Orfeu mixes elements of Greek mythology and classical theatre with Brazilian telenovelas. That may sound like a recipe for disaster, but to me the director actually pulled it off.It was fascinating to me as someone from Western Europe to see how different life in the favelas is (both in good and bad ways), and to see the ancient Greek story set in such a different context. The cinematography is also great.I can see how some would be disappointed if they were expecting to get immersed into a convincing story set in the midst of a full blown carnival extravaganza though.The main characters Orfeu and Euridice didn't really come to life to me as genuine likable individuals that I could identify with, but more as the original Greek personas. However most other members of the cast did not have this "problem" and provided plenty of convincing drama.Also although we are treated to some scenes of the amazing Rio carnival, the director doesn't really seem to immerse us in that world of extravagance. We are almost looking at it from a distance, as if to say it's not that important to the actual story.To sum it all up: what makes Brazil interesting is that it is such a melting pot, and melting very different elements into a lively stew is exactly what happens in Orfeu. It may not always be that easy to digest, but boring it is not!

Director Carlos Diegues knows how to capture atmosphere with his camera and effects and when that atmosphere is the splendid garish gaudiness of Carnival in Rio de Janeiro there is plenty to entertain the eye. 'Orfeu' as a story, supposedly a re-interpretation of the Orpheus and Eurydice myth updated to current times and set in the slums (favelas) of Rio, is just not there.The title character Orfeu (handsome and talented singer Toni Garrido) does sing and play his guitar, his playing ends the night and serenades the rising of the sun, but here he a quasi-Rap star, beloved by his townsfolk of the hillside favela, and by all the women who come into his view. Eurídice (Patrícia França) enters his life, as she comes to Rio after the death of her parents in the provinces, and the meeting results in instant love. There is violence from the police invasions of the slums, drug lords such as Lucinho (a disastrously misused Murilo Benício who happens to be one of Brazil's biggest stars), female envy from Orfeu's many ex-lovers (Isabel Fillardis, Maria Ceiça), and parental concern from Orfeu's parents Conceição (Zezé Motta) and Inácio (Milton Gonçalves). But the story, or at least a semblance of one, gets buried in all the extravagant production of police raids and the Carnival parades: it just ends without much point - except that there is a reprise of the musical theme from 'Black Orpheus' to carry you back down memory lane.Though the quality of acting is generally substandard by comparison to most great films out of Brazil, the style of acting is supposedly the accepted norm for the popular Brazilian novellas on television. And the sensual presence of Toni Garrido does raise the quality of the movie. But if the art of 'Black Orpheus' or Jean Cocteau's 'Orphee' is what you are expecting, this film will not satisfy. If you are looking for a colorful, splashy extravaganza about Rio during Carnival, here is your ticket! Grady Harp

As one who loved and and read and saw the old version, Orfeu Negro, and who has lived on the songs for 40 years or so, I can say that this is a really good film. It is superior to the old one in many ways but what it gains in sophistication, it loses in enchantment. Never the less, it is a major and almost successful effort at a peep into a reality one cannot even begin to imagine. It is also admirable for the respect with which every single one of the inhabitants of the hopeless world of the "Favelas" are depicted, down to the last of the "evil characters" or the shifty one whose crying scene closes the film.It is also a beautiful love story and the recognizable connection to the Greek original is also remarkable.

This movie captivated me from the very beginning. This sparkling, contemporary portrayal of Black Orpheus recaptures the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice and again sets it in a favela in the hills above urban Rio de Janeiro. The lives, loves and losses of 3 generations of shanty town dwellers are vibrantly documented over the course of a Carnival holiday. Dreadlocked, handsome Orfeu, who has achieved local fame through the success of his shows at the Sambadrome faces the usual pressures of a celebrity who comes from poor beginnings. He chooses to remain living in the favela, he claims, to show the youth that there is more than one way to success, the other way being that of his 'almost brother', Lucinho, a psychotic gang leader who reigns over the 'hood with drugs and terror. When beautiful, otherworldly Eurydice arrives in the rough-hewn streets to visit a distant aunt she captures Orfeu's heart, much to the disdain of the local women, most of whom have some claim on him, whether real or imagined. The two find true love against a pulsating backdrop of Carnival performances, jealousy, police violence, interfering relatives, and flimsy homes held together by not much more than romantic and colorful scarves. The acting in Orfeu is raw and energetic and the passion that interweaves the mythical tale is ethereal by design, and enchanting by its very nature.