Rating: 3.5/5
Criterion Challenge 2023 | 27/52 | Sonic Youth’s Top 10
Eurydice comes to Rio de Janeiro during the Carnaval. Everyone dances around her. She takes the trolley through the city, seeing the festivities underway. Hermes shows her the way to her cousins.
Orfeu reluctantly marries Mira. Once he meets Eurydice, though, he feels a fire inside he cannot extinguish.
Death follows close behind, watching over the celebrations. He waits to take Eurydice away.
Orfeu promises to protect her. Can he keep that promise?
The criticisms from native Brazilians of exoticism and stereotypes portrayed are worth noting. In Brazil, people suggested I watch this movie and “City of God” the most. So, not everyone holds those criticisms.
Antônio Carlos Jobim and Luiz Bonfá’s Bossa Nova contributions are iconic and are no small contribution to the international spread of the genre.
Steve Shelley of Sonic Youth put this movie in their top 10 because of the music.
The movie is visually striking — elaborate costumes, colorful decor, and sweaty skin paint every scene with magic.
The simple plot could have led to this being a musical. It is, except they break out into dance instead of song. The waves of music are unending, keeping the party alive.
This isn’t a compelling story for me. It doesn’t have much plot development until the film has twenty minutes left. It has enjoyable moments throughout, especially the ending.