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S E A R C H    D V D B e a v e r

(aka "Orpheus" or "Orfeo" or "Orfeas" or "Orfeus" )

 

directed by Jean Cocteau
France 1950

 

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 Cocteau's magical special effects, Orphée is a work of haunting beauty that follows the poetic logic of dream.

***

Jean Cocteau’s 1940s update of the Orphic myth depicts Orpheus (Jean Marais ), a famous poet scorned by the Left Bank youth, and his love for both his wife Eurydice (Marie Déa) and the mysterious Princess (Maria Casarès). Seeking inspiration, the poet follows the Princess from the world of the living to the land of the deceased through Cocteau’s trademark “mirrored portal.” As the myth unfolds, the director’s visually poetic style pulls the audience into realms both real and imagined in this, the centerpiece to his Orphic Trilogy.

Posters

Theatrical Release: September 29th, 1950 (France)

Reviews                                                                                  More Reviews                                                                    DVD Reviews

 

Comparison:

Criterion (Spine # 68) - Region 0 - NTSC vs. BFI - Region 2 - PAL vs. Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray vs. BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

 

1) Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT

2) BFI - Region 2 - PAL - SECOND

3) Criterion Region 'A' - Blu-ray THIRD

4) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray RIGHT

 

Box Covers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Distribution

Criterion

Region 0 - NTSC

BFI
Region 2 - PAL
Criterion Collection - Spine #68 - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray
Runtime 1:35:03 1:31:46 (4% PAL speedup) 1:36:01.797 1:35:41.235
Video

1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 6.16 mb/s
NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s

1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Average Bitrate: 9.48 mb/s
PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s

1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 47,596,585,890 bytes

Feature: 21,556,512,768 bytes

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

Total Video Bitrate: 25.98 Mbps

1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 46,117,398,731 bytes

Feature: 27,971,604,864 bytes

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

Total Video Bitrate: 34.65 Mbps

Bitrate BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

Audio French (Dolby Digital 2.0)

French (LPCM)

LPCM Audio French 1152 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1152 kbps / 24-bit
Commentary:

Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps

DTS-HD Master Audio French 1077 kbps 1.0 / 48 kHz / 1077 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 1.0 / 48 kHz / 768 kbps / 24-bit)
Commentary:

Dolby Digital Audio English 192 kbps 2.0 / 48 kHz / 192 kbps

Subtitles English, None English, None English, None English, None
Features Release Information:
Studio: Criterion

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen - 1.33:1

Edition Details:
• Cocteau’s 1950 essays on the film
• A Cocteau bibliofilmography
• 6-page liner notes with Cocteau Book excerpts

DVD Release Date: June 27th, 2001
Keep Case inside The Jean Cocteau Orphic Trilogy Box

Chapters 18

Release Information:
Studio: BFI

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen - 1.33:1

Edition Details:
• Feature commentary from French film expert Roland-Francois Lack
• Original trailer
• English Language Opening Credits Sequence
• Fully illustrated booklet containing posters, stills and a 1950 interview with Cocteau

 

DVD Release Date: October 27th, 2008
Keep Case

Chapters 16

Release Information:
Studio: Criterion

 

1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 47,596,585,890 bytes

Feature: 21,556,512,768 bytes

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

Total Video Bitrate: 25.98 Mbps

 

Edition Details:
• Audio commentary featuring French-film scholar James S. Williams
• Jean Cocteau: Autobiography of an Unknown (1984), a feature-length documentary (1:06:51 in 1080i)
• Jean Cocteau and His Tricks (2008), a video interview with assistant director Claude Pinoteau (13:29 in 1080i)
• 40 Minutes with Jean Cocteau (1957), an interview with the director (40:37 in 1080i)
• In Search of Jazz (1956), an interview with Cocteau on the use of jazz in the film (17:36 in 1080i)
• La villa Santo-Sospir (1951), a 16 mm color film by Cocteau (36:29 in 1080i)
• Gallery of images (48 in 1080P) by French-film portrait photographer Roger Corbeau
• Raw newsreel footage from 1950 of the Saint-Cyr military academy ruins, a location used in the film (1:41 in 1080i)
• Theatrical trailer (3:31 in 1080P)
• Liner Notes booklet featuring an essay by author Mark Polizzotti, an excerpted article by Cocteau on the film, and an essay on La villa Santo-Sospir by Williams

