Review of Black Orpheus (1959) by Wayne S — 13 Aug 2012

Colorful and kenetic, this is a retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice legend set in Rio during Carnival and told with much dancing and a Bossa Nova beat. Winner of both the Cannes Palme d'Or and the 1960 Academy Award for best foreign film, the film benefits most from the timeless music of Antonio Carlos Jobim. and Luiz Bonfa.

The actors are energetic Samba dancers, but unfortunately not such great actors. Still they are mostly appealing and a couple of the older gentlemen are quite effective in their small roles. Orfeu (Breno Mello) is a streetcar conductor, and beloved of everyone, while Eurydice (Marpessa Dawn) is a country girl on the run from death. She has a nice smile. One scene set in a Santeria parlor is mysterious and exotic, and probably the best in the film. Still, at only 107 minutes, Black Orpheus sometimes seems stretched, and the dance culture is treated with a condescension that rings a little false and dated after fifty-plus years.