The Double Life of Black Orpheus - Orfeu Negro (1959)
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 18 фев 2021
- A movie of love and hate, a tale of life and death, a history of awards and contempt, this is the double life of Black Orpheus (Orfeu Negro), the 1959 French-Brazillian film by Marcel Camus, that took the world by surprise, was showered with international awards and praise, yet found the diametrically opposed end of the reception at home.
In the midst of Rio de Janeiro's Carnaval, the video explores the duality of perception of the film by the public, festivals and critique, while referencing films and filmmakers from the same era and country, such as Glauber Rocha, Anselmo Duarte, as well as other fundamental characters in the sphere such as Vinicius de Moraes and Tom Jobim.
Additionally, Black Orpheus is a crucial film in Brazillian cinema, and helpful to understand the diverse textures and history of Brazil, from a social standpoint. Some of the themes addressed by its critics, find echo in contemporary political movements of liberal flavour such as Black Lives Matter, since the release of the film coincided with the Civil Rights Movement in the USA and other liberal political actions with the aim of attaining equality and justice for all members of society.
Black Orpheus DVD and Blu-ray: www.criterion.com/films/344-b...
For those who find unrealistic that poor people can be as happy as the film portrays, I can assure you that Carnival in Brazil has always had this "escaping aura", a period intended to forget one's problems and misfortunes and collectively celebrate life.
So yes, all the people, including those most unfortunate, can be this enthusiastic during Carnival. And that's why the political and economical aspects were not delved into as some critics pointed out, but failed to realize, that it's Carnival, for Pete's sake!
👏🏾👏🏾🎉🎉 💞💞
The "Black Orpheus" is a chilling sacred poem with anbelievably eerie music. The negative reviews are infuriating insolence towards a masterpiece of great Art.
Hey Demetrios, that's a beautiful description, and quite on point. Thank you for relaying your thoughts on it for us.
@ Thank you so much Sir!
The "Black Orpheus" is a chilling sacred poem with anbelievably eerie music. The negative reviews are infuriating insolence towards a masterpiece of great Art.
I’m not an artist, not a musician, just a guy who’s watched a heck of a lot of movies in my lifetime, and after having seen this movie in full at least a half dozen times, I can say that it may be my most favorite movie I have ever seen. And I wish Mr. Jobim was alive so that I could overwhelmingly thank him for allowing his masterpiece music pieces to be in this movie which equally made it for me. Looking forward to watching this movie Black Orpheus the next half dozen times.
Thanks for sharing your experience and thoughts on the film with us, Richard. Cheers!
As a Black American artist, musician & lover of world culture who saw the film at 15 in 1971, the rest of my life was affected by the film. As years past and with my involvement in Brazilian-American arts & culture, I've have met and have become friends with some of the surviving actors or their son & daughters living in the US.
I agree x
The same Richard, the same
Completely respect your artistic sensibility and I agree that it is a terrific movie!
VERY WELL EXPRESSED, REVIEWED, ANALYZED AND INTERPRETED. As an young teenage Black in America in 1971, my first viewing of the film had a tremendous effect on me and those like myself. In the States it was a depiction of Black people & African-American never seen before in US cinema. Rather than the hard realities of race issues and poverty Blacks experience daily, Orpheu Negro revealed & depicted a world & society mostly unknown to N. Americans. The beauty of the culture, their music, the Carnaval, the landscape and storytelling mesmerized many of us who had no idea Brazil was such a dynamic and exciting place. But beyond the politics Orpheus was simply a fairytale/myth brought to life in a movie using Brazil as it's backdrop and it worked fantastically. It changed my life in many ways. I immediately became aware of the extensiveness of the African diaspora, the beauty & depth of Brazilian music which inspired me to eventually travel , live and to experience & appreciate Carnaval for myself several times in various locations around the world. As a painter and photographer my art was completely inspired by the time I spent in Brazil. And I have heard these same stories many times from people of my generation who saw the film at a young age decades ago. It's one of the most exhilarating films of all time. As years past and with my involvement in Brazilian-American arts & culture, I've have met and have become friends with some of the surviving actors or their son & daughters living in the US. I even loved the 1999 remake called Orfeu which maintained most of the charm of the original while modernizing the era to match 1990's contemporary life in Brazil
Thanks you so much for your extensive comment and for sharing your experience with us. I sincerely believe that the perception of the film by additional viewers will rightly increase the understanding of its various textures. Cheers.
