I usually don't go for art films but I'm a fan of Greek Mythology so this had an interesting twist to it. It's definitely a movie u have to watch with no interruptions,the pulsating music and spirited performances move u along swiftly to the inevitable sad climax. The cast is all newcomers and do very well in their roles. It's fascinating to see the poverty of Rio but the carnival lifts everybody up like a religious experience and provides an escape from their dreary lives. The photography is first rate. Supposedly some of the Carnival footage is from a film Orson Welles shot in 1941 called It's All True but he was so long shooting it,RKO cancelled the production. The director of Orpheous staged a fake carnival on a side street in the Rio slums with 200 extras,much to his delight the entire neighborhood got excited about filming and the crowd swelled to 20,000,making it a really lavish spectacle,complete with dancing and costumes. The Criterion DVD has great sound and color. I usually like to use the subtitles but for some resin they don't match the English soundtrack so it's best to leave it off,unless u want to hear the original Portugese.
Review of Black Orpheus
