Orpheus (1950) Orphée (original title)

Director:

Jean Cocteau

Writer:

Jean Cocteau

Release Date:

29 November 1950 (USA)

Genre:

Fantasy | Drama | Romance

Plot:

Orphee is a poet who becomes obsessed with Death (the Princess). They fall in love. Orphee's wife, Eurydice...

Plot Keywords:

Poet | Death | Mirror | Underworld | Radio

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award.

Cast

Jean Marais	...	Orphée
François Périer	...	Heurtebise
María Casares	...	The Princess - Death
Marie Déa	...	Eurydice
Henri Crémieux	...	L'éditeur
Juliette Gréco	...	Aglaonice
Roger Blin	...	The Poet
Edouard Dermithe	...	Jacques Cégeste
Paul Amiot	...	Judge
René Worms	...	Judge
Raymond Faure
Pierre Bertin	...	Le commissaire
Jacques Varennes	...	Judge
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
André Carnège	...	Judge
Claude Mauriac
Philippe Bordier	...	Young Man at Café des Poètes (uncredited)
Claude Borelli	...	Une bacchante (uncredited)
Jean-Louis Brau	...	Un jeune homme à la terrasse du flore (uncredited)
Jean Cocteau	...	Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Renée Cosima	...	Une bacchante (uncredited)
Jacques Doniol-Valcroze	...	Young Man at Café des Poètes (uncredited)
René Lacourt	...	Postman (uncredited)
Julien Maffre	...	Un agent de police (uncredited)
Jean-Pierre Melville	...	Le directeur de l'hôtel (uncredited)
Jean-Pierre Mocky	...	Le chef de bande (uncredited)
Henri San Juan	...	Young Man at Café des Poètes (uncredited)
Victor Tabournot	...	Young Man at Café des Poètes (uncredited)

Directed by
Jean Cocteau

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jean Cocteau

Produced by
André Paulvé	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Georges Auric

Cinematography by
Nicolas Hayer

Film Editing by
Jacqueline Sadoul		(as J. Sadoul)

Production Design by
Jean d'Eaubonne		(as D'Eaubonne)

Set Decoration by
Albert Volper		(as A. Volper)

Costume Design by
Marcel Escoffier

Makeup Department
Alexandre Marcus	....	makeup artist (as A. Marcus)

Production Management
Émile Darbon	....	production manager
Jean-Marie Loutrel	....	unit manager (as J. Loutrel)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Claude Pinoteau	....	assistant director (as C. Pinoteau)

Art Department
Alfred Marpaux	....	assistant production designer (as Marpeaux)

Sound Department
Pierre-Louis Calvet	....	sound (as Calvet)

Camera and Electrical Department
Roger Corbeau	....	still photographer (as R. Corbeau)
Noël Martin	....	camera operator (as N. Martin)

Editorial Department
Hélène Basté	....	assistant film editor (as H. Baste)

Music Department
Jacques Métehen	....	conductor (as Jacques Météhen)

Other crew
Sylvette Baudrot	....	script assistant
Claude Pinoteau	....	technical advisor
Claude Vériat	....	script supervisor (as C. Vériat)

Thanks
Christian Bérard	....	film dedicated to

Production Companies

• Andre Paulve Film
• Films du Palais Royal

Distributors

• DisCina (1950) (France) (theatrical)
• DisCina International (1950) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Oefram Filmgesellschaft (1951) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Criterion Collection, The (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2011) (USA) (DVD)
• Embassy Home Entertainment (video)
• Home Vision Cinema (USA) (VHS)
• Home Vision Entertainment (HVE) (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2007) (Australia) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2007) (New Zealand) (DVD)
• Nelson Entertainment (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) (1972) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)
• RTL Film Klub (2004) (Hungary) (DVD)
• René Chateau Video (????) (France) (DVD)
• René Chateau Video (????) (France) (VHS)
• Sultan Video (video)
• Video Yesteryear (video)

Also Known As:

"Orphée" - France (original title)

Runtime:

95 min | France:112 min

Country:

France

Language:

French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Unrated | Iceland:L

Filming Locations:

Franstudio, rue Francoeur, Paris 18, Paris, France

Company:

Andre Paulve Film

Trivia:

Most of the underworld scenes were shot in the blitzed ruins of the St. Cyr military academy.

Quotes:

Heurtebise:I am letting you into the secret of all secrets, mirrors are gates through which death comes and goes. Moreover if you see your whole life in a mirror you will see death at work as you see bees behind the glass in a hive.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in One Hundred and One Nights (1995)

One of the truly great masterpieces of cinema

If ever a film could me called `magical', `hypnotic' and `compelling', then surely that film is ORPHEUS; magical because it is such an incredible feat of the imagination; hypnotic because it is a relentless assault upon all the senses, the intellect and the emotions, and compelling because it is a profound attempt to at least illustrate, (it is not so arrogant as to presume to solve!), the mystery of life, our awareness of death and human consciousness endlessly seeking some sort of certainty to comfort ourselves with. Layered with various ambiguous possibilities, and full of symbols which will resonate in a variety of ways according to each individual viewer, each viewing of the film draws you deeper into its mystery again and again, and each time teaches you more and more. Perhaps it could only have been made when it was, (in the aftermath of WW2), and where it was, (in a country that had decided to do a deal with Death and then lived to regret it). Perhaps because Jean Cocteau was so talented in so many fields, people seldom seem to note what an utterly brilliant film director he was, and his work in this respect with ORPHEUS, stands comparison with anybody's. The film is also so complete, and unravels so perfectly and in such a masterly way; not one superfluous scene; superb acting all round, atmospheric photography, and a superbly utilised and sublime score by Georges Auric. I simply cannot imagine a film like this being made now, (perhaps LAST YEAR AT MARIENBAD was the last gasp of this type of didactic artistic consciousness), and this depresses me greatly, because it shows that `progress' is not an automatic, upwardly rising arc, but a curve that can go backwards as well as forwards. Anyone who has even the slightest affection for cinema should watch this film, and marvel, surrender, and learn from it. Without doubt in my book, one of the ten greatest movies ever made. So much so that I almost feel privileged to have been born into the time frame that could access it.