to give this film a serious survey. Thanks. -A.H. “the original Greek myth Orpheus was a poet whose wife Eurydice died and was taken to the underworld. Orpheus went to rescue her, to lead her back to the land of the living. He could do so only if he dared not turn to look at her while they journeyed back to life.”

In the original myth Orpheus was a musician. It is his music that softens the heart of Hades. In this adaptation he is a poet, yes.

“Thus, Orpheus wins Eurydice back but he cannot look at her. It takes three quarters of the 95 minute film just to get to where the myth really starts.”

The myth began when he was introduced as Orpheus at the start of the film. Orpheus, Eurydice, and Death are clearly identified in their roles. We can even go farther to say the car may have represented the riverboat in part and the motorcycles possibly Furies. Read the myth and watch the film again. Give yourself a chance to interpret it and find the meanings.
Try to check out a few other adaptations of the myth and perhaps you’ll notice more recurring themes and garner a greater understand of it. I recommend…

Films –
Black Orpheus, a Brazilian film.
What Dreams May Come shares many similarities to the myth.
Poetry –
Orpheus.Eurydice.Hermes. A poem by Rainer Maria Rilke.
Theater –
Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl.

The film is an adaptation of classic mythology. You may feel this is a trite attempt but it sounds like you just haven’t made a significant effort to analyze it. It may have bad special effects by today’s standards but this is not the mark of a bad movie. You make a great effort to write a bad review but almost none to analyze the film and myth. Jean Cocteau may be hard to meet when it comes to his vision but to trash his work because you don’t understand it is just arrogant.
I challenge anyone, including you Dan, to give this film a serious survey.

Thanks. -A.H.

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