I get the political and economical criticism and I guess I could be ignorant here by saying this as an American but as a black person, I’m tired of seeing us in films always struggling and getting into crime and drama. I think the film was a lovely and magical escape. You rarely see fantasy films with a black cast, we’re usually supporting characters.
And seeing black people presented as beautiful, romantic and desirable in a film from the late 50’s means a lot to me. Especially seeing the dark skin woman as soft and feminine.
Dear Amber, thank you for sharing your thoughts. I agree with you and hence why this duality in the film is so appealing and the crux of the essay, which I debated with other viewers as well. There is beauty and value in both assessments, hence the complex understanding of the work.
As a French, black person too, I totally agree with you!
I completely agree with you, it is one of my favorite films. It is a beautiful interpretation of a myth and I think it is ridiculous to insert political and economic matters into it. It would be like watching a film about King Arthur and criticizing it because it doesn't include something about the class struggles of the peasants.
I am not black, but a white Brazilian worker, and I can tell Carnaval in the country is a popular celebration above all. Poor (and mainly black) people in the favelas have always made Carnaval their own hands, from making costumes to creating samba songs. So, the movie just shows reality. Furthermore, Carnaval in Brazil has always been politically aware. Many songs and costumes are critics from the working class to those who hold wealth and power. So, you are totally right.
@@davidemmet7343 Reminds me of a couple of recently made black films that were fantasy or quirky that I got really excited about till I later learned they were about political race topics regarding white people. Like please, can we have some balance?😭
J'ai vu ce film pour la première fois alors que je n'étais qu'un jeune adolescent. Même aujourd'hui à 65 ans je ne peux m'empêcher de verser quelques larmes lorsque je revois certaines scènes....
Merci beaucoup d'avoir partagé votre expérience avec le film avec nous. Meilleures salutations!
Moi aussi je l'ai vu pour la première fois à 17 ans et à 62 ans je ne peux pas m'empêcher de pleurer en le revoyant.
Beautiful movie, it is now January 5, 2022 and I have been watching this movie since 1965. ❤ it till the end.
Indeed, there are many aspects of it to be cherished. Thanks for the comment, Taylor.
This film is one of the most amazing films I have ever seen in my life. I can watch it 100 times. The people are absolutely beautiful in this film.
Indeed, the aesthetic in this film is quite ravishing.
I've seen it twice. It is a masterpiece. My French teacher at
University of Hawaii knew many of these creative people like Tom Jobim, Luiz Bonfa, etc.
That's a great set of acquaintances, indeed. Cheers, Eugene.
The best movie , everyone needs to see this movie, I’m 60 yo and been watching this movie since my teenage years . It used to play on NYC channel 13 public TV on New Year Day for years. I had to search years for my own copy , then along came Amazon selling everything. I finally have my own and it’s a precious item in my collection
3:30 Carnival 1957 and 1958
I first watched this film as a pre-teen in the early 90’s, when a family member brought the VHS recording to our Central African home. It endeared me to Brasil, it’s people, language and culture. So much so that, Rio was my first vacation city, when I could afford travel for tourism. I tried to picture the film in some of the existing locations. It was such beautifully haunting movie and one of my favourites
Hey DivaAfro, thanks for sharing your thoughts and experience of the film with all of is. Cheers!
First time I saw Black Orpheus was in 1970s or early 80s on late night television. I was amazed of the beautiful color in this 1959 movie. I never heard anyone else ever mentioned seeing this film. I never saw it again until recently 2022/23, and I was able to watch on RUclips and then on Kanopy. I've watched it about 3 times. I love this movie regardless of critics and that it was CC. I Love the scenery and the daily activity portrayed of the other people in the film. It motivated me to read about it via wikipedia about Orpheus and Eurydice & Rio De Janeiro & Carnival. I can watch it over and over again.
❤️
It's a special film, no doubt, so no wonder so many people were compelled by it to learn more about the rich culture found within it. Thanks for sharing your memory and experience of it with us!
Thanks for this thought provoking commentary. I just saw the film last night and was extremely moved. I had seen the final scene out of context, and thus had no illusions that the films creators were attempting realism. It is a myth, and a myth can contain truth without being realistic. To me, one thing it is about is the power of myth itself, as the young boy fulfills his mandate as the keeper of Orpheus's flame, with the seemingly supernatural power of the role, but also with the responsibility.
