BLACK ORPHEUS is loosely based on the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Orpheus, a talented musician, falls in love with Eurydice. They marry and are blissfully happy. However, a god foretells their tragic end, and soon Eurydice dies. Orpheus travels to the Underworld, charming Hades with his lyre and convincing the god to let Eurydice return to Earth. Hades concedes on one condition: Orpheus cannot look at his beloved until they have left the Underworld. But Orpheus’ joy combines with his distrust, and he steals a glance, dooming Eurydice to the Underworld forever. Orpheus mourns her death by playing a melancholy song on his lyre for the rest of his life.
Set against the backdrop of Rio’s slums, the film transcends myth and becomes a spectacle of dance, sound, love, and tragedy. Carnaval, the annual festival held in Brazil marking the beginning of Lent, is a notoriously electric event. Given the era and director Marcel Camus’ European influences, the film could have easily slipped into an uncomfortable exoticization of Brazilians and their culture.
However, Camus’ film remains a touchstone in the representation of Afro-Latin culture. It was ahead of its time in its interpretation of impoverished communities and regional music — samba was banned until 1930 for its association with black slave culture — as important contributors to mainstream culture.
Not surprisingly, the film won the Palme d’Or at the 1959 Cannes Film Festival. The film is an intoxicating swirl of colors and music. BLACK ORPHEUS is singularly unique in its ability to capture the undulating, rhythmic quality of Brazil.
— Diana Martinez, Film Streams Education Director
