Orphic Triology

Cinema Classics on DVD Curated Collection


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Orphic Triology

The Blood of a Poet is the first installment of one of cinema's great experiments: Orphic Trilogy. Cocteau's stunning directorial debut stretches the medium to its limits in an effort to capture the poet obsession with the struggle between the forces of life and death.

Orpheus is Cocteau's beautifully inventive 1940s update of the Orphic myth. This depicts Orpheus (Jean Marias), a famous poet scorned by the Left Bank youth, and his love for both his wife (Marie Dea) and the mysterious Princess (Maria Casares). Seeking inspiration, the poet follows the Princess form the world of the living to the land of the deceased through Cocteau's trademark "mirrored portal".

In his last film, Testament of Orpheus Cocteau portrays an 18th century poet who travels through time on a quest for divine wisdom. In a mysterious wasteland, he meets several symbolic phantoms that bring about his death and resurrection. Features an eclectic cast that includes Pablo Picasso, Jean-Pierre Leaud, Jean Marais and Yul Brynner.

DVD - The Criterion Collection

The Three-Disc Box Set of Jean Cocteau's Orphic Trilogy Contains: The Blood of a Poet (1930, 50 min.), Orpheus (1949, 95 min.) & Testament of
Orpheus (1959, 80 min.)

Disc One: The Blood of a Poet, new transfer of the film with digitally restored sound
collection of rare behind-the-scenes photos
Edgardo Cozarinsky's renowned documentary Jean Cocteau: Autoportrait d'un Inconnu (Autobiography of an Unknown) (1983, 66 min.)
transcript of Cocteau's lecture given at a 1932 screening
a 1946 essay on the film by Cocteau
a Cocteau bibliofilmography
new English title translation

Disc Two: Orpheus, new transfer of the film with digitally restored image and sound
Cocteau's essays on the film from 1950
new English title translation

Disc Three: Testament of Orpheus
new transfer of the film with digitally restored image and sound
Villa Santo Sospir, a 16mm color film by Cocteau featuring many of the locations used in Testament of Orpheus
a collection of Cocteau's writings on Testament of Orpheus
a Cocteau bibliofilmograph
new English title translation

Curator's Comments:
Roger Ebert's essay on this DVD Classic.

Director: Jean Cocteau
Black & White

Blood of a Poet
Released: 1930
50 minutes
Orpheus
Released:1949
95 minutes
Testament of Orpheus
Released:1959
80 minutes

Country: France
Language: French with English subtitles
Genre: Drama/Fantasy/Romance

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