Thank you for your appreciation and for sharing your thoughts on the film as well. I would agree with you, part of the film's magic relies on that transcendent truth depicted beyond a realistic frame.
@ Very kind of you to take the time to reply to the perspectives shared on this platform. I think this is an enriching thing you are doing here. Thanks!
@@jameskaufmann765 No worries, I find it appealing that one can have a debate and discuss different perspectives in here, in a way that is fruitful for all sides. Thanks again!
Fui a Río de Janeiro en época distinta del carnaval y me encantó la ciudad, ahí conocí la samba y el Bosa Nova y compré vinilos que me han hecho interesarme por la cultura, la música de Jobim y los libros de Vinicius me llevaron a encontrar esta joya de película.
Gracias Brasil si Dios lo permite volveremos en tiempo de carnaval y gracias por el analisis muy bien argumentado.
Gracias por compartir com nosotros tus experiencias y gracias por tus palabras e apreciación, Mauricio.
Bravo! An excellent review of a masterpiece film. Orfeu Negro is one of my all time favorite films. In fact it (and other factors) inspired me to move to Brazil. The first time I watched it I did not understand a word, but after living in Sao Paulo for two years (over 20 years ago) I now understand every word. I watch this film in Black & White in Portuguese only, in all of its Original beauty and innocence!
Thank you, my friend. That's a wonderful experience you got there, I admire how it must have affected you and helped you dive deep within Brazillian culture. Cheers.
This movie would come on once a year and I couldn’t wait to see it in Chicago channel 9 and another channel I believe 🎉🎉❤
5:15 what films were these?
Love this movie and see it as a relaxed documetary of sorts.American by birth and having lived in bahia as a child I see with unprejudiced eyes the people and culture I Iove from its Candomble to its feijoada.Your fluid speech leaves nothing to be desired and is a commpliment to the movie itself.Parabens!
Thank you so very much, Edwin, your appreciation is very rewarding to hear. Indeed, the camera in this film sometimes has an almost observational character to it, it feels as if it was placed amidst the streets and left to roll. Cheers!
thank-you for educating my american mind ...this is my all time favorite film
My pleasure, Andrea. Glad you've enjoyed and learned from this essay!
Thanks for this balanced, insightful analysis. I was surprised (and chagrined) to learn that Jobim and Moraes were disappointed by the way their music was used in the film. I have seen the movie about a dozen times and always felt that the music perfectly fit the story. I would like to know more about their disappointment.
Hi Craig, thanks a lot for your kind appreciation. Both Moraes and Jobim were particularly disappointed with the "exoticism" of the film, having described the film's character as predominantly commercial and touristically oriented, and it appears to me that they have disliked how their music was employed to convey or at least serve as a companion for a description of their country that they have found perhaps a tad tactless.
@ Thank you. I wonder if that was their initial response, and if their opinion might have modified after they saw the long term, worldwide success of the film.
@@craigberg1942 It is a possibility, though I haven't come across it during my research. As an extra, I can tell you that Jobim was also dismayed by Camus' intransigence, in regards to the French director's demands for Moraes to change some of his verses and in a letter from Jobim to Moraes, Jobim even goes as far as saying that "you just let me know when I can kick that French man's ass".
@ That's interesting. Thanks for sharing. It reminds me of the time that Jobim was horrified by Norman Gimbel's English version of the lyrics to "A Garota De Ipanema", which, of course, went on to become one of the most popular recordings of all time.
I hardly like to leave comments but I must say this is one of the greatest youtube videos I have ever seen. I promise! I started to become emotional for a moment and had to pause the video. This film, for me, as with so many other people, holds a special place in my heart and was personally one of my introductions to art/foreign films as a pre-teen and was also my introduction to samba/bossa nova which I have loved since. Videos like this are exactly what I need more of, learning about equally appreciating/loving art while viewing it critically. Understanding that every film is a journey inward and while being a highly individualistic experience, you can make note of its cultural implications as well. I have understood more of what I love about the film. The beautiful black bodies and faces moving along a poetic landscape, though they smile (a little too much at times), it still seems like a part of the human condition more luscious and violently beautiful exist beyond their understanding, (that is expressed through rich colors and painterly technicolor shots). The lovers as well as the rest of the cast are crossed with love, violence, beauty, life and death. Despite that, they live, they only what it means to live, the same way most humans do. After the two lovers die in the end, the children sing a song of new life and watch the sun rise, showing a literal rebirth. How can you not adore that? How can that not bury into your heart? Black Orpheus highlights blissfully and sometimes blindly what it means to be alive and black caught in the swell of something monstrously human like carnival. For me, politics never bog down a film, I often enjoy it, so it would have been better to delve more into that, that would have made the film absolutely perfect, but you can't have everything and I appreciate it for what it was and what it did for me and for cinema in general. It was maybe racially inept but it illustrates the human condition perfectly and beautifully. Thank you and please always continue to upload!
