Orpheus (1950): Cast & Plot
Orpheus is a 1950 fantasy romantic film starring Marie Déa as Eurydice, Jean Marais and François Périer. It runs 1 hour 35 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 35m (95 min)
- Original language
-
French - Studio
- Films du Palais Royal
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Orpheus About?
The premise of Orpheus without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
In post‑war Paris a celebrated poet, derided by the Left‑Bank bohemians, is torn between his wife Eurydice and an enigmatic princess. In his quest for artistic inspiration he becomes increasingly obsessed, ultimately pursuing the princess beyond the realm of the living into the land of the dead.
Orpheus Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- poet
- underworld
- mirror
- death
- greek mythology
- character name as title
- orpheus character
- eurydice character
- morse code
- rolls royce phantom
- morgan sports car
- blank page
+38 more Show fewer
- newspaper
- autograph hunter
- garage
- death personified
- radio transmission
- reflection
- france
- existential loneliness
- young man
- search for the meaning of life
- erotic male body
- name as title
- male name as title
- husband wife relationship
- psychotronic film
- european psychotronic film
- french psychotronic film
- french fantasy
- european fantasy
- poet as protagonist
- man carries a woman in his arms
- telephone call
- fight
- street fight
- policeman
- paris france
- bloody face
- blood
- lying on the floor
- beaten up
- beating
- violence
- magic mirror
- sleeping in a car
- limousine
- carrying someone in one's arms
- climbing a ladder
- climbing down a ladder
Orpheus Cast & Characters
Marie Déa leads the cast as Eurydice, with Jean Marais as Orphée and François Périer as Heurtebise.
- Marie Déa as Eurydice
-
Jean Marais as Orphée -
François Périer as Heurtebise -
Jean Cocteau as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Also Starring in Orpheus
· 23 more- Jean-Pierre Mocky Band Leader (uncredited)
- Henri Crémieux Editor
- Roger Blin The Poet
- Jean-Pierre Melville Hotel Manager (uncredited)
- Paul Amiot Judge (uncredited)
- Juliette Gréco Aglaonice
- Jacques Doniol-Valcroze Young Man at Café des Poètes (uncredited)
- Pierre Bertin Commissioner
- Julien Maffre Police Officer (uncredited)
- Jacques Varennes Judge
- María Casares Death
- André Carnège Judge
- René Lacourt Postman (uncredited)
- René Worms Judge
- Victor Tabournot Young Man at Café des Poètes (uncredited)
- Edouard Dermithe Jacques Cégeste
Show all 27 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Claude Borelli Une bacchante (uncredited)
- Henri San Juan Young Man at Café des Poètes (uncredited)
- Renée Cosima Une bacchante (uncredited)
- Raymond Faure Journalist
- Jean-Louis Brau Young Man on the Terrace of the Flora (uncredited)
- Philippe Bordier Young Man at Café des Poètes (uncredited)
- Claude Mauriac
Orpheus Plot Summary
What happens in Orpheus from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 11 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 1-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
Orpheus [Jean Marais] attempts to read a message tapped out by the horse that looms in their Thracian home—a strange communication that captivates him far more than ordinary poetry. Beside him, Eurydice [Marie Déa] grows jealous of the supernatural creature that steals her husband’s attention from daily life, even as the scene is framed by a mirror on the left wall and a white horse that seems to emerge from a niche at the back. The scene unfolds with a calm, almost ritual intensity as Orpheus explains that the horse is delivering him phrases from the unknown, phrases more astonishing than all the poems in the world. The horse taps out a line that hardens into a fateful message:
Madame Eurydice Reviendra Des Enfers
Full summary
The whole story of Orpheus, scene by scene
Orpheus Trailers & Videos
2 videos: 2 trailers.
- Trailer New trailer for Orphée - back in cinemas 19 October | BFI
How Well Do You Know Orpheus?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Which actor plays Orpheus?
Seen Orpheus?
Movies Like Orpheus
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Testament of Orpheus, Orpheus and Eurydice and Parking.
Orpheus FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, cast, post-credit scenes and language of Orpheus, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Orpheus?
Orpheus runs 1 hour 35 minutes (95 minutes).
When was Orpheus released?
Orpheus was released on March 1, 1950.
Who is in the cast of Orpheus?
Orpheus stars Marie Déa as Eurydice, Jean Marais as Orphée and François Périer as Heurtebise, among 27 credited actors.
Does Orpheus have a post-credit scene?
No. Orpheus has no extra scene during or after the credits.
What language is Orpheus in?
The original language of Orpheus is French.
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