If you've ever seen even one episode of the original Twilight Zone (1959-1964), One Step Beyond (1959-1961) or Outer Limits (1963-1965) series, you won't be freaked out by Jean Cocteau's Orphée / Orpheus (1950). It's sort of like them, but with better production values, a longer, more involved story and a ten-year lead time. Stars: Jean Marais (Orphée/Orpheus), Marie Déa (Eurydice), María Casares (The Princess/an apparent incarnation or avatar of Death), François Périer (Heurtebise) and Edouard Dermithe (poet Jacques Cégeste). The Criterion Collection delivers an excellent quality version of this film on DVD.
"Among the misconceptions which have been written about Orphée, I still see Heurtebise described as an angel and the Princess [María Casares, pictured above] as Death. . . In the film, there is no Death and no angel . . . Heurtebise is a young Death serving in one of the numerous sub-orders of Death, and the Princess is no more Death than an air hostess is an angel." -- Jean Cocteau
See: http://www.criterion.com/current/posts/13-orpheus
This is a fun and cool movie, for sure. I'm adding Orphée / Orpheus to my list of favorites and will post more about it soon.
Today's Rune: Initiation.
1 comment:
You've found the way to intrigue me, considering I'm a big fan of the Twilight zone.
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