Thank you so much for you appreciation and comprehensive reply to the video. I think your comment illustrates very well the moving power of film as art and how it can touch us viewers, affect us and indelibly mark us. Once again thank you for sharing your eloquent thoughts on it and for your encouragement.
As just one more musician seduced by the beauty of the score and seeming purity of the love of the star-crossed Orfeu and Euridyce I have to come clean: Artistic types are more comfortable in fantasy than reality, are we not? The real world is what it is and we try to work around its cruelties.
Yet taken to the extreme Pollyannas or 'artistic ostriches' sometimes don't do much for progress beyond their own. I was aware of the anger in Brasil's lower classes over prettying up the conditions of the favellas for foreign eyes. It's an old story, like the film Olympiad seeming to propose there was no 'final solution', only Aryan superiority (done in by American Jesse Owens winning every medal).
Your analysis is spot on and gives us much to think about. And, yes, I'll always be in love with this film, but with eyes open. Both things are possible---and art can be, as you point out, many things to many people...
You are very correct Joel. Thank you for your insightful comment, I'm happy that the essay has pleased you.
@ And thank YOU...
Great response, Joel!
Awesome video!
I found this right after watching Black Orpheus. I really enjoyed the film- I wasn't thinking about social/political criticisms while watching it, but that's definitely an important aspect of this film.
Thank you, Maker Moose. It is indeed one of the defining aspects of the film.
My Favorite 🎼Brazil 💚💛💙
Loved this movie it is one of my very favorite movies of all time very beautiful in concept talent and 🎶 will always love this movie
What is the keeper of promises about ?
I had a dream about this movie last night, which is how I ended up at this channel. I know this film only because my father loved it…it was before my time; but the fact that i had a dream about it, decades after having seen it, says something.
I found it haunting, eerie…seeing it many years after it had been made, (probably 1983 or so) and yet too young to know very much about life, (about 12) I really didn’t understand it.
It did bother me though, that the people seemed so poor and no one (not even the people themselves) seemed particularly bothered. I saw this is an American child, who had no frame of reference for carnival, so the film was baffling like “what is this???” Because of the way my parents responded to it, I understood that I was supposed to like it because it had an all black cast, but I just found it strange. I didn’t understand it.
Watching it years later in adulthood, I found it intriguing. I understood it to be a retelling of a greek myth, so that helped. But I think your analysis of it is definitely on point. The depiction of poverty just bothered me at a gut and visceral level…no body that poor is that happy. And yet the cinematic experience was amazing. The frenetic dancing, the landscapes, the characters. There is a lot of duplicity in this work. It is tone deaf with regard to any socially conscious messaging or themes…yet it’s still beautiful…and probably at least partially true. And given the time period of production definitely a groundbreaking masterpiece.
Hi Amber Lisa, thank you so much for sharing your perspective on the film and your experience with it throughout the years. I find it fascinating how films can affect us on such a deep level and I definitely agree with you in regards to this film's duplicity or ambiguity. Cheers!
Speaking about poverty, I wondered about their, homes called "Favelas" and history, interesting I looked it up on RUclips.😮
Thank you for posting a beautifully written and insightful analysis with compelling imagery and music. I really enjoyed the video and the film.
Thank you very much Jose, it's incredibly rewarding to know that you have enjoyed this essay and the effort put into it.
Muito bom. Parabens Luiz Bonfa e Tom
Jobim e Vincius de Moraes.
Obrigado pelas suas palavras, Eugene!
What a superb analysis of this film. Thank you.
Thank you Jon, glad you appreciated the essay.
A very sensual visual experience.
No doubt, somethings bordering on the erotic almost! By the way, there's an essay on a Brazilian film coming up soon, perhaps you'll be interested as well. Cheers!
