Jean Cocteaus Orpheus (1950) is one of the defining works of French poetic cinema a surreal, dreamlike reinterpretation of the Orpheus myth set in postwar Paris. Starring Jean Marais as a poet who becomes obsessed with Death herself, Cocteaus vision blends Fantasy and Drama with haunting avant-garde imagery, exploring art, mortality, and love beyond the grave. A cornerstone of European Cinema and World Fantasy Heritage.

Poet, playwright, artist and filmmaker, Jean Cocteau was one of the most significant artists of the twentieth century and Orphée his finest work of cinema.

This magical retelling of the Orpheus myth turns the lyre-playing singer of Greek Legend into a famous left-bank poet in post-war Paris. Fallen out of favour and lost for poetic inspiration, Orphée becomes obsessed with a mysterious black-clad princess who first claims the life of a rival poet, and then Eurydice, his wife.

With its unforgettable imagery the dissolving mirror through which characters pass into the next world, the leather-clad, death-dealing motorcyclists, and Cocteaus magical special effects, Orphée is a work of haunting beauty that follows the poetic logic of dream.

Från IMDB:
A poet in love with Death follows his unhappy wife into the underworld.

Special Features:

Presented in High Definition

Feature-length commentary by Roland-François Lack

Jean Cocteau by Pierre Bergé and Dominque Marny (2008, 35 mins)

Memories of Filming by Jean-Pierre Mocky and Eric Le Roy (2008, 16 mins)

Jean Cocteau and His Tricks (2008, 14 mins)

The Queer Family Tree- Reflections on Jean Cocteau (2018, 15 mins)

La villa Santo Sospir (1952, 38 mins)

Theatrical trailer

2018 Re-release trailer

Stills Gallery

Illustrated booklet featuring essays