Black Orpheus
Quick Summary
The film Black Orpheus (1959) by Marcel Camus is an adaptation of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, set in the modern-day favelas of Rio de Janeiro during Carnival. The film won first prize at the Cannes and Venice film festivals and an Academy Award.12
The original myth tells of Orpheus, a legendary musician whose skill with the lyre could charm any living thing. After his wife, Eurydice, died, Orpheus journeyed to the underworld to bring her back. He charmed Hades, the king of the underworld, with his music, but lost Eurydice again when he looked back at her before they reached the surface.2
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