An interesting commentary in many ways.This is my favorite film of all time.
Glad you have enjoyed it, Marianne. Cheers!
this movie is legendary
From the feedback of so many viewers on the comment section, it certainly seems to have struck a chord with countless people. The amazing power of Cinema, I guess. Cheers!
Thanks for this video....🙏🏽
You're very welcome, my friend.
It was novel for a film conceived and made by Europeans to have a black cast at the time, which was very novel in 1959. Of course the music is fantastic. I grew up listening to the Bossa Nova and am now a pro vocalist singing Latin Jazz and Bossa Nova. I am going to ask my Brazilian RELATIVES what they think of this trailer. Watching this trailer made me think that Brazilians were portrayed as hyper emotional, and yes, it tried to make the people seem super Africanized to get some TOURISTIC NOVELTY. I am half Mexican and it reminds me of how television creates the image of the Mexican in a sombrero, wrapped in a blanket, sitting there ASLEEP in the sun, which gives the impression of laziness, which we are not, and which is used to sell tortilla chips! This seems to make fun of us to sell products. (If outdoor workers in some countries don't take a longer break in the heat of the afternoon, they will die of heat stroke. They then work more in the later afternoon to evening. In many Latin countries one's Saturday night doesn't even start until 11 pm.) Also relevant is the Context of the films release date in 1959, which was well before the more recent multiculturalism efforts.
Hi Anna, thanks for you input and experience shared with us. The depictions in media certainly influence the cultural perceptions, oftentimes without the necessary depth that allows for a truthful assimilation. One is left to wonder whether these can be harmful, even when they mischaracterize others as inherently joyful and predominantly beautiful, for example? It's these kinds of questions that I wished to put forth with this essay and I'm glad you engaged with it. Cheers.
Brazilian here just to say that yes the average Brazilian is emotional, friendly, likes to go to parties and dance. I myself love the Carnaval, I meet my friends, we prepare our costumes, a lot of glitter and go to the streets to dance all day long. In São Paulo, Carnaval can last 2 months.
I've heard we are friendly because we don't have the notion of "being polite" then being friendly is what we understand by politeness. So I don't think the movie is exaggerating. Carnaval for me is like this, specially in Rio, Olinda, São Paulo and Salvador.
Of course, there are lots of shy, introvert and conservative people in Brazil. Specially when It comes to the rural areas and the neopentecostal churches. These people usually say they hate Carnaval, biquínis, samba,...
Samba Bossa Nova
Passionate Music 🎼
I love your videos, you are awesome. I hope you can make a review of angelopoulos' trilogy specially landscape in the mist. 💗💗
Thank you very much for your appreciation Nouha. Indeed, there's an essay on Landscape in the Mist in the projects, but it will come later on, possibly in the next couple of months!
Hey Nouha, I would just like to let you know that later this Friday, I will upload a video which I think it will appease you. Cheers.
MÜKEMMEL bir VİDEO.
Devamını bekleriz.
Çok mutlu olduğumu söylemeliyim.
Otomatik çeviri de Türkçe altyazılı izle bölümü olması da ayrıca çok güzeldi.
Teşekkürler ve Tebrikler.
Çok teşekkür ederim arkadaşım, bu çalışmadan memnun kaldığına sevindim. Portekiz'den selamlar!
Interesting that this beautiful film was made in 1959. Today's society in Brazil, the people are still suffering devastation & deterioration of the location where this film was created.
Now, Rio de Janeiro is overwhelmed with African militia & terrorist cells...the need is greater than before.
1959 Black Orpheus film was supposed to appeal to the UN representatives & political dignitaries to get involved with the re-establishment of the political power & restoration of the environment (e.g. better housing, agriculture-water irrigation systems & economy stabilization) within the society.
Now it's 2021... nothing's changed!!
I've always wondered about that...the African culture receives political sanctions & funding for relief/water irrigation systems....but not Rio de Janeiro.
Extremely difficult & very sad situations filled with injustices....just like this Beauti'lovely film!!!
Thank you for your input, Lisa. Indeed, unfortunately the current socio-economic situation in Brazil does not differ much from what is observed in the film. After six decades, one would expect that many of these problems would have found solution, however that is not the case. I sure hope Brazil finds and elects a balanced government in a near future, capable of bringing justice and dignity for all its citizens.
