Black Orpheus

1959 mythic musical myth musical

Rating: 16/20

Plot: In the slums of Rio de Janeiro during carnaval time, Orpheus falls in love with visiting Eurydice. Then a guy in a skeleton costume kills her.

Interesting choice to place the Orpheus/Eurydice myth in this particular location. Arguably, the colors and the music are the real stars in this movie. The bossa nova score gives the film a pulse. You could feast on the colors that compliment the music. Literally! I really like how every inch of the screen is utilized with minor characters wandering in the background or things happening outside windows behind characters. True, some of the scenes of festive dancing could have probably been cut, but I like how they contrast against the scenes with the Death character and Orpheus's grim search for his missing Eurydice in a world suddenly drained of color. There's very little flashiness in the way this myth is told, but its beautiful simplicity makes it a powerful, rewarding experience.