Testament of Orpheus

1960 [FRENCH]

Action / Biography / Fantasy

8
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 81% · 8 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 81% · 1K ratings
IMDb Rating 7.1/10 10 4085 4.1K

poet biography death orpheus

Plot summary

An 18th century poet travels through time in search of divine wisdom. In a mysterious wasteland, he has a series of enigmatic encounters with symbolic phantoms with whom he muses about the nature of art and his own career. Ultimately, the poet strives to achieve his rebirth as a celestial being.

Director

Jean Cocteau Photo
Jean Cocteau

Top cast

Roger Vadim Photo
Roger Vadim as Lui-même
Lucia Bosé Photo
Lucia Bosé as Une amie d'Orphée / Orphée's Friend
Claudine Auger Photo
Claudine Auger as Minerve
Nicole Courcel Photo
Nicole Courcel as La mère maladroite / The Young Mother
720p.BluRay 1080p.BluRay
623.14 MB
988*720
French 2.0
NR
Subtitles fr  
24 fps
1 hr 19 min
Seeds ...
1.17 GB
1472*1072
French 2.0
NR
Subtitles fr  
24 fps
1 hr 19 min
Seeds 25

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by Alph-2

Cocteau's transcendent sense of wonder shines brightly.

Jean Cocteau's final filmic flight of fantasy is very special indeed.Adopting the guise of a poet 'unstuck in time', Cocteau ranges over his life in the world of poetry. It's a phantasmorgorical whirl of imagery, with plenty of humour, pathos and an enormous, transcendent sense of wonder. There's also a trial sequence where the characters from his earlier success 'Orphee' try him for bringing them into existence !Some of Cocteau famous friends feature in brief cameos. Look out for Picasso and Bardot.You don't have to be a Cocteau fan to enjoy this movie. All you need is an interest in the nature of creativity and an enjoyment of poetry, symbolic art, and the wonderfully cinematic music of Georges Auric, who scored all Cocteau's major films.
Reviewed by dommercaldi 6 / 10

Still Pretentious By Jean Cocteau, Still Intriguing

Pros: 1. The set and costume design are brilliant, and at times, the costumes are suitably really creepy. 2. The practical and special effects are great, especially considering the time period (again), and they still hold up. 3. The score helps to lather the film in a mysterious and ethereal atmosphere. 4. Jean Cocteau (Director/ Self - the Poet), Claudine Auger (Minerve) and Edouard Dermithe (Cégeste) all give really good performances. 5. The cinematography is fantastic. Not only does it involve some inventive shots and beautiful natural scenery, but also the aspect ratio of 1.37 : 1 allows for this biography to feel really personal.Cons: 1. Some of the framing of the shots are a little distracting and bizarre. 2. The dialogue is extremely pretentious and obnoxious. 3. The sound design is a little off and inconsistent at points. 4. The plot, at times, is very hard to follow.
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