Orpheus

Synopsis:
Cocteau's luminous adaptation of the famous Greek myth, set in post-occupation Paris, remains one of the most stunning achievements of the auteur's career. Orpheus, now transformed from a musician into a poet, has achieved fame and wealth; still, he wants something more. When he witnesses a "biker gang," led by a mysterious dark-haired woman, run over and kill his wife while speeding down the Paris streets, he follows them in hopes of retrieving her--and enters the underworld through mirrors that turn liquid at his touch. But it's more than just his Eurydice that he hopes to find there, as is revealed when he becomes enmeshed in an otherworldly love triangle. A mysterious and stylish film, with elusive and varied meanings, and a flair for the poetic surrealism.

Notes:
The print used for the Home Vision Cinema VHS version is from the Janus collection. Winner of Best Direction at the Venice Film Festival. Awarded the Grand Prix at La Critique International.

Reviews:
"...ORPHEUS shows Cocteau's taste for magic and enchantment....Seeing ORPHEUS today is like glimpsing a cinematic realm that has passed completely from the scene..." - 05/14/2000 Chicago Sun-Times, p.3

"A magical reworking of the Orpheus myth..." - 04/01/2004 Total Film, p.38

"The effects are a miracle of low-budget ingenuity, the dream-like imagery unforgettable..." - 10/01/2004 Uncut, p.154

5 stars out of 5 -- "[A] consistent triumph of the imagination and, in its own handmade way, a masterpiece of special effects..." - 12/01/2008 Empire, p.212