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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.

Black Orpheus (re-release)

EMAILPRINTJanus Films

Black Orpheus (re-release) reviews
81
7.7 User Score:

Movie Info

Genre(s): Comedy  |  Drama  |  Foreign  |  Romance

Written by: Marcel Camus
Jacques Viot
Vinicius de Moraes (play Orfeu do Carnaval)

Directed by: Marcel Camus

Release Date:
Theatrical: February 24, 2006

Running Time: 107 minutes, Color

Origin: Brazil / France / Italy

Summary

RATING: Not Rated

Starring Breno Mello, Marpessa Dawn, Lourdes de Oliveira, Léa Garcia, Ademar Da Silva, Alexandro Constantino, Waldemar De Souza, Jorge Dos Santos, and Aurino Cassiano

1960 Academy Award Winner and winner of the Palme d'Or at the 1959 Cannes Film Festival, Marcel Camus's Black Orpheus retells the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice against the madness of Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. With its magnificent color photography and lively soundtrack, this film brought the infectious bossa nova beat to the United States. (Criterion Collection)

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

Washington Post Ann Hornaday

A riotous, rapturous explosion of sound and color, Black Orpheus is less about Orpheus's doomed love for Eurydice than about Camus's love for cinema at its most gestural and kinetic.

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90

The New York Times Bosley Crowther

It really is not the two lovers that are the focus of interest in this film; it is the music, the movement, the storm of color that go into the two-day festival. M. Camus has done a superb job of getting the documented look not only of the overall fandango but also of the buildup of momentum the day before. (Review of Original Release)

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90

Village Voice Michael Atkinson

Camus's film remains a revivifying experience - and a mid-winter oasis. Born and bred in France, Camus made other films, and lots of French TV, but Black Orpheus may still be the greatest one-hit-wonder import we've ever seen.

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88

Chicago Tribune Michael Wilmington

A film that art-house audiences in 1959 loved madly. And who can blame them? A buoyant, searingly colorful retelling of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth set in Rio de Janiero, writer-director's Marcel Camus' movie is a romance heightened by its backdrop.

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88

TV Guide Staff (Not credited)

Besides its exhilarating style, the well-acted film works as an effective translation of the classic Greek myth into a Brazilian romance. (Review of Original Release)

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80

Variety Staff (Not credited)

Pic is somewhat cerebral, being mainly helped by the fresh playing of the cast, especially Yank actress Dawn. Color is excellent, and director Marcel Camus gives this movement. (Review of Original Release)

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75

Boston Globe Wesley Morris

This is a movie about the marriage between sound and image, and the sound is wearing the pants in the relationship.

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50

Chicago Reader Dave Kehr

This sort of thing was considered high art not so long ago; now it seems forced and ponderously symbolic.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this movie is 7.7 (out of 10) based on 4 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Jordan gave it a9:
Though the plot becomes predictable at some point, the visual and aural qualities that ultimately comprise the film's world more that other elements bring joy that's difficult to brush aside. Such joy is more resilient in the end than the simple plot.

Remy M. gave it a2:
Grossly overated in its initial release, now the critics have another chance to fawn over this ultra boring nothing with a great theme song.

Charles M. gave it a10:
This film is a visual and auditory delight, and the "life goes on" ending is absolutely beautiful.

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