Blu-ray Release Date: August 30th, 2011
Transparent Blu-ray case

Chapters 17

Release Information:
Studio: BFI

 

1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray

Disc Size: 46,117,398,731 bytes

Feature: 27,971,604,864 bytes

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video

Total Video Bitrate: 34.65 Mbps

 

Edition Details:
• Feature-length commentary by Roland-François Lack
Jean Cocteau by Pierre Bergé and Dominque Marny (2008, 35:34)
Memories of Filming by Jean-Pierre Mocky and Eric Le Roy (2008, 15:53)
Jean Cocteau and His Tricks (2008, 13:32)
The Queer Family Tree- Reflections on Jean Cocteau (2018, 15:00)
La villa Santo Sospir (1952, 38:03)
Theatrical trailer (3:28)
2018 Re-release trailer (1:29)
Stills Gallery
Illustrated booklet featuring essays by Ginette Vincendeau, Deborah Allison, William Fowler and Sarah Wood

Blu-ray Release Date: January 28th, 2019
Transparent Blu-ray case

Chapters 10

 

Comments

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

ADDITION: BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray - January 19': The BFI Blu-ray appears to be from a newer transfer but same source than as the Criterion 1080P that came out in  2011. The BFI looks much better - sharper, showing more information in the frame (notable on the side edges - BFI have some rounded-corners) - you can see by toggling between the clickable full-resolution captures where the Criterion is softer and possible a shade digitized. In testing both version on my system - it was easy to distinguish which was the superior BFI HD presentation. Contrast is about the same but the film's textures are supported in a higher degree on the BFI. The UK edition is also on a dual-layered disc but exports the film with much more robust (max'ed out bitrate) visuals. It looks very impressive in-motion.

NOTE: like the BFI DVD this Blu-ray offers either the French of English opening credit sequence (seamlessly branched) when you press 'Play'.

BFI also do a 24-bit, lossless mono, French-language, track - but via a DTS-HD Master track. My ears could notice a difference with the Criterion being a bit more hollow and tinny but I am not confident enough to say one was better than the other. I can only say the BFI sounded consistent, clean and, authentically flat. It offers optional English subtitles and their Blu-ray is Region 'B'-locked.

BFI offer a the same feature-length commentary by Roland-François Lack as found on their DVD of 10 years ago, It is very professional - with fascinating information and analysis. From 2008 is the 35-minute Jean Cocteau by Pierre Bergé and Dominque Marny with reflections on the director - in French with English subtitles - by the former and current presidents of the Jean Cocteau Committee who provide a portrait of the filmmaker, discussing his family background, influences and the key relationships of his life. Memories of Filming by Jean-Pierre Mocky and Eric Le Roy is also from 2008. It runs 1/4 hour and has actor and filmmaker Jean-Pierre Mocky reminiscing with film historian Eric Le Roy about working on Orphée and the impact Jean Cocteau had on his own career. Jean Cocteau and His Tricks runs 13-minute and was made 10-yerars ago - it has assistant director Claude Pinoteau sharing his experiences of shooting Orphée and reveals some of the tricks employed by Cocteau and his crew. The Queer Family Tree - Reflections on Jean Cocteau is new running exactly 15-minutes. It has director John Maybury who reflects upon his introduction to the films of Jean Cocteau and discusses their ongoing influence on his own work and queer cinema in general. La villa Santo Sospir is a short color film by Jean Cocteau in which he gives us a guided tour of the villa - from 1952 and running 38-minutes. Lastly are a theatrical trailer and 2018 Re-release trailer, stills gallery and the package has an illustrated booklet featuring essays by Ginette Vincendeau, Deborah Allison, William Fowler and Sarah Wood.