"filled with injustices....just like this Beauti'lovely film!!!"
nonsense. Let us see your perfect Social Justice film....I'm sure it's great!!!
What is an african militia? Most of the militians are former white cops
Great analysis…. Thanks
Thank you, I'm glad you appreciated it.
I did not dislike this film but I was not absolutely entraced by it. That being said, I did not know much about the background of the film up until recently. A lot of points you bring up help to prove it as an important film. -Paul
Indeed, I too believe the film to be much more valuable from a perspective of social and cultural shift, notwithstanding its shortcomings, than as a mere film product. Therein lies its true importance.
@ Off topic but that whole idea of social and political background is one of my favorite parts of cinema. Films such as Hou's "A City of Sadness" are prefect examples of this.
@@fireemblem2770 It's an aspect of fundamental importance on certain films. A City of Sadness is an outstanding work.
As great and withstanding as the music of Jobim is in this film, for me the music of the Vodou ceremony (Candomble in this case) is by far the highlight of this film, not to mention the brilliant use of the trance state as a way for Orpheus to communicate with Eurydice in the underworld. I saw this film as a 12 year old boy and it entranced me into a heightened awareness that allude to the origins of our species. These melodies during the ceremony stuck with me for many years through memory before the age of any sort of digital recording. Like some have said here, it changed my life. and has influenced the trajectory of my work as a painter and a musician to this day. Some of you that may be interested in interpretations of this myth may want to watch another timeless masterpiece which is Orpheus by the brilliant Jean Cocteau. This was followed up by the Testament of Orpheus which also stands as a masterpiece of inventive cinema.
Hey Glaxl, thank you so much for sharing that deeply personal experience and impressions with us. I always find myself overjoyed to see how movies can affect people to such an extent. And thank you also for remind us of those other Orphic films, great works by themselves. Cheers!
Everyone’s a critic. It’s a beautiful film for its time and intention. Other films followed with different agendas. All are valuable.
Yep, that sounds quite fair to my ears. Thanks for the input, mate.
weird question but what two songs did you use in this amazing video?
Hey Kevin, I used various tracks from Black Orpheus' OST, specifically "Manhã de Carnaval", "O Nosso Amor", and excerpts from a few others. You can listen to the full soundtrack over here:
ruclips.net/video/FdmYlwOjndo/видео.html
Esse vídeo foi um ótimo insight mas só me fez querer ouvir tuas opiniões em um vídeo sobre o Glauber Rocha ( por favor! )
Obrigado ToadHay! Virá no Futuro com certeza um vídeo sobre o grande Glauber Rocha.
not me brazilian learning about how brazil and brazilians are perceived by foreigners 👀thanks for the information, chefs kiss!
i randomly saw the picture of marpessa dawn in one of the screenshots of black morpheus on tumblr a few months ago and THAT was how i got to know about this STUNNING movie.. i was obsessed with her because she looked like my mother???
so naturally, i started my obsessive research about the movie, just to be a bit disappointed that she was not brazilian ?? but ok; DIRECTED BY A FRENCH WHITE GUY, sad, probably problematic but i still needed to watch it.. then i watched it and wondered WHY THE FUCK i have never ever heard about it on all these years 😭😭😭 controversial yes, but still OMG!!! so much history in just one peace of art, inside and around it! opens up a life of discussions and insights. clap clap bye 😭❤
People who didn't like the vision of Brasil portrayed in the film were certainly free to MAKE THEIR OWN film. Hmmmm..not as easy as it seems? Certainly easier to critique. That the music from the film still lives does say something and the clear beauty of the actors shines through. Musicians who complain about the commercial aspect? But they cashed those checks and made their money and fame from the film all over the world. Personally I'm still waiting to see the perfect film that would delight a Marxist and stand up to a dissection by a Professor of Jealousy. A film is just a slice of life not a perfect reflection of whatever someone else has in THEIR head. It's called art.
Hey Robert, thank you for your passionate comment. My examination of the dualistic perception of the film, aimed naturally to highlight boths parties of the argument. As mentioned on the essay itself and on replies to other viewers, I can understand the reasoning for both perspectives and art, as you so aptly have put it, is hardly ever going to appease on an universal level. Regardless of the contrasting opinions, the fact that the film is still cherished and discussed more than 60 years after being released, is testimony of its enduring power and charm.
