saquigley@watdaisy.UUCP (Sophie Quigley) (01/12/84)
an old b&w french movie which was (I think) directed by Cocteau and the main character played by Jean Genet. It was the retelling in a modern setting of an old greek tale about someone going down to Hades to get his wife back, but he wasn't allowed to look back as he went up or he would loose her, and sure enough he did look back. The name of the movie is the same as the name of the greek character. This story is NOT the same as the one of the fleeing of sodom when whathisname's wife and daughter looked back and were turned into statues of salt. It is not the same as the one of Persephone (a woman this time) who also went down to Hades to get someone back. I have a very bad memory for names. If anybody could help, I would really appreciate it. Thanks. Sophie Quigley. PS: this movie was a very good movie (definitely one on my top 10 list).
rab@cdcvax.UUCP (Roger Bielefeld) (01/15/84)
Perhaps you're thinking of "Orpheus", directed by Cocteau with Jean Marais in the lead role? -- Roger Bielefeld decvax!cwruecmp!rab rab.Case@Rand-Relay
barmar@mit-eddie.UUCP (Barry Margolin) (01/15/84)
-------------------- an old greek tale about someone going down to Hades to get his wife back, but he wasn't allowed to look back as he went up or he would loose her, and sure enough he did look back. The name of the movie is the same as the name of the greek character. -------------------- The heroes was Orpheus, the wife was Euridyce (sp?). I have a vague recollection of the film with the title "Orpheus in the Underworld" but it is probably a different one from the one you are asking about, which is probably just named "Orpheus". -- Barry Margolin ARPA: barmar@MIT-Multics UUCP: ..!genrad!mit-eddie!barmar
tjt@kobold.UUCP (01/15/84)
I haven't seen the movie, but the Greek story you're referring to is
Orpheus and Eurydice.
--
Tom Teixeira, Massachusetts Computer Corporation. Westford MA
...!{ihnp4,harpo,decvax}!masscomp!tjt (617) 692-6200 x275weheh@mhuxa.UUCP (01/16/84)
Could you be thinking of "Black Orpheus"?
smann@ihu1g.UUCP (Sherry Mann) (01/16/84)
I think there was also a movie called Black Orpheus, but I don't know if it was the same story, as I didn't see it. Sherry Mann ihu1g!smann
robison@eosp1.UUCP (Tobias D. Robison) (01/17/84)
>> Could you be thinking of "Black Orpheus?"
Don't be silly. Black Orpheus was in color.
- Toby Robison
decvax!ittvax!eosp1!robison
or: allegra!eosp1!robison
(maybe: princeton!eosp1!robison)wetcw@pyuxa.UUCP (01/17/84)
Black Orpheus was in color, but, was shot in such a manner as to make one believe that it was black and white (or maybe it was a bad print I saw). As I recall, most of the story took place after dark anyway. On another point, perhaps it was seen on a black and white tv set?
robison@eosp1.UUCP (01/18/84)
I saw Black orpheus when it first came out. As I recall, it was somewhat revolutionary in its lush and brilliant use of color. - Toby Robison decvax!ittvax!eosp1!robison or: allegra!eosp1!robison (maybe: princeton!eosp1!robison)
wjhe@hlexa.UUCP (Bill Heryq) (01/27/84)
The Orpheus legend was also the basis for a Brazilian film called
Black Orpheus, set in the black slums of Rio de Janero during the
Carnival festivities. The film does a wonderful job of capturing
the feeling of the Carnival atmosphere by both visual and musical
means; the music was very popular in the US in the early sixties
during the Bossa Nova craze, with the most popular songs being
Manha de Carnival, Samba de Orpheu and Generique. Lyrics were put
to Manha de Carnival several years later, and that song ("A Day
in the Life of a Fool") was recorded by several artists, including
Tony Bennett.
I've seen two different releases of the film in the US--dubbed and
subtitled. The titled version is much better--the soundtrack is too
important in the movie to fool with. The dialog is minimal, so the
titles are not annoying. I would rate the titled version an
excellant movie.