Wow - this is the definitive edition of Cocteau's Orphée (Orpheus.) or many, it is his best film filled with mystery. "A poet in love with Death follows his unhappy wife into the underworld." Brilliant. This is one that deserves a Blu-ray double-dip and to own it in the best digital release for world cinephiles. This IS a must-own, imo.  

***

ADDITION: Criterion - Region 'A' - Blu-ray - August 11': The Blu-ray transfer is 'new' and a simultaneously released DVD is also offered HERE. The original Criterion DVD was released 10-years ago as part of the The Orphic Trilogy Boxset but while the 1080P appears to improve minimally via the static screen captures - it is far more evident in-motion. Once again we have a video-like image improving to a more textured film-respecting presentation. It is thick and the grain is reasonably consistent and even.

Ratcheting up another notch is the audio - remaining faithful as a linear PCM track in original mono. Like the video it may make no demonstrative claims on overwhelming superiority - but the improvement is easy to ascertain by closing ones eyes and hearing both in consecutive scene viewing. Like all Criterion Blu-rays it is region 'A'-locked and offers optional English subtitles.

The most apparent difference between the first edition and the 2011 are the extensive supplements. This might be considered the primary reason for any double-dipping on the title.

So, as we have stated, being a new edition from Criterion - we get a stacked slate of brand new supplements including an audio commentary featuring French-film scholar, writer/producer, James S. Williams recorded for the Criterion Collection in May 2011. It is exceptionally informative with pauses for important relevant scenes. I think Cocteau fans will relish the opportunity to listen to this very professional expert on Orpheus. There are also somewhere in the neighborhood of 2.5 hours of video extras starting with Jean Cocteau: Autobiography of an Unknown from 1984 running over an hour. The documentary, presented here in HD, covers an immense amount of ground - it was directed by Edgardo Cozarinsky. Next up is Jean Cocteau and His Tricks, a video 2008 interview with assistant director Claude Pinoteau conducted by director Marc Caro (Delicatessen, City of Lost Children). He discusses the special effects in Cocteau's films and runs about 15-minutes in HD. In '40 Minutes with Jean Cocteau' we get more insight into the director via his own words in this interview conducted by Francois Chalais and shot by Orpheus cinematographer Nicholas Hayer. Cocteau discuses his film work as well as his paintings in the church at Villefranche-sur-Mer and in the villa Santo-Sospir. The interview was part of the French television series At Home With... and first aired August 28th, 1957. In Search of Jazz is another interview with Cocteau on the use of jazz in the films from a French television series. It runs 17-minutes and is presented in HD. La villa Santo-Sospir is a 16 mm color film by Cocteau - made in 1951. It runs 36-minutes and features a tour of his decorative art at villa Santo-Sospir and his home in Villefranche-sur-Mer. There is a beautiful gallery of 48 images by French-film portrait photographer Roger Corbeau presented in 1080P. Also included in a theatrical trailer in HD and almost 2-minutes of some raw newsreel footage from 1950 of the Saint-Cyr military academy ruins, a location used in Orpheus. Lastly is a liner notes booklet featuring an essay by author Mark Polizzotti, an excerpted article by Cocteau on the film, and an essay on La villa Santo-Sospir by Williams.

The extras are like a half-day clinic on Cocteau and worked fabulous for me with a coffee and a snack. I never felt like a neophyte when it came to the director but I am certainly far more educated on Orpheus now and it has only escalated my overall appreciation. This becomes beyond an 'easy recommendation' but is instead an essential package in my eyes. There is only a dollar difference in the price of the Blu-ray to DVD and we consider the extras 100 cents well spent. 

