Black Orpheus 1959

In this vibrant and poetic retelling inspired by the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, the story unfolds against the lively backdrop of Rio de Janeiro during Carnival. It begins with a stunning visual of a marble Greek bas-relief shattering to reveal a scene of Afro-Brazilian men dancing samba to the rhythm of drums in a bustling favela. This opening sets the tone for a film rich in cultural symbolism and energetic music.

The narrative follows Breno Mello as Orfeu, a charismatic samba musician, who welcomes Eurydice as she arrives in Rio. Eurydice, played by a woman fleeing from a dangerous stranger believing he seeks to kill her, takes a trolley driven by Orfeu to her cousin’s home. She is new to the city, and during her ride, Orfeu introduces her to Hermes, the station guard, who provides her with directions to her relative, Léa Garcia as Serafina.

Despite being engaged to Mira, played by Lourdes de Oliveira, Orfeu’s feelings for Eurydice grow. Their relationship begins with friendly encounters, but soon deeper emotions develop. The two meet at Nassau, a vital part of Rio’s carnival scene, where they fall in love amid the colorful costumes and music. While shopping for a marriage license, Orfeu faces light-hearted teasing when a clerk jokes about his engagement, and Mira presses him for an engagement ring, showing her own impatience and desire for commitment.

Orfeu, still preoccupied with his music and Carnival preparations, secretly welcomes Eurydice into his life, offering her refuge with his friend Serafina and her sailor boyfriend Chico. Their bond intensifies when they share a night together, and Eurydice confides in Orfeu about her fears. She is haunted by the man she believes wants to kill her, but Orfeu heroically defends her from this supernatural danger—the stylized skeleton of Death, who constantly lurks in the background, ready to claim her.

As their romance blossoms, Eurydice joins Orfeu and his friends in the samba school parade during Carnival, where she secretly dresses as Queen of the Night in a stunning costume, with only Orfeu knowing her true identity. During the parade, Orfeu dances with Eurydice instead of Mira, highlighting their deepening connection. However, things take a tragic turn when Mira spots Eurydice in her disguise and rips off her veil, exposing her. This sparks a frantic chase, as Eurydice must escape not only Mira but also the persistent shadow of Death.

In a tense and emotional climax, Eurydice is cornered in Orfeu’s trolley station and hangs from an electric power line to escape her pursuers. Tragically, despite Orfeu’s efforts to save her by turning on the power, Eurydice is electrocuted and dies. Death, in a haunting voice, claims her saying, “Now she’s mine,” and leaves Orfeu devastated and broken.

Devastated, Orfeu searches for Eurydice at the Office of Missing Persons, a metaphor for the mythic underworld, where only a janitor—symbolizing the myth’s ferryman—guides him down a dark spiral staircase to a ritual rooted in Afro-Brazilian religion called Candomblé. Here, amid the mysterious ceremony, the spirit of Eurydice is revealed in the form of an old woman. Orfeu, longing to see her again, is warned not to look at her, but he does, and Eurydice’s spirit fades away, echoing the myth’s tragic ending.

Overcome with grief, Orfeu retrieves Eurydice’s body from the morgue and carries her back through the city, which is now shrouded in mourning. As he approaches his burning home and the scene of his heartbreak, Mira appears in fury, throwing a stone that strikes Orfeu and precipitates his death by falling off a cliff—prising the story with a poetic, tragic conclusion.

The film closes with an uplifting moment of hope. Two children, Jorge Dos Santos as Benedito and Waldetar De Souza as Zeca, believe in Orfeu’s myth—that his music brings the sun to rise each day. After Orfeu’s death, the children continue to play his guitar, and the sun eventually rises, symbolizing renewal and the enduring power of love and music. A girl offers Zeca a single flower as they dance, leaving the story on a note of innocence, resilience, and the everlasting rhythm of life.