Black Orfeus was albeit beautiful, it was made by a Frenchman and totally misrepresents the entire Brazilian culture. The world which exists in Black Orfeus is utterly make-believe. This film, which was made by a Brazilian, depicts a much more believable scenario for the story of Orpheus and Eurydice to occur in a brazilian favela. Its a beautiful film and if you have not yet seen it, go and see it!.
shareI agree that this film was better than Black Orfeus.
shareit's really hard to compare the 2 movies fairly. orfeu negro was made way back in the 1950s before drugs infiltrated the favelas and rendered them so dangerous. so i can totally understand when people say that the 1999 orfeu is more "realistic." the favelas have changed drastically in 50 years.
similarly, images from the same low-income neighborhoods in, say, chicago would have similar contrasts. in the 1950s, many black families would sleep in the park on hot summer nights (and not lock the door at home!). a young person seeing such a scene nowadays would find that ridiculous and unbelievable, because the images of the same neighborhood 50 years later would have to include gun-toting thugs, drug dealers, etc.
personally, i prefer the old orfeu negro to the new orfeu. i admit that it's hard to watch a remake and put the older movie out of your mind.
This movie was a piece of sh*t. The French version is the best, and this version shows Brazil's color caste system by casting a Brazillian who can't act, next to an Orfeu who puts me to sleep.
I haven't seen this yet, didn't know it was remade in color.
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Imagine that.
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I too thought the original to be a far superior film, with visuals, actors, music and mood all coming together to create a masterpiece that stays with the viewer forever.
It was kind of fun to see Lea Garcia ("Serafina" from the original film) in a bit part as the mother of the green-haired kid in Orfeu.
I have to say, though, the MOST fascinating thing about Orfeu had to be, for me, a black American female, the casting of a light-complexioned woman as Eurydice, the be-all and end-all for Orfeu. None of his other conquests, no other woman in the film, was so pale-skinned or Euro-featured. All were exceedingly lovely---but she was "the one." Interesting that back in 1959's version, this was not so.
Et quid amabo nisi quod aenigma est...?
On DVD, Orfeu is better than Black Orpheus. The cinematography here is excellent, as usual for a Brazilian movie. Complaints about the acting talent here seem overblown.
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