Orpheus Initial Response- Breanna Bump

 Orpheus was an interesting movie to watch because there was a lot going on all at once. Luckily, I just studied the story of “Orpheus and Eurydice” in another class, so I knew the general background of what was going on. The movie seemed to end where it started which was ironic... Orpheus started as a failed poet and nothing changed in the end. The connection between him and his death/the princess was very strange, and I didn’t and still don’t really know what to make of that. I know that she wasn’t supposed to fall in love with him which comes the death and desire connection. 

“In Cocteau’s version, it is Princess Death and her assistant Heurtebise, both in love with indifferent, self-absorbed and ultimately unworthy humans, who sacrifice themselves and heroically take on pain and suffering in greater service of humanity. These embodiments and personifications of Thanatos, willingly surrendering to pure eros, aim without the satisfaction of object, freed at the point of imprisonment in the magnificent annihilation of jouissance, ultimately evading the vicious constraints of the humorless and loveless bureaucracy of the underworld, while the human couple they return to life live their bourgeois lives unconvincingly and uninterestingly ever after.” (Taken from the reading)

This section of the reading helps me better understand the brief relationship between the princess and Orpheus, as well as the relationship between Heurtebise and Eurydice. Both the princess and Heurtebise suffer in the end because they loved and desired two humans that didn’t realize the sacrifices that they made. They both suffered the consequences in the end while Orpheus and Eurydice go back to living their life the same way it started in the beginning of the film. 

Cocteau’s imagery with mirrors worked really well in this film. I particularly liked the scenes where the princess was shown in the mirror. I think this imagery represented the two sides to her. On one end she is death and is truly evil, but on the other side she is longing for Orpheus and she is trying to fight her feelings and her desire. And about the car radio… I have no idea what that was supposed to represent or its purpose in the film? I don’t even remember anything else happening with it. 

This film has queer elements in it because the main character is a unsuccessful poet who is straight which I guess is uncommon back when this film was made?

“What is your profession?” asks one of the scary men in suits. 

“Poet,” responds a puzzled Orpheus. 

“The card says writer.” 

“Almost the same thing,” shrugs Orpheus. 

“There is no almost here. What do you mean by poet?” 

“To write. To write without being a writer.” 

The board exchanges baffled glances, then resumes the scariness. (Taken from the reading)

After reading this section from the reading on oncourse, I feel more confident about assuming that the queer elements in the poem are directed around Orpheus being a poet. In this scene “the board exchanged baffled glances” validates that this must have been very uncommon during this time period.