★★★★★ – Guardian. This magical retelling of the Orpheus myth turns the lyre-playing singer of Greek legend into a famous left-bank poet in post-war Paris.
"★★★★★ – one of cinema's great artistic masterpieces" – Radio Times
"A magical enduring classic, to be seen again and again" – Observer
★★★★★ – Empire
★★★★★ – Guardian
★★★★★ – BBC
This magical retelling of the Orpheus myth turns the lyre-playing singer of Greek legend into a famous left-bank poet in post-war Paris. Fallen out of favour and lost for poetic inspiration, Orphée becomes obsessed with a mysterious black-clad princess.
With its unforgettable imagery — the dissolving mirror through which characters pass into the next world, the leather-clad, death-dealing motorcyclists – and magical special effects, Cocteau creates a work of haunting beauty that follows the poetic logic of a dream.
Screening as part of Surrealism Season - in partnership with University of Leicester to mark the centenary of the publication of the Surrealist Manifesto in Paris.
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