The Visual Re-Creation of Orpheus :: Jean Cocteau film Orpheus

The Visual Re-Creation of Orpheus Jean Cocteau’s film Orpheus (1949) is an adaptation of the Greek mythological figure of the same name. The alteration of the story into the visual medium of cinema is an interesting one. The use of cinematography in the film is creative, and it incorporates the essence of the myth with Cocteau’s own allegorical imagery. The symbolism of characters and events accompanied by the use of visual effects create a message that is uniquely significant. The special effects are the primary contributor to the distinctive features of Cocteau’s revision of the literary version. The devices that are incorporated in Orpheus, such as running the film backwards (the inversion of time) and using the photographic negative in some environments (inversion of space), function in numerous ways. On the surface, they add a mystique to the diegetic world that connotes the supernatural and uncanny nature of the narrative. In a more subtle way, however, they function psychologically to expose the viewer to the functions and subordinate machinations of the visual medium. In a way that is unique to the cinema, the special effects disrupt the pleasant continuity of the viewer. This disjunction is inherent in the ethereal nature of their circumstances and concomitant with its mythic origin. The psychological fraction of cinema is the specialty of Jean-Louis Baudry in Ideological Effects of the Basic Cinematographic Apparatus. He champions the idea that in order for the ideological infrastructure of a film to be successful, it must abide by certain filmic rules and not remind the viewer that they are simply witness to a representation (rather than a presentation, or a reality). The moral of the Orphic myth, â€Å"Don’t look back,† seems to be a historical analog of Baudry’s thesis. The warning itself applies to both Orpheus and the viewer of the film (â€Å"Don’t look at Eurydice†, and â€Å"Don’t look at the apparatus†). In this respect, the message of the Orphic myth is similarly the message of Cocteau, from a cinematic standpoint. Thus, it is the particular circumstances of the cinematic medium that multiply the efficacy of Orpheus. For proof of Cocteau’s intention in creating this meaning, his previous film with actor Jean Marais serves as the best example. Beauty and the Beast (1946) begins with a note to the viewer to remain focused on the â€Å"Once Upon a Time† mentality while watching the movie. This preface is another example of the intentional shift of focus away from the awareness of representation and towards a passive viewing experience. Later in the film, a mirror speaks to the protagonist: â€Å"I am your mirror, Belle. The Visual Re-Creation of Orpheus :: Jean Cocteau film Orpheus The Visual Re-Creation of Orpheus Jean Cocteau’s film Orpheus (1949) is an adaptation of the Greek mythological figure of the same name. The alteration of the story into the visual medium of cinema is an interesting one. The use of cinematography in the film is creative, and it incorporates the essence of the myth with Cocteau’s own allegorical imagery. The symbolism of characters and events accompanied by the use of visual effects create a message that is uniquely significant. The special effects are the primary contributor to the distinctive features of Cocteau’s revision of the literary version. The devices that are incorporated in Orpheus, such as running the film backwards (the inversion of time) and using the photographic negative in some environments (inversion of space), function in numerous ways. On the surface, they add a mystique to the diegetic world that connotes the supernatural and uncanny nature of the narrative. In a more subtle way, however, they function psychologically to expose the viewer to the functions and subordinate machinations of the visual medium. In a way that is unique to the cinema, the special effects disrupt the pleasant continuity of the viewer. This disjunction is inherent in the ethereal nature of their circumstances and concomitant with its mythic origin. The psychological fraction of cinema is the specialty of Jean-Louis Baudry in Ideological Effects of the Basic Cinematographic Apparatus. He champions the idea that in order for the ideological infrastructure of a film to be successful, it must abide by certain filmic rules and not remind the viewer that they are simply witness to a representation (rather than a presentation, or a reality). The moral of the Orphic myth, â€Å"Don’t look back,† seems to be a historical analog of Baudry’s thesis. The warning itself applies to both Orpheus and the viewer of the film (â€Å"Don’t look at Eurydice†, and â€Å"Don’t look at the apparatus†). In this respect, the message of the Orphic myth is similarly the message of Cocteau, from a cinematic standpoint. Thus, it is the particular circumstances of the cinematic medium that multiply the efficacy of Orpheus. For proof of Cocteau’s intention in creating this meaning, his previous film with actor Jean Marais serves as the best example. Beauty and the Beast (1946) begins with a note to the viewer to remain focused on the â€Å"Once Upon a Time† mentality while watching the movie. This preface is another example of the intentional shift of focus away from the awareness of representation and towards a passive viewing experience. Later in the film, a mirror speaks to the protagonist: â€Å"I am your mirror, Belle.