The criticism is not merited. We must remember that this is, in essence, a fairy tale, and aspiring to be a retelling of a myth. Therefore it should be looked at through that prism: that of a timeless story, not concerned with sociological circumstances, but with saying something eternal. An archetypal tale.
Hi Sergio, thanks for the comment. Perhaps there's some reason to your argument, but it's hard not to empathise with the frustrated domestic audiences who were hoping to have their struggle given a fair portrayal instead of an idealized one. Having a foreigner come and ignore the troubles and dark shades of society to have a tourist exploration of sorts, can be distressing to an ailing people, I must concurr too. Anyway, that is the enduring fascination of the film, this friction between reality and myth, I suppose. Cheers.
Legal
Valeu, meu irmão.
Why is this movie, a retelling of a story in which the dude is a mythical hero and the chick is a Dryad, looking so idyllic?
It's a mystery.
I don't care at all about this film's supposed limitations and shortcomings. I never assumed anything about any culture or people when watching it. It's simply an atmospheric, soulful movie experience. You talk as if the story is presented in a way which is whimsical and light hearted, but that's not the feeling I'm left with at all. It's dark and haunting, like an eerie dream of a surreal world. People seem afraid to simply take a work of art for what it is without casting a suspicious eye over how politically correct it may or may not be.
My friend, it appears you have misunderstood the tone and purpose of this essay. While I did in fact present the impressions of people disappointed by the film's portrayal of the country as tactless or tourist-centric, at the same time I also ask if beyond the (legitimate) criticism, there's a different layer to the film that actually exalts the culture and society depicted in it, even if in an idealized or romanticised manner. The thing for which you attack me, is already refuted in the essay, when I ponder on whether a film's value can be sustained apart from its political message or lack thereof. I would recommend you to reconsider and perhaps rewatch the video, for many other viewers have captured what appears to have been missed by you. Cheers!
@ No need to receive what I say as an attack. I'm not angry, just stating my angle-- I feel like the mention of social issues is simply unnecessary when looking at works of art. Not that you shouldn't do it, just that it's not to my liking, as an audience member here with a platform to comment. Cheers!
@@larvalangel No trouble at all, my friend, I'm happy to interact with all sorts of commentary, whether positive or negative, and trust me, I've had a fair share of less than savoury interactions will downright malicious and obnoxious viewers, which is not your case. More to the point, I believe that in assessing works of art, one gains by going through all its different aspects and layers, even if not agreeing with every single one of them. For me, Black Orpheus strikes me as an uncanny piece of filmmaking because it arose such contrasting reactions, awards and epithets, which on their own have their reason and legitimacy. While I appreciate the film for its hypnotic aesthetics and dazzling experience, I can also understand the shortcomings pointed out by native people. I merely attempted to expose both sides so as to reach a middle-ground and understanding, hence the title of the "double life". Thanks for reaching out with your thoughts on this!
@ which is a stellar way of doing it
Also, you left out the name of possibly the most lasting and popular foreign musician, even to this day, to have been influenced by Bossa Nova, and to have integrated into his jazz style: Vince Guaraldi.
What I find fascinating about this virtual symposium of sorts, is that amidst the exchange of information and opinions, one always leaves more knowledgeable that when one arrived. I am not aquainted with Vince Guaraldi but I thank you for bringing his name to my attention. Best regards.
@ Vince Guaraldi, as you may know by now, composed the famous music for the Charlie Brown cartoons. Listen to the gently swaying,Samba-like rhythmic effects in "Red Baron."
ruclips.net/video/3972E7-SOas/видео.html
Carnavale in the Americas brings out the joie d’vivre that can’t be explained. Trinidad and all the other celebrations is infectious for both rich and poor. That was the prop of the film. If it was poor white people no problem but it showed blacks had a part in the world.
It's not a flawless film. But poetry hardly ever is.
Well put, Lambent. Regards.
Só tem gringo falando que gosta hehehe
É verdade, amigo. Cumprimentos!
All the culturally Marxist critical sophistry is beside the point. The film is not a representation of Brazil, it is a representation of a Greek myth. Brazil is a delightfully incidental, highly stylized, backdrop, stunningly photographed. You don't "fix" society in a film, you fix it in society, or you don't fix it. People still like Orfeo Negro (and always did) because it's a beautiful film. End of argument. Felix Unger to all Marxism everywhere!