 - Gary Tooze

***

ON THE DVDs: Update: The BFI edition of Jean Cocteau's Orphée, released in October 2008, differs from Criterion's 2000 release in several important ways. First, unlike the Criterion which is available only as a part of a box set of Cocteau's Orphic trilogy - reviewed HERE, the BFI's edition is stand alone. Second, there's a noticeable difference between the contrast of the two editions. The Criterion is brighter, with richer black levels. By using a slightly darker palette, the BFI appears to be less manipulated. but the Criterion looks significantly sharper with more grain and the BFI appears flatter with muddier contrast. Third, in comparing the soundtracks, I can say that the BFI uses Linear PCM instead of Dolby Digital 2.0 and has a slightly crisper and cleaner audio presentation. Feel free to take from this what you will. Fourth, sticking with the audio for a moment, in the only line of dialogue that I compare subtitles with, the two releases translate it very differently. One example - the line is translated on the Criterion as "Your cafe amuses me", whereas the BFI renders it as "You'd think this cafe was the nerve-centre of the world." Given my lack of knowledge of French, I can't comment on which is more accurate, but it does make me wonder just how the translations differ between the two.

Lastly, the BFI has more extras. The Criterion offers only a biography and reprints of Cocteau's own writings, where the BFI comes with an excellent commentary by Roland-Francois Lack, detailing the film's production, the lives of the participants and the symbolism on screen. Additionally, the BFI has the original English credit sequence, a theatrical trailer, and another outstanding booklet with a newly commissioned essay, and reprints of an interview with the director and the original "Sight & Sound" review. I dearly love this film and I am so glad to have both editions. Those who enjoy it as much as me should seriously consider picking up this invaluable BFI edition even if you already own the Criterion box. Certainly recommended.

 - Brian Montgomery

 


Recommended Film reading (CLICK COVERS or TITLES for more information)

Jean Cocteau: Erotic Drawings
by Annie Guedras
The Difficulty of Being
by Jean Cocteau, Elizabeth Sprigge
Cocteau
by Dominique Paini, Jean Cocteau
The Art of Cinema
by Jean Cocteau, Robin Buss
The Infernal Machine, and Other Plays.
by Jean Cocteau
The Holy Terrors (Les Enfants Terribles)
by Jean Cocteau, Rosamond Lehmann
Cocteau: A Biography (Nonpareil Books, No 40)
by Francis Steegmuller
Beauty and the Beast: Diary of a Film
by Jean Cocteau, Leprince De Beaumont

DVD Menus
(
Criterion (Spine # 68) - Region 0 - NTSC - LEFT vs. BFI - Region 2 - PAL - RIGHT)
 

 

Criterion Region 'A' - Blu-ray

 

 

 

BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

 


 

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

Screen Captures

1) Criterion Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) BFI - Region 2 - PAL - SECOND

3) Criterion Region 'A' - Blu-ray THIRD

4) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


 

1) Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) BFI - Region 2 - PAL - SECOND

3) Criterion Region 'A' - Blu-ray THIRD

4) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


 

1) Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) BFI - Region 2 - PAL - SECOND

3) Criterion Region 'A' - Blu-ray THIRD

4) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


 

1) Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) BFI - Region 2 - PAL - SECOND

3) Criterion Region 'A' - Blu-ray THIRD

4) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 


 

1) Criterion - Region 1 - NTSC - TOP

2) BFI - Region 2 - PAL - SECOND

3) Criterion Region 'A' - Blu-ray THIRD

4) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

More Blu-ray Captures

1) Criterion Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Criterion Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

 

1) Criterion Region 'A' - Blu-ray TOP

2) BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray BOTTOM

 

More BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray Captures


 

Report Card:

 

Image:

BFI Blu-ray

Sound:

Blu-rays

Extras: Blu-rays

 
Box Covers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Distribution

Criterion

Region 0 - NTSC

BFI
Region 2 - PAL
Criterion Collection - Spine #68 - Region 'A' - Blu-ray BFI - Region 'B' - Blu-ray

 




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