Amazon.com video review:
Marcel Camus's 1959 update of the Greek myth features an all-black cast
and a story set in the frenetic energy of Carnival in Rio de Janeiro.
Orpheus, a trolley car conductor and superb samba dancer, is engaged to
Mira
but in love with Eurydice. For his change of heart, Orpheus and his new
doomed lover are pursued by a vengeful Mira and a determined Death through
the
feverish Carnival night. Camus at once demystifies and remystifies the old
story, shifting not only its location but its tone and context, forcing a
reevaluation of the legend as a more passionate, pulsing, sensual
experience.
The film is really one-of-a-kind, an absolute whirl that barely needs
words.
--Tom Keogh