Luckily there was no attempt whatsoever to entrap and rhetorically attack this beautiful work from a Marxist standpoint. The video acts on the assumption that in order to present its reception and historical context, one must be acquainted with the diverse perspectives and passionate responses it ellicited upon its release. Regardless of what one expects or reckon this particular film to be and extoll, this is a place to discuss and discover the limitless shades and possibilities of cinema without bigotry or intolerance. Cheers.
@ I'm sorry, I think I didn't make myself clear. I did not mean that YOUR criticism was Marxist, but rather the contemporary criticism from the time of the film's premier which you were quoting historically. According to those reviews, they criticized the film for not being socially accurate about the true living conditions of the poor, or the social segregation of Brazil at the time...social-this...social-that...all irrelevant then, as now where a film interepretation of a Greek myth is concerned. No one looks for accuracy in a myth, they look for style and interpretation. The public have always found both style and interpretation in Orfeo Negro.
@@johnpolhamus9041 No worries at all!
10:06= Enforced segregation in Brazil???? There has always been racism, but not enforced segration, since most of us are mixed. There has never been "segregation" here. There is racism and prejudice, but not "enforced" segregation. This is false.
The "enforced segregation" which I mention, was not an official policy but, just like racism wasn't institutionally applied or mandated by the law, it still very much existed and was a direct result of the mindframe and circumstances of the period. In other words, segregation was produced not directly by official decree but indirectly by the period, with the support and connivence of the political class and law agents, it was an inevitable outcome of various factors, and the proof of its existence was that there were neighbourhoods and areas of the city that had a very high representation of black and mixed people and associated with poverty and crime, and others where they were certainly not singificantly represented nor welcomed. Hope this has made things clear. Cheers.
@ you said enforced . You have made Brazil equal tô Apartheid South Africa or 1950's Mississipi. We ARE ALL mixed. The Word enforced leads tô The conclusion that there were laws for it. This is historically false
@@guitarlawyer75 I understand your concerns, but I've explained the sense in which I used the word. Apologies, but my discourse is often poetic and makes use of words beyong their literal meaning, in an attempt to express the variegated relationships and to reflect the films' own moods. If something is unclear or ambiguous, I take the time to clarify it. I've made my point and I understand yours too, no need to argue for the sake of arguing. Cheers.
Creio que o uso do termo "enforced" que foi a parte problemática, porque o Brasil e, particularmente, o Rio, sempre foram atravessados pela segregação. E por segregação eu falo do racismo espacial, de como o racismo molda a forma como ocupamos o mundo ao nosso redor. Ainda hoje as favelas e periferias são ocupadas, em geral, por pessoas negras no Brasil. Sim, existem pessoas brancas nas favelas, mas elas não são nem de longe maioria... ao contrário das áreas nobres do Rio, em que elas são, com pouquíssimas exceções, a regra. Obviamente não tivemos uma segregação institucional, como nos estados do sul dos EUA ou na África do Sul, mas nem de longe somos uma sociedade imune à conflitos de fundo racial.
@@leonardo03111984 Eu concordo. O problema é que quem editou o vídeo fez com que o Brasil fosse igual aos EUA. Até hoje as pessoas se odeiam lá pela cor da pela e devo frisar que afroamericanos nem podiam votam em vários estados até o final dos anos 1960. Enforce é realmente uma palavra que significa "forçado" com sentido de "obrigatório".
I've read the sypnosis twelve years ago, decided to watch it tonight, but couldn't stand the first few minutes of it. Definitely not my kind of movie. The pretty leading actress whose name escapes me makes it worth watching, I guess.
Hey Coura Thiem. It's a film that ought to be perceived with a certain context in mind, which I hopefully communicated through this essay. Even with its dated form and naive design, there are qualities which make it worth watching for any cinephile.
@ You're absolutely right, Plan-Sequence. I wasn't in the right mindset to watch it, and my hat off to you for getting that its dated characteristics and naivete, and its fifties type of acting put me off it. I'll try watching it again when I'm calmer about it, and thank you for your excellent essay.
The left ruins everything. They complain that a Greek Myth isn't realistic.
Unfortunately, I feel that if one pursues a viewing of cinema with political eyes and expecting it to conform to a personal political ideology, it will be very hard to recognise and take films at their individual, unique value, and to not come out disappointed.
@ You said what I was trying say in a far more articulate way.