Orfeu Negro

IMDb RATING

7.4/10

13K

YOUR RATING

Marpessa Dawn and Breno Mello in Orfeu Negro (1959)

A retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth, set during the time of the Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro.

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Drama Musical Romance

A retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth, set during the time of the Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro.A retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth, set during the time of the Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro.A retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth, set during the time of the Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.4/10

13K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Won 1 Oscar
- 4 wins & 2 nominations total

Videos1

Trailer 1:18

Official Trailer

Photos92

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Breno Mello was a soccer player with no acting experience at the time he was cast as Orfeu. Mello was walking on the street in Rio de Janeiro, when Marcel Camus stopped him and asked if he would like to be in a film.

Goofs
When Eurydice faints in the arms of Orfeu; her left arm is straight resting just above his right elbow. But on the next cut the orientation of her arm changed and is now bent and resting just below his elbow. Then on a following cut her arm changed position again.

Quotes
Orfeo: Try to remember. It's a very old story. Thousands of years ago, Orpheus was sad and melancholic, like this little bird trapped in its cage. But one day, from the strings of his guitar that sought only one true love, a voice spoke to him of lost kisses from the lips of Eurydice. Eurydice's lips trembled anxiously, and her mouth opened slightly like a fragrant flower -
[tries to kiss Eurydice and she pushes him away]
Orfeo: No, you're too young to remember!
Eurydice: But I do. I remember the words you sang.
Orfeo: They were the same words.
Eurydice: That's right. But it was the melody I liked best.
Orfeo: [Eurydice leaves, Orfeo follows, finds her sitting on a rock looking at the landscape with a tear in her eye] Forgive me, Eurydice.

Connections
Featured in A Huey P. Newton Story (2001)

Soundtracks
Generique
Traditional folklore, played over opening titles

User reviews93

Featured review

One of the best scores ever!

A lot of users will not believe it,but in his native France ,Marcel Camus's name is slowly fading.Worse,"Orfeo negro" is demeaned :it is given only one star in the French dictionary of films.Part of the reason can be found,I think ,in the rest of Camus's career which is mediocre and tarnished his magnum opus by association.But it's unfair.It's a shame a lot of young FRench young people do not even know the existence of this jewel.

"Orfeo negro" is perfection itself: -Its score is one of the most marvelous I can think of ,now stirring,now wistful as this unforgettable song to make the sun rise.

-The Greek myth is superbly recreated ,and the exotic landscapes add magic to the script.

-The actors are dynamic ;the three leads ,Breno Mello,Lourdes de OLiveira and the wunderkind Marpessa Dawn are excellent-why didn't she make the career she deserved?- -The original version is in Portuguese ,which shows Camus's respect for his audience.

-Best scenes:perhaps the scenes in the house of death,with the walk in the papers;also the final scene where children are still there ,to help the sun rise again and again.The meeting with Death in a power station.

An hymn to the sun and to immortality,"Orfeo Negro" is all this and more.