
Testament of Orpheus1959
Paired by the Criterion Channel, both directed by Jean Cocteau, and both starring François Périer and Henri Crémieux


Jean Cocteau’s update of the Orpheus myth depicts a famous poet (Jean Marais), scorned by the Left Bank youth, and his love for both his wife, Eurydice (Marie Déa), and a mysterious princess (Maria Casarès). Seeking inspiration, the poet follows the princess from the world of the living to the land of the dead, through Cocteau’s famous mirrored portal. ORPHEUS’s peerless visual poetry and dreamlike storytelling represent the legendary Cocteau at the height of his powers.
1 streaming audio track
Commentary: James S. Williams
Streaming now, and why it pairs with this film

Paired by the Criterion Channel, both directed by Jean Cocteau, and both starring François Périer and Henri Crémieux
Or
Picked by the Criterion Channel

1957

1959

1946

1930

1959

1987
via